'A Mad Tea Party'

'A Mad Tea Party'. Florence, Italy. January 2016. 

If you are like me, you may not be familiar with the name Richard Ginori, however you have likely seen their work. Richard Ginori 1735 is the most famous Italian porcelain dinnerware producer and by the look of their designs and feel of the porcelain, one can understand why. 

The presentation in their Florentine storefront is meticulous with designs ranging from classic to playful, natural to whimsical. All the collections are beautifully staged with the dinnerware on tables, shelves, and mounted on the walls—colorful pieces of eye candy everywhere. This room appealed to me because of the pastels—it reminded me of the type of porcelain that would be used in 'A Mad Tea-Party'. I think Lewis Carroll would be pleased. 

Looking 'Straight' On

Looking 'Straight' On. London, UK. December 2015. 

I took this photo a few weeks ago during the final hours of Ai Wei Wei's retrospective exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. This is the second time I have seen this particular installation aptly named "Straight." 

"Straight" is a very large and powerful two part installation created as a response to the 2008 Sichuan province earthquake which killed over 5,000 elementary school children. The artist and his studio created this piece as a criticism to China's weak construction regulations. The most visual part of "Straight" uses salvaged steel rods from elementary schools that collapsed and were subsequently destroyed by the earthquake. From the debris, Ai's studio collected 96 tons of steel rods and one by one hand pounded and straightened them from their twisted form.

The second part of the piece is on the wall surrounding the steel rods in the center. From a distance, the walls appear plain and white, however if you look closer you will see that it is actually a roster of all the names and ages of school children that were victims of the earthquake. Since the Chinese government would not release the names of the young school children killed in the schools, Ai took it upon himself to create the list of victims, publish them via his own social media, and include them in this installation. 

Incandescently Happy

Incandescently Happy. Selfridges & Co., London. December 2015.

London really knows how to show off during the holidays. I visited Oxford Street in December and was more interested in taking photos of the light installations in the squares and streets than shopping. It was a nice surprise to find equally elegant lighting details inside stores lined along Oxford Street.

A crowd favorite along Oxford Street is Selfridges & Co. Walking into Selfridges is walking into an experience—it is grand, stately, and classic—a time capsule into 1900s design. As I wandered through the floors, I stumbled across this hidden gem in the basement—a room that, to steal a line from Jane Austen, made me "incandescently happy." The idea of hundreds of bare bulbs illuminating a room is simple and obvious, and yet so elegant. I love the warmth this style of lighting exudes. I realize Selfridges is not the first to execute this concept, but given the atmosphere of the season, it was really magical to see. 

The Man. The Myth. The Legend.

The Man. The Myth. The Legend. Florence, Italy. August 2015. 

The photo caption says it all. He is simply a beautiful, breathtaking piece of work. 

Open, Open, Open...

Open, Open, Open...June 2015. Lago di Bracciano, Italy. 

In June, I was able to take a couple of days and travel to Rome to visit friend. I studied in Rome many years ago and instead of revisiting all the usual stomping grounds, we decided to take a short trip outside of the city to Lago di Bracciano for some R&R. After spending some quality time by the lake, we drove to the nearby Castello Oldescalchi in Bracciano for lunch. It's a tranquil place with beautiful masonry, doors, and colorful plant life. I especially loved this spot. If the street side of the home is this well manicured, I can only imagine what lies behind this door. 

Walking With a Purpose

Walking With a Purpose. Milan, Italy. May 2015. 

The photo above is of a new friend Khalifa al Khalifa, the Pavilion Director for Bahrain. Bahrain is one of the first pavilions visitors see when they come to the Expo by public transportation. It is a tranquil and soothing pavilion that has become a popular destination when visitors want to tune out the rest of Expo. Once inside its white halls, time seems to move a little slower and the chaos seems miles away. The sleek monotone architecture allows the real exhibition, the various trees and plants of growing fruit and produce, to stand out. The space is not flashy, even the written placards of information blend into the wall so they do not interfere with the serene experience. The wonderful pattern above is an installation on the front door. Very inviting and very beautiful inside and out. This pavilion is a great (not so) hidden gem at Expo. 

On a Ques...

On a Ques...Milan, Italy. May 2015.  

Today I went on a quest to go find Millo's newest mural in Milan. It is a recent work that was just completed a couple months ago. After a bit of searching, I found it online and headed out to see it in person. The mural is located in "Il Giardino Delle Culture" at the corner of Via Emilio Morisini and Via Bezzecca near Piazza Risorgimento.  This shot above shows only a fragment of the large scale mural that is on two buildings and entitled "Everyone Is Searching For It". Once you see the full scale mural, the meaning behind the name becomes quite clear.

This guy was doing circles around me on his bike while I was taking pictures.. He wanted my attention and he got it. 

Sexy Curves

Sexy Curves. Milan, Italy. May 2015. 

One of my favorite pavilions, inside and out, is the United Arab Emirates site. It should be on everyone's Expo "must see" list simply because it is a structure designed by renowned architectural firm Foster + Partners, however the pavilion is much richer than just the exterior. Their team did a beautiful job integrating the new with the old, the synthetic and the natural. I think this shot captures that; the walls are constructed to represent their natural landscape of large red sand deserts, while you can faintly see the sleek, modern pillars used as part of their exhibit. 

The experience inside the UAE pavilion is superb; from 3-D imaging and integration with their pavilion smart phone app, to an enthralling film, and gallery all about the date palm. The narrative of their exhibit addresses the rapid growth of the country, the consequences it has had on natural resources, and what their two major cities are trying to do about it. It's a compelling visit and worth the wait to see it. 

Here I Am

Here I Am. Milan, Italy. May 2015.  

I apologize for the long quiet absence from sharonyang.com. About three weeks ago I moved to Milan to take a grand leap of faith across the Atlantic and join the USA Pavilion staff at Expo Milano 2015. Doors opened to the World Expo on May 1st and it has been a whirlwind leading up to the Expo and a whirlwind since doors opened. I have not had much free time to see the city just yet, but I have seen some fantastic international pavilions on Expo grounds. The Expo is going to provide a lot of great content so I hope you are still there and interested in seeing what life will be like for the next 6 months. 

The photo above was taken on the one day off I have had so far. I was determined to spend sunset on the roof terrace of The Duomo. I stayed on the roof for two and a half hours, perhaps a little excessive, but I met a lot of interesting people while there; a group of young men from London, an American couple, and a group of instagrammers from around Milan. I struck up a particularly nice conversation with Marco Lamberto, one of the IG meet up members who is an excellent photographer. Marco was kind enough to take some photos of me since I was spending the evening sola.

I promise to pick up the speed and start posting again so I hope you continue to come back!

Good Piece of Arse

Good Piece Of Arse. Santorini, Greece. November 2012. 

Sunrise, Sunset

Sunrise, Sunset. October 2014. Washington, D.C., U.S.A. 

Tomorrow I begin a new adventure in Milan, Italy. Since I will be leaving this fine city for seven months, I thought this image would be an appropriate one for the day. All D.C. residents have an epic skyline photo featuring the Washington Monument and this is mine. By the time I return here, it will be around the time this photo was taken. A few people have asked if this image is significantly edited, I assure you it is not. I boosted the saturation up slightly to reflect how the sunset looked in person; it was really that beautiful. I will miss seeing this view, but more importantly, I will miss my friends who have been amazing pillars of encouragement along the way. 

Glass Tendrils

Spirals of Ice. Washington, DC, USA. February 2015.

Spring has finally come to D.C. I won't miss the temperature, wintry mix, slush, and sleet, however I will miss seeing a beautiful creation like this outside my doorstep.