Contact/ Visit Us/ Purchase Features of the Month! O Presepio, Ivan Borges, Bezerros, Brazil. ¡Feliz Navidad! Happy Holidays Peace on Earth Thank you all for your support in 2008 and Happy New Year, Tony Fisher The Singing Birds in Egg Count Oil, acrylic, ink & pastel on plywood PrinceTwins Seven-Seven Dream of Fish Collector Prince Twins Seven-Seven Acrylic, ink on fabric New Work from Nigerian Master Twins Seven-Seven We have just received a new collection of paintings by Nigeria's most celebrated artist, and sometime Philadelphia resident, Prince Twins Seven-Seven. The collection inclues paintings on fabric and sculpted relief works on plywood. Twins Seven-Seven was one of the original artists the famed Oshogbo School (named for the city of that name), which arose in the newly independent Nigeria of the early 1960’s. Seven-Seven rapidly achieved international fame, with major exhibitions in Europe, Japan and Australia as well as the United States, and his work is now in museum and private collections around the world, including the Smithsonian Institution and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In 2005 UNESCO named Twins Seven-Seven the UNESCO Artist for Peace for 2005. The award was presented by the Director-General of UNESCO, Koichiro Matsuura at a ceremony in Paris on May 25th, 2005. Indigo Arts has exhibited the work of Seven-Seven since 1994. Many more works are shown in our Twins Seven-Seven Gallery. Woman Carrying Water Paint on paper Anak Chitrakar IWest Bengal, India Water For People We were pleased to offer one of our images, Woman Carrying Water, by the West Bengal, India patua artist Anak Chitrakar, for the use of a non-profit organization called Water for People. Chitrakar's painting was reproduced as part of a set of fundraising notecards featuring water issues in the developing world. Water for people helps people in developing countries improve their quality of life by supporting the develoment of locally sustainable drinking water resources, sanitation facilities, and health and hygeine education programs. Other cards in the series featured artwork from other Water for People program areas, such as Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras and Malawi. Click here for information about Water For People, their projects and the cards. Click here for the Indian Painting and Scroll Gallery. La Sirene Vodou Flag Mireille Delice Haiti Spirits in Sequins: Vodou Flags of Haiti Nancy Jacobson A New Collection of Fabulous Vodou Flags from Haiti We have just received an exciting group of vodou flags from the best of the current generation of Haitian sequin artists, including Evelyne Alcide, Roudy Azor, Mireille Delice, Edmond, Lafontant and Brianville Valris. We are also pleased to offer an extraordinary collection of vintage vodou flags and vodou bottles from the collection of the late Virgil Young. A large part of his collection is in the Fowler Museum of Cultural History at UCLA, and many pieces were included in the ground-breaking exhibition (and accompanying book), The Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou. Click here for the Virgil Young Collection These and many other artists are featured in the definitive new book by Nancy Josephson, Spirits in Sequins: Vodou Flags of Haiti. For this and other essential books on Haitian art, click here. Click here for the Haitian Art Gallery. Click here to see Features from Previous Months. El Angel del Camino Digital pigment print Fernando Olivera Oaxaca, Mexico New Digital Print from Fernando Olivera Back by popular demand! This image was originally printed by Fernando Olivera as an aquatint in an edition of thirty in 1995. It has been unavailable for ten years. Working with the artist and Silicon Gallery Fine Art Prints, one of the most distinguished Fine Art digital printing studios, Indigo Arts Gallery is proud to issue a limited edition pigment print of "El Angel del Camino". Click here for the Fernando Olivera Gallery. Click here to see Features from Previous Months. Tsunami as Monster Patachitra Story-Scroll Amrit Chitrakar Bengal, India Art from the Tsunami We were surprised to find that our Tsunami Art was just featured in an article in the Hindustan Times, of New Delhi December 18, 2005)! We were fortunate to come across these extraordinary artworks in the summer of 2005. Created in a