Vibrant colours, surreal forms, and lingering shadows cast by the bright hot sun - there is more here than meets the eye. Not much about the work of South African artist Sibusiso Duma has been published but this is what I discovered so far.

Continuing the theme of light, I was going to write about colour theory and colour psychology, even taking a detour into Carl Jung’s colour personality theory. But there are times when images need to speak their own truth.

What is it about light? The beauty and power of light to create illusions and play with the spectrum of our emotions has fascinated artists across all mediums and centuries.

The origins and original meaning of The Flammarion wood engraving are unknown yet the engraving - which is named after its first known use in an 1888 text by Camille Flammarion - is one of the most studied and reproduced illustrations of man's quest for knowledge of the universe.

Art, wine, and horses, or love at first sight.

I came across a painting I have not seen before by one of my favourite artists - Nicholas Roerich - and was intrigued by the story behind it. What I found was a letter from Roerich.

“Every single thing in the world around us is made up of atoms in motion, molecules in flux. To capture this constant ‘becoming’ — this is what drives me on and drives me mad.” - Fabienne Verdier

Set against a cityscape, two figures are exchanging a key for a bag of coins. Our first impression is not positive. Each artwork is a story. So what’s the deal with The Deal? The premise seems simple, but is it?

The rare jueban woodblock printing technique developed in China’s remote Yunnan province has been dubbed the “suicide” technique because it leaves no room for error.

Gao Xiang’s art is felt. But it is also read, peeling back the cultural layers like chapters in a book.

“These paintings are footprints of my travels to temples with Buddhist sculptures and murals. From childhood, I have seen and internalised many Buddhist images ... This is my expression of these impressions.” - Chen Li

“I feel like I’m creating a mosaic from these small paintings. It is an interesting journey, bringing it to life. Each piece is independent and yet an integral part of the whole. I feel an excitement, a happy feeling throughout the process. Let’s be directed by this motto: Let’s create something great - and even better.” - Levan Lagidze

“Artists past and present from around the world, they leave their spirit in their paintings. I am very much moved by them.” - Chen Li

Once in a generation, there comes an artist who shakes things up. Chen Li is one such artist and he does this without recourse to new materials, for he breathes new life into an existing medium. 

The odd composition of several still lifes by Chen Li wasn't like any still life I had seen before.