Tropicana Jan-Feb 2018 #116 A Start from the Heart

Looking East
From traditional artworks to dystopian-like architecture, these coffee table books will
liven up your interest in eastern art.
NEWS | BOOKS
Midnight Tweedle
Zhang Lijie
The frantic atmosphere of
China’s cultural and political
scene is given a new take in
this compilation of artwork
ranging from collages,
posters, photographs and even
objects from everyday life
that perfectly describes the
republic’s complexities.
Zhang Lijie does a
fantastic job in portraying
the political climate of the
country giving you a unique
look on China whether as a
local or through a foreigner’s
eye. showcasing exoticness as
well as its progress towards
modernisation.
Our Pick...
Warm Modernity: Indian
Architecture Building
Democracy
Maddalena D’Alfonso
This book provides a unique
and insightful look at city
planning in India shortly after
its independence. Greatly
influenced by modernist
and western architecture,
the planning of several of
India’s cities took much
more than just designing the
right infrastructure to fit
the region; creating better
opportunities and living
conditions for the locals
and, lessen the burden of its
communities.
Timeless Beauty:
Traditional Japanese
Folk Art
Edmund de Wall
The artwork featured in this
book ranges from everyday
life objects from 14th century
Japan to the more familiar
artworks and utilitarian
objects of the 20th century
made by people from all walks
of life. The book is a stunning
display of the Japanese’s
commitment to detail and
beauty with insightful
anecdotes by respected
Japanese art historians.
Project Japan:
Metabolism Talks
Rem Koolhaas and Hans
Ulrich Obrist
Launched in 1960, The
Metabolism movement
provided a radical perspective
on architecture and design in
Japan during a time of healing
and progress. The architecture
and design of the movement
depicted an almost dystopian
landscape fit for a sci-fi film
and progressive designs that
were way ahead of its time.
The book is filled with
rare photographs, sketches
and interviews with the
surviving members of the
movement.
Curated by Noor Amylia Hilda
Hiroshige
Adele Schlombs
Hiroshige was known as one of the most popular artists of the Ukiyo-e
genre, which translates into ‘pictures of the floating world’ and is a type
of woodblock print art. His paintings are often defined as depicting the
very essence of Japanese living and the Japanese way of life.
Filled with full-colour paintings of Hiroshige’s most well known
works of blooming Sakura cherry blossom trees, women frolicking in
colourful kimonos and crashing waves across the shores of a serene
island, there’s always something new to discover when you flip the
pages of this meticulously crafted book.
“Some of the
greatest prints in
the history of art.”
The Wall Street Journal, New York
23 january/february 2018 | TM