workshop of patua, travelling scroll-painters in West Bengal, India, they graphically depict the terrible events of the tsunami of December 26, 2004. Organized by the Asian Heritage Foundation in India, the scrolls were produced and marketed as a means of raising funds for tsunami relief. Like the patachitra scrolls and paintings by Montu Chitrakar and others we have shown previously, these scrolls follow the conventions of an age-old narrative tradition. The scrolls are by various artists, all of whom by convention share the surname Chitrakar, meaning painter, whether actually related or not. Click here for the Art from the Tsunami Gallery. Click here to see Features from Previous Months. Earrings Hand-carved carnelian, amethyst and spiny oyster, with sterling silver setting Amy Kahn Russell New Jewelry by Amy Kahn Russell We have just received a new collection of dazzling works by one of our favorite jewelry designers - Amy Kahn Russell. Amy Kahn Russell transforms an exotic blend of cultural heritages and nature's beauty into contemporary jewelry design. She is widely known as a forerunner of the naturalistic trend in one-of-a-kind jewelry. Drawing upon her fine art sculptural background she also incorporates one-of-a-kind ethnic and Asian pieces gathered in her travels. Click here for the Amy Kahn Russell Gallery. "Milagre" Ex-voto Head Ceará, Brazil "A Psicanalista" José Francisco Borges Bezerros, Pernambuco, Brazil Mysteries and Miracles: Folk Art from Brazil's Northeast We have greatly expanded our collection of Brazilian Folk Art, with the acquisitiuon of many more wood-cut prints by the "Master of the Brazilian Backlands", José Francisco Borges. Described by the New York Times as "one of Latin America's most celebrated folk artists", his work has been exhibited at the Louvre and the Smithsonian Institution, as well as the International Museum of Folk Art in Santa Fe. Living in the village of Bezerros, Pernambuco state, in Northeastern Brazil, Borges chronicles the life and legends of rural Brazil with empathy and humor. To his work we have added a selection of the other many talented Brazilian wood-cut artists, including other members of the Borges family, including Amaro Francisco Borges, Ivan Borges and José Miguel da Silva.. The New York Times recently carried an excellent article on the cordel tradition, featuring Borges and others, "The Traveling Troubadors of Brazil's Backlands" (June 14, 2005). To balance this view of Brazilian life we have also been fortunate to acquire a significant collection of hand-carved wooden milagre (miracle) ex-votos from the states of Ceará and Pernambuco. Don't miss this unusual folk art! Click here for the Brazilian Folk Art Gallery. "Kneeling Woman" Yoruba people (Nigeria "Baby Naming Ceremony" Twins Seven-Seven (Nigeria African Visions In honor of the opening of the African Art African Voices exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Indigo Arts gallery presents African Visions, a celebration of the African genius and the African eye. Drawing upon our our wide-ranging collection of African art, the exhibition includes sculpture, masks, textiles, contemporary paintings and, yes, barbershop signs. The exhibition opened on First Friday, November 5th, and continues through January, 2005. At our opening reception we were honored by the presence of the Nigeria's most celebrated modern artist , Twins Seven-Seven. Prince Twins Seven-Seven was one of the original artists of the famed Oshogbo School (named for the city of that name), which arose in the newly independent Nigeria of the early 1960’s. Seven-Seven rapidly achieved international fame, with major exhibitions in Europe, Japan and Australia as well as the United States, and his work is now in museum and private collections around the world. He is also a very talented musician, as he and his band (consisting of his wife and five children) demonstrated with a thrilling concert at Indigo Arts. Posted 11/12/2004. "Moon Talk" Susan Rodriguez (Philadelphia,PA) Susan Rodriguez:_Stealing Water from the Moon How to steal water from the moon? Artist and University of the Arts professor Susan Rodriguez attempts this artistic feat in a one-woman show at Indigo Arts. The exhibition of pastel collages, prints, scrolls and ceramic works opens on First Friday, October 1st, and continues through the