This is a woman's wedding ensemble typical of Siwa Oasis, located in the western desert of Egypt. If I came across of an image of this dress on the web, I would most likely take a glance and move on, not paying much attention. However, when I walked pass this exhibit, I did a double take and couldn't help but examine the elaborate designs and embroidery that compose of the dress. Getting an up close look, I could notice the jewelry intertwined in various materials, and the amount of effort and detail that was put into the dress. I have often seen pictures of these eccentric middle eastern dresses and thought about how beautiful they are, but until seeing one up close, I had never had the appreciation of the amount of work and detail put in to create one.
Upon walking into the pottery wing, I was struck by how serene the atmosphere was. The walls and floors were all wooden, supplemented with wooden shelves with glass windows to display the collection of pottery. The room was also naturally lit with large windows that viewed a garden outside. The room had a very natural feel, which went hand in hand to the theme of the room. Its almost as if the atmosphere took me back in time to ancient India.
epitomeThis work is by Justine Kurkland and is called "Mama Baby, Tidal Pools, Trinidad, California". Upon first looking at the image, I was a little confused, wondering what the meaning was, after all I thought it was just a bunch of naked hippies on the beach. But then I looked closer and saw that it was a group of mothers and their children, making it even stranger to me. The more I examined it, the more beautiful the image became and the more I understood and felt connected to it. The description told how her work portrays femininity, and how this one in particular portrays her subjects existing in harmony with nature, her vision of a peaceful utopia. There's never a moment when I am more content than I am when in the presence of nature. This picture is the epitome of freedom, taking these women and children back to their primal selves, completely devoid of the new world of human complications, solely in tune to the natural world. I value this concept and crave this feeling often.
This is a sandstone sculpture of the Buddha created in Grandhara in the 5th century. There are many different poses of the Buddha that are associated with different meanings. This particular posture represents reassurance and protection. The Buddha's teachings are basically a pathway that leads one to the good life of enlightenment. When looking at a statue of the Buddha, one can get a clear view on how to better enlighten their selves.