I was fortunate to visit the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City last week, and was struck by the powerful, vivacious, full of life Frida.

Frida contracted polio very early in her life and then met with a road accident as a teenager. This left her with multiple health issues for the remainder of her life. Here is what she had to say about that: "Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly"

The above statement sums it up for me. Lesson learned: Do not limit yourself...limitations are for lazy suckers. Life is to be passionate and to follow your heart... 

Fearless, powerful Frida, we love you...

Image courtesy of NYTimes.

'Pollen from Hazelnut' is an artwork installed by the sculptor Wolfgang Laib at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in January 2013. I was fortunate to have been a witness to this unbelievable piece of work and it has stayed with me all this while.

The installation is made with bright yellow pollen that the artist has carefully collected from the surroundings at his studio and home since the mid-1990s. In 2013, he finally laid it out as a rectangle on the gray concrete floor in the museum's atrium. I am captivated by the whole thought, the process, the dedication, the love, the artistry and the joy of the piece. Visually stunning, the piece exhibits components of smell, color and most importantly feelings and beliefs.

I can't remember the last time I had such a strong emotional reaction to a piece of art.

Below is a short video of Mr Laib and his process of creating 'Pollen from Hazelnut'. He calls his process 'a quite work', we love every moment of it and hope that you will love it too..

YUMMM !! Six different Bagels with six different toppings (above) and fried Montanara pizza (below) 

Just returned from a quick whirlwind tour of New York. Along with my usual New York fix of bagel and cream cheese, pizza (this time it was the fried Montanara !!) and beer, J Crew and Anthropologie, I put in the needed effort to expose myself to cutting edge design and designers. This is my way to continue to be inspired. Nothing seems impossible when one is in this great city and one does not have to look far for inspiration. There is a more than average concentration of talent and creativity here. I aim to soak in as much as I can whenever I am back.

Dress by Norma Kamali, Oscar de la Renta and Rudi Gernreich (Photo Credit)

First, I made it to a great fashion exhibition commerorating designs and American designers that have had a notable impact on fashion in the last 50 years. The exhibition was conceived by Diane von Furstenberg, who is one of my favorite designers. I love her use of bold colors and playful prints while keeping the outfits fairly simple and elegant in cut and design.

Photo 1: A dress by Halston, Photo 2: (from L to R) Dress by Thakoon, Yeohlee Teng and Proenza Schouler, Photo 3: Dress by Sidney Wragge (Photo Credits: Link)

The exhibition ranged from fairly simple clean designs to the very detailed over-the-top designs including the gorgeous Norma Kamali, black parachute cloth and feather jacket, skirt and turban, circa 2011, and Oscar de la Renta, silk taffeta gown with black Guipure lace bodice, spring 2012 (shown above in photo).

Peter Woytuk Sculpture at Columbus Circle with the Museum of Art and Design in background

Next was a walk along Broadway on the Upper West Side to see some site specific sculptures by Peter Woytuk.These sculptures are playful and whimsical. They comprise of oversize animals and fruits in the little green strips or plazas along busy Broadway. They are great as they bring a touch of surprise to the commuters and travelers. They appear out of nowhere and their scale, size and sometimes color forces one to stop and take notice. It is a way for nature to reclaim the city while providing the busy New Yorkers with respite from the everyday....

Pair (Spooning) at 107th Street

The Acorn Bench at 73rd Street

My favorite, Kiwi at 72nd Street

My favorite was the giant kiwi at the 72nd Street station. At least 5meters in height, with an equally large belly, this bird in bright blue sits on its butt and seems to be very happy ! The sculpture somehow made me think of the animated movie 'Happy Feet' and I imagined this kiwi skidding through ice and having the time of its life....screaming 'wooohooooo'!!...... Such is the power of art, it can transport the viewer from a dry hardscaped train station to icy glaciers and feelings of childlike exhilaration !

More on architecture in Part II, to be continued...