art decor

Beautifully hand-painted on cotton fabric, a Balinese-style Buddha is serene. Artist Ida Bagus Lawa Bargawa works in traditional batik methods to render the figure of Buddha with his eyes downcast and his hand raised in a blessing.

A cash crop on this highland farm, sunflowers fill the senses with fiery color. Between the field and the hamlet, a boy on horseback herds donkeys. Working in the traditional art of arpillería (patchwork), Leonor Quispe creates a beautiful wall hanging depicting life in the Andes. Each tiny figure is crafted in three dimensions and lavishly embroidered.

A display rod can be slipped through an opening at the top.

Seated on a tiger, Shiva lifts a hand in blessing. Regarded as the celestial overlord of deliverance through destruction, Shiva has his customary trident by his side as a show of divinity. The hissing cobra that slithers around his head symbolizes his potent divine destructivity, and his matted hair is thought to contain the flow of the Ganges River. Shiva is one of the most complex gods of India, embodying seemingly contradictory qualities. He is both the destroyer and the restorer, the great ascetic and the symbol of sensuality, the benevolent herdsman of souls and the wrathful avenger. Unaffected by the whims of the world, he is innocent and guileless, pure of mind and heart. He does not adorn his body with jewels or flowers — he mats his hair and dresses in animal hide.

Ida Bagus Lawa Bargawa is a master of the batik technique, sketching the figures by hand and applying the wax resist freehand, which requires great skill. A different dye bath is required for each separate colour in his elegant and complex batik "painting."

Enchanted by the beauty of Sita, the evil king Rawana wants her as his concubine. He sends one of his knights to tempt her by transforming himself into a golden deer. Sita, captured by her curiosity, asks her husband to catch the golden deer. Thus begins one of the many trials that beset the noble Rama - though happily, love will ultimately prevail. The story comes from the Sanskrit Ramayana, or "Romance of Rama," the Hindu epic poem. Gusti Made Sujana uses batik to depict Rama and Rawana with the deer.

Mary and Joseph are thrilled with their tiny child, born on the first Christmas. Wending their way toward the stable, the Three Kings are mounted on camels. They bring rich gifts to the Christ child. By Maria Ramos Sanchez, this beautiful Christmas stocking is a superb example of the Andean art of arpillería. The motifs are created with patchwork; the diminutive figures are crafted in three dimensions and embroidered by hand.

This wonderful tree skirt is crafted in the folk art technique known as arpilleria, which is a three-dimensional applique. Leonor Quispe in Peru crafts the colorful tree skirt, which depicts the three Wise Men on their journey to witness the holy birth.

Depicted in radiant batik, Buddha meditates as he sits upon a lotus blossom, symbol of purity. His graceful posture and beautiful features find expression in an ancient art form. Siddique creates this inspirational batik wall hanging.

Tapestries and textiles in the Andes are as important today as they were 3,000 years ago, created for diverse purposes between daily life and godly ceremonies. Inspired by the culture he inherited from his ancestors, artisan Javier Landa continues the weaving traditions practised for millennia in what is today Peru, blending imagery between the indigenous world of the Inca with the colonial legacy of the Spanish, and the religion they brought to the region centuries prior.

Learning traditional weaving from his father as a child, Javier Landa started with a foundation in Ayacucho influence, which compelled him to dedicate his adult life and career to mastering the art of weaving, learning increasingly complex methods as he worked in diverse workshops across Peru until he developed his own artistic license and style, as shown in the Inca Cross. This tapestry is entirely hand woven, with each thread being developed and combined on the two pedal loom, delivering stunning textures and banding gradients.

Titled "Cruz del Inca" in Spanish