Midori Takaki and the European Makers Gallery

Since I first found -and blogged about- Midori Takaki, I've been following her every artistic move on her blog. The more of her work I see, the more I love it. And so when I had the chance to see some of it in the flesh, I made sure to take it.

I've always admired Midori's art online, but standing before her sculptures, I felt like I wasn't just looking at them, but meeting them too. Midori's creations aren't just pretty visually, but each and every one has real character and presence. You can sense that in pictures online, but if you can ever experience it in person, I highly recommend it.

Should you be visiting Amsterdam, you can still view the three sculptures above at the European Makers Gallery. The small gallery half below ground is a true hidden treasure full of beautiful ceramics, textiles, glass and paintings!

The set-up is absolutely wonderful! There's a lot to see, but everything has enough space to be admired separately and up close. And the grey and white space combined with the great lighting lets you really take in all the art work.

Also, there are a few pieces to discover away from the main area as well. As you enter there is a space behind the main desk and a few works of art will also welcome you or wave goodbye through a low window outside.

Amsterdam is such a wonderful place for art! Most tourists visit the museums and are willing to stand in line for hours to get in, but I feel galleries are often overlooked, which is such a waste, because there are so many great ones! Especially gathered on and around the Spiegelgracht. (Which is where you'll also find the European Makers Gallery!) So if you're planning a trip to Amsterdam and you like (contemporary) art, make sure to put it on your itinerary!

August Break #3: Amsterdam Gay Pride & Canal Parade

 

Analogue Adventures

Amsterdam has some stunning architecture and I think some of it might even look cooler through a fisheye camera. These rounded buildings definitely look great in these!

Analogue Adventures

These are some of the pictures from my very first batch of fish-eye pictures. The statue in the first one stood in my city for quite a while, but sadly it's gone now. I really miss that turtle.

Nikon Time

If you asked me this morning what my plans were for today, I would've said it'd be just an ordinary day, nothing special. However that all changed after cutting a melon the wrong way.

I thought it looked way more interesting than it usually does, I didn't expect it to have such a flowery or cloverlike shape. So I took a picture.

After that I finished making my unusual breakfast and took some more pictures including of the kitchen.

That's when I decided to head into the center of the city to take pictures. One of the first things I did, however, was buy a really big pear chocolate muffin at this store.

This wasn't supposed to be a shopping trip, but while taking a picture of a beautiful facade, I noticed a final sale sign in Daryl van Wouw's shop. He is a designer and very well known in the Netherlands, he's also one of the judges on Project Catwalk here.

Anyway he had this collection a while back with really pretty japanese fabrics and prints. I saw a few items hanging there that I recognised from that collection. Turned out the legging was suddenly affordable! About 30% of the actual price.

Needless to say I bought it, and another plain pair that's really bright teal because a pair of good quality tight-like leggings seemes like a great idea.

Below is a picture of the japanese print, it has Maneki Neko's all over it.

After I paid for the two items the girl behind the counter, who actually had to step in front of the counter in order to complete the transaction (I know they have a really weird system), said I could pick a few magnets from under the counter. So here they are.

I came across another store I knew. I didn't go inside today, but did notice these cute deer in the window.

Ok, now onto the actual pictures of the city. This is something I wanted to show you for a while, but only had my camera with me today. Aren't these owls gorgeous?!

When I saw this wall I knew it'd make a pretty picture. I love the color.

This last picture doesn't really have a clear subject, but I liked the vibe, so that's why I put it here too.

Well that was it, the longest post so far. Or at least the most pictures. I had so much fun with the camera today, even though I still didn't read the manual. Amsterdam is so beautiful and has so many hidden treasures you can easily overlook, but that makes it even more fun when you do find them.

Even though I spent the day all by myself I had such a great time. This is definitely something I will do again. But then maybe a shorter post :P

I hope you had a great day too!