outside art

Employing local suar wood, Nyoman Karsa skillfully carves this image of Balinese monkeys. The pair strikes a loving pose, embraced in an expression of nature’s intimacy. Subtle details complement the wood’s alluring grain. Imbued with ecological sentiments, the work offers a unique touch to any interior.

Says Karsa, “Outside is the natural world; the lives of animals depend on human behavior. Numerous hunters travel around the world endangering the lives of animals, while only a few people concern themselves with finding the best way to save them from entirely disappearing. By creating animal statuettes I offer an alternative for animal lovers.”

Bursting with radiance, a charming sun is handcrafted of steel, featuring a design by Mexican artisan J. Blas. He gives the sun a face shape at the center, surrounded by tendrils of flame that are painted with blue hues.

Reclaimed pinewood that otherwise would be discarded gets a distressed treatment in shabby chic style and is transformed into this splendorous birdhouse hand-crafted by Costa Rican artisan Elizabeth Salas. Lovely leaf motifs are painted by hand over the front of the birdhouse that comes with a cotton cord for hanging and will be a focal point of your outdoor spaces.

Swaying and dancing to a hypnotic tune, Kokopelli abandons himself to the rhythms of his music. His long hair blows in the breeze as he pipes a plaintive melody on his flute. J. Blas sculpts the legendary deity in elaborate detail. He first cuts metal sheets and hammers them into three-dimensional shape. Welded together, they are adorned with airy cut-out work and finished with lead-free paint.

Kokopelli dates back to pre-historic times; regarded as a deity, he is usually depicted with a humped back, playing a flute. Ancient legends suggest Kokopelli was a Toltec trader who traveled from central Mexico to the United States' southwestern deserts and mountains, where he is featured in the form of rock art dating thousands of years. Kokopelli played his flute to announce his arrival and according to Pueblo legends, he carried seeds, babies and blankets in his hump which he offered to the maidens he seduced.

To the Hopi, Kokopelli plays his flute to draw heat from the Earth and thus make the seeds grow. His name derives from Koko ("wood") and pilau ("hump"). Kokopelli is believed to be present whenever life comes forth from seed – plant or animal.

Alejandro de Esesarte depicts a bonsai tree with emerald green foliage. Transforming steel into art, he cuts out the image and meticulously paints it by hand to display on the wall.

Because each piece is individually hand-crafted and painted, size and color could vary slightly.

Enclosed in a circle, a tree spreads benevolent branches from its strong trunk. Bali's Made Mulyani carves the beautiful image from suar wood, polishing the relief panel to highlight the rich grain.

Capturing the tinkling melodies of the breeze, this set of wind chimes from Bali is designed by Trisna Dewi. She crafts the body by hand using bamboo, decorating it with a floral motif. Aluminum chimes dangle beneath.

The Dogon peoples of Mali are well known for their creation of doors, which can have several purposes. In addition to its practical use as a closure for a granary, such a door might also be given as an important gift, or placed outside a dwelling to indicate the status or occupation of the residents. Ghana's Samuel Okyere crafts this interpretation of a Dogon door from sese wood, giving it an aged finish with the use of local clay. The lizard motif would represent luck.

Indian artist Preeti Gupta portrays the serene and divine beauty of a regal brown bull in her newest acrylic painting. Using green and black hues as symbols of vitality and harmony, the artist depicts the bull in a bold, black circle. Outside, abstract shades of charming beauty create the impression of a natural backdrop.

The painting arrives signed and unstretched.