Kusama at all hallows

wonder | wander | women had the best time this Halloween at the KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature exhibition - set exclusively in New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) in the Bronx. 

steps spilling over with pumpkins & gourds - [3] Mertz Gallery

"The Garden is uniquely suited to present this once-in-a-lifetime display of Yayoi Kusama’s work for our visitors. An exceptional selection of work invites visitors into her universe, to consider her practice through her unique vision of the natural world."

Kusama: Cosmic Nature at NYBG, 2021

"Our subtitle, 'Cosmic Nature,' references her bold investigations of materiality, media, color, form, and pattern that proliferate into an expansive sense of becoming with the cosmos. We are thrilled to mount this focused survey of the work of one of the most influential artists of our time." ~  Carrie Rebora Barratt, NYBG President 

Kusama: Cosmic Nature, NYBG

Legendary artist Yayoi Kusama is a global sensation. She has paved the way for minimalism, pop art, performance art, and immersive art installations. Her radical works featuring pumpkins, flowers, polka dots, loops, and mirrors - excavating ideas of self-obliteration, fear, and infinity - have attracted massive audiences to prestigious art institutions around the world.

birthday spirits

It's a wonder | wander | women birthday post! Mom celebrated her birthday a few days ago and it's our tradition that I draw or paint her something for her birthday. Our favourite motif is the divine figure of the bodhisattva from Thai Buddhist art or the diwata of Philippine folklore.

Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up at the V&A

"There is art that is so highly personal in nature that it becomes universal."
Carlos Philips Olmedo, Director-General, Museums Dolores Olmedo, Frida Kahlo y Diego Rivera Anahuacalli

Iconic, enigmatic, compelling... Frida Kahlo was one of the most fascinating artists, and indeed, people, who ever existed. One of the original wonder | wander | women!

Image by Nickolas Muray, courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum

journal adventures

There's a secret side to all the adventures we have as wonder | wander | women. We love to share our pictures and mementoes of the places we've travelled as well as records of changing seasons in our neighbourhoods. At the same time we kept a more personal record - our journals.

world without women

On March 8, people around the world observe International Women's Day - a day to commemorate the struggle for women's rights and celebrate the political, social, economic and cultural achievements of women throughout history.

Statue of a defiant girl in front of the Wall Street bull.

Put in place by a $2.5 trillion asset manager.

For International Women's Day 2017, we're asking you to #BeBoldForChange.

garden walks

The wonder | wander | women are hardly ever in the same time zone, much less in the same place. So we spend as much time as we can in each other's company. Our favourite thing to do together (besides eating!) is take walks around our neighbourhood. (Often after eating!)

island paradise: twin celebrations!

This month wonder | wander | women are finally together again. And what a place to be together!

Two beloved family members are celebrating their birthdays within a week of each other and the whole family is gathered on the tiny, gorgeous island of Koh Yao Noi in Thailand.

Thank you Global Nomad for this ten day spree of fun in the sun. What an extraordinary adventure!

171 years of celebrating Sarah Bernhardt

Depending on which part of the world you live, October 22 or 23 would be the day to celebrate the birth of Sarah Bernhardt and all she contributed to the arts and our lives since.

Bernhardt photographed by Félix Nadar, 1865

wonder | wander | women raise a torch in acknowledgement of this woman of substance.

The French actress, named by her fans the “Divine Sarah,” is recognized as the first international stage star and referred to as the most famous actress the world has ever known. 

Sarah Bernhardt in a 1911 film adaptation of Camille (La Dame aux camélias)

a day to celebrate women

wonder | wander | women need no excuse to celebrate women and our greatness and yet we do not do so often enough.

Today would be the 151st birthday of Nellie Bly, who must be pretty special. There's an animated Google Doodle by artist Katy Wu commemorating the occasion. Indie rocker and lead singer of Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O wrote "Oh Nellie," singing her high praises. CNN ran a special story on the whole shebang. There's even a begonia named after her. 

Yet who of us recognize or remember Nellie Bly?

clear blue

As today's clear blue sky makes the promise of Spring more definite, wonder | wander | women sift through images of azure happiness.

The Dumaguete Promenade

It's still too chilly for our tropical bones. Much as we love Game of Thrones and John Snow, their iconic warning - "Winter is coming!" - elicits shivers that are far from delightful. 

slow down

Recently it seems as if most of the world is going through massive upheaval. As soon as we catch up in our lives, the world moves forward again and we have another paradigm shift to deal with. Tranquility seems rare and far away.

Sometimes this gives us tunnel vision, focused only on how to deal with the next big change that rocks our world. Sometimes, though, it gives us startling insight on things in our lives that we previously took for granted.

belated birthday celebration in Chinatown, NYC

For yet another belated birthday celebration, my best friend and I chose to celebrate in Chinatown. The New York metropolitan area is home to nine of the oldest Chinatowns and Manhattan's has got the highest population of Chinese residents in the Western Hemisphere. 

The firehouse [Old Engine Company 31] at 87 Lafayette Street
is now Downtown Community TV.