I have been fascinated with and studying the art behind portraiture. For someone who is a photography hobbyist, I have had very little practise with taking portraits outside of specific purposes like documenting events in snapshot form or for legal documents. Portraits capture not only the physical aspects, where its beauty is given and present, but also emotions, stories, secrets, and desires — hidden or obvious. I also share a handful of my favourites.
Like his previous novel, Yann Martel uses animals for allegory once again in his 2010 novel, Beatrice and Virgil. Instead of telling the story of the life of a boy practising three religions at once and how all three helped him when being stranded in the Pacific Ocean for almost a year, Martel explores a even more fragile topic: the Holocaust. Equipped with impressive ideas and approaches, the novel still hides a bit of a surprise. Whether it be a pleasant or unpleasant one is up for the reader to decide.
Four months and sixteen days after my grandfather passed away, his soulmate — my grandmother — joined him. I was given the honour of participating in a tribute that involved several people my grandmother knew. Being the youngest of the selected, I spoke on behalf of all the grandchildren. Just before my grandmother was laid to rest, I stood in front of a cathedral full of parishioners with handwritten scrawls that held together my tribute speech, and emotions that were probably much less composed. Herein is the transcribed version.
It’s a rarity to find someone whose artistic identity not only permeates through their work, but also become masterpieces in other aspects of their lives. Elsa “Elsita” Mora, an artist, has multiple blogs dedicated to her craft, as well as a fashion blog called “The Hidden Seed”, where she takes self portraits of her gorgeous wardrobe ensembles.
Last weekend, three of my college friends and I took a trip out of Jakarta to Bandung, a city known for its colder temperatures and slightly cheaper cost of living. We met one more college friend, feasted on the various culinary treats of the city, and enjoyed each others’ companies. I also used this trip as a chance to shake the dust off of my camera and visually document the excursion.