month. Posted 9/23/2004. Ring around the Rosy Wilson Bigaud Haiti, c. 1970 Classic Works from Haiti In commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of Haiti’s independence, Indigo Arts Gallery presents Masters of Haitian Art. The exhibition opened on First Friday, May 7th, and will be on display through the month of July. In a time of political turmoil and terrible deprivation in Haiti, we pay tribute to the incredibly rich cultural and artistic heritage of the Black Republic, with an exhibition of some of Haiti’s greatest artists of the last fifty years. Artists represented include painters Montas Antoine, Wilson Bigaud, Gelin Buteau, G.E. Ducasse, Gerard Fortune, Alexandre Gregoire, Dieuseul Paul, Gerard Paul, Andre Pierre, Micius Stephane, Gerard Valcin, Pierre-Joseph Valcin, sculptors Gabriel Bien-Aimé and Serge Jolimeau, and vodou banner artists Myrlande Constant, Eviland Lalanne, Yves Telemac, and George Valris. Asking for the Rain Huichol Yarn painting by José Benitez Sanchez Mexico Huichol Art by José Benitez Sanchez Don't miss Mythic Visions: Yarn Paintings of a Huichol Shaman, the current show at the University of Pennsylvania's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. This dazzling exhibition features the work of José Benitez Sanchez, the most celebrated of the Huichol Indian shaman/artists of Nayarit, Mexico. At Indigo Arts we have featured the work of José Benitez Sanchez and other Huichol artists for many years. Take a look at these hard to find works at our Huichol Art Gallery. Posted 2/14/2004. Kyrghyz Felt Bird Ornaments Kyrghyzstan Mercury-glass Heart Ornaments India Ornaments for the Holidays This holiday season we introduce new ornaments from around the world, including India, China and Kyrghyzstan. Click here for the Holiday Ornaments from around the World. Posted 12/9/2003. Portrait of Haitian Statesman St. Louis Blaise Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 1979 A 1979 Oil by Haitian Painter St. Louis Blaise We have just received a collection of paintings from the1970's and 1980's by three of the four celebrated Blaise brothers, the late St. Louis Blaise, Fabolon Blaise and Serge Moleon Blaise . We also received a lovely painting of Adam and Eve by the 1970's primitive, Alberoi Bazile. Click here for the St. Louis Blaise Gallery. Posted 9/16/2003. El Viento Nos Llevara Fernando Olivera Oaxaca, Mexico, 2003 A New Aquatint from Fernando Olivera We have just received El Viento Nos Llevara ,the long-awaited new aquatint from our most popular Oaxaca artist ,Fernando Olivera. Click here for the Fernando Olivera Gallery. Posted 8/7/2003. Shaman's Mask Nepal, early 20th century A New Collection of Masks from Nepal We are pleased to offer a new collection of antique shaman's masks from Nepal. Click here for the Nepali Mask Gallery. Posted 6/10/2003. Terra Incognita Necklace Turquoise, green turquoise, amethyst, lapis & carved bone beads with sterling silver beads and clasp. New Jewelry Designs from Terra Incognita We offer a new collection of beautiful beaded necklaces from designer and Indigo founder Devi Cholet. Devi's new designs feature a lush palette of turquoise, coral, amethyst, lapis lazuli, carved bone and antique glass trade beads set off with silver beads and pendants from India, Thailand and China. Click here for the Terra Incognita Gallery. Posted 4/17/2003. Armadillo mask Dance of Diablado. Bolivia, late 20th century. Unpainted tin from recycled alcohol cans Tin Masks from Bolivia A selection of tin masks from Bolivia. Beautifully constructed from tin recycled from alcohol cans, our masks are all left in their original unpainted form. Click here for the Bolivian Mask Gallery. Posted 3/25/2003. Detail of Kuba dancing skirt Kuba people - Democratic Republic of the Congo, early 20th century. raffia cloth w/ natural dyes Kuba Cloth from the Congo We celebrate the brilliant artistry of the Kuba people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a new selection of these powerful geometricly-patterned textiles woven and embroidered entirely of palm-leaf raffia fibers. Our collection ranges from small pile-weave "velvet" panels to multi-panel appliquéd dancing skirts up to 20 feet long. We also have a collection of one-of-a-kind pillows designed with these fabrics. Click here for the Kuba Textile Gallery. Posted 3/11/2003. Angel