Neighborhoods

The former Royal Asiatic Society building

Far from the maddening crowds on the Bund, the Rockbund Art Museum on Huqiu Lu (虎丘路) is a favored destination that singularly embodies the East meets West history, design and architecture of…

The simplicity in patterned wood

I’ve always liked the predictability and soothing effect of uncomplicated patterns. This was one reason why I found myself standing in front of a discreet entrance off the…

The diversity of design in shikumen headers

What makes a shikumen (石库门) header an architectural tapestry so emblematic of Shanghai? The grey stone pediment, shaped in a triangle or semi-circle, contains designs that range from the…

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Wet and windy

They had called for snow and rain, and by they, I mean the local weathermen with their annoying warnings of a cold front. By the time the sun…

Year of the (Przewalski’s) Horse

Late December, the Hurstville Library in southern Sydney, Australia, contacted me about participating in an exhibit, “Stories of the Zodiac: Exploring the 12 Animal Signs in Asian Culture” now…

Heritage architecture in Penang

Things have been a tad quiet of late. After a hectic work schedule, I took a few days off to spend Christmas with my family back in Singapore….

Success! Help Portrait Shanghai 2013

This past Saturday, the Help Portrait Shanghai crew met in the outskirts of metropolitan Shanghai in Pudong, outfitted in face masks. The Linzhao Xincun metro station faced a massive…

Propaganda artist in residence

Weaving through the lanes near Yu Gardens (豫园) or north of Old Town in Xiaonanmen (小南门), whose layout had been hugely disrupted by carelessly erected temporary walls, blind turns and open sewers, it…