Vodou banner by George Valris, Haiti, c. 2000. sequins & glass beads on fabric New Vodou Banners from Haiti We've just added some brilliantly sequinned new Vodou banners to our collection of Haitian art. The latest additions are flags by masters George Valris and Maxon Scylla. Click here for the Haitian Gallery. Click here to see Features from Previous Weeks. Posted 12/16/2002. Ewe Kente cloth Ewe people, Ghana, 12-strip cotton textile, mid-20th cent. Vintage Kente Cloth from Ghana We've just added a new collection of fine vintage kente cloth from Ghana. Our collection includes fine examples of this highly prized textile from both the Ewe and Asante (Ashanti) peoples of Ghana. Several of the pieces in this collection were featued in Sharne Algotsson's book, African Style: Down to the Details. Click here for the Kente Cloth Gallery. Posted 11/19/2002. A Mulhere que Botou O Diabo Nagarrafa (The Woman who Put the Devil in a Bottle) José Francisco Borges (Brazil), Woodcut, 1994 Wood-cuts from Brazil by José Francisco Borges We've just added a fabulous collection of Brazilian Folk Wood-cuts to our Gallery section. José Francisco Borges, from the village of Bezerros, Pernambuco state, in Northeastern Brazil Borges is probably Brazil's best-known folk artist , and his work has been exhibited all over the world. We offer a selection of Borges' humorous and fanciful wood-cut prints. Click here for the Brazilian Folk Art Gallery. Posted 9/10/2002. Beaded Dolls from Capetown, South Africa Beaded Dolls from Capetown, South Africa These wonderful beaded dolls are created by enterprising women living in the townships surrounding Capetown, South Africa. The work has come to us from a project to employ and empower women in the townships of Mandela Park, Khayalisha and Phillipi. The project provides each woman with the glass beads and pays cash for each doll or bag she produces. The 180 women currently participating in the project are producing a variety of one-of-a-kind dolls and bags. In designing and creating these artworks, the women draw on and renew the rich artistic traditions of their several ethnic groups - Xhosa, Zulu, Ndebele, Sotho and others. In thse works the bead artists of the Cape townships are creating a new, often humorous and sometimes quite startling synthesis of folk traditions. Click here to see our South African beaded dolls. Posted 7/29/2002. Jolie Tresses Hair-Braider's Sign (Cotonou, Benin, c. 2001) Hairdresser's Signs from Benin We have just received a great selection of small hair-braider's and barber's sign-boards from Benin. In Africa a "barbershop" or "hair salon" may entail nothing more elaborate than a barber or hair-braider with a chair set up in the open and a signboard hanging from a tree or market stall. The signs may be painted by the barbers or hairdressers themselves, or by paid sign artists. The signs both identify the businesses and advertise the services offered, depicting a catalog of intricate women's hairbraiding patterns or the latest in men's hair styles. African signboards have become a hot item among folk art collectors in recent years. Our signs were recently featured in an article in Lucky magazine (January 2002). Click here to see our Benin signboards. Posted 7/6/2002. By the Sea Oil Painting by Montas Antoine (Haiti, c. 1955) Vintage Haitian painting by Montas Antoine We are fortunate to have come upon this early painting by the reknowned "First Generation" Haitian painter, Montas Antoine. One of the great Haitian intuitive painters, Antoine's work is now included in the permanent collections of the Milwaukee Museum of Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art as well as major private collections such as Jonathan Demme's. collection (the catalog of which provided the biogrophical information above). Antoine's work is included in Demme's book Island on Fire and Selden Rodman's Where Art is Joy. Click here to see the painting. Posted 6/25/2002. Latest Update March 18, 2009 BACK TO MAIN NEWS PAGE 1400 North American St., #104 • Philadelphia, PA 19122 Phone: (215) 765-1041 • Toll Free: (888) INDIART • Fax: (215) 765-1042 E-Mail: indigofamily@indigoarts.com Al l photographs and text Copyright Indigo Arts Gallery, LLC., 1998-2008. Use without permission prohibited. Indigo Store News & Events About Us Main Menu Indigo Arts Cards Indigo Arts Gallery