Weekly Obsessions: Neo Folk Art

There has been a resurgence of folk art, or folk like, artwork on the interwebs. I have always enjoyed folk art from various societies and as an art major in college it was probably one of my favorite things to reference in my artwork and I was constantly drawing inspiration from various folk paintings. So, it shouldn't surprise me that as I collected images for art on Pinterest I quickly started "pinning" folk art pieces by modern artists. There is even a stationary artist, whose work is wildly popular, who has roots in the American folk tradition. So, let's take a look at some modern art with an old soul.

1. Dan-ah Kim

Dan-ah Kim was born in Seoul but now lives in New York, where she graduated from Pratt Institute in 2006. Her pieces have a sweet melancholia to them and explore dreams, death, fantasy, and femininity. I find myself taken by her complex layers of meaning and enamored with her use of natural elements in surreal situations. Of course I'm partial to anything floral, but her work is deeper than a simple pretty picture explanation would allow.

2. Marcella Ferreira

Marcella is a Brazilian artist who had never really done any artwork until just a couple of years ago when she learned about papier colle from a couple of Cuban artists. She now creates these gorgeous paper dioramas and shares them with the world via Flikr and her website. I love the sweet childlike poses and scenarios her characters find themselves in. I've often thought the stars were close enough to earth to climb a ladder to gather them.

3. Christopher Silas Neal

Christopher Silas Neal has had so many illustrations in so many publications it's hard to narrow down exactly what "type" of artist he is. With his addictive use of color and solid visual signature it is no wonder that his work is so widely accepted and popular and no wonder that I was immediately attracted to it. I'm partial to his nature scenes and representations of children, but he's also done portrait illustrations and show posters. 

4.  Waii-Waii

I first saw these gorgeous little creatures on Tumblr a million years ago and now they've started cropping up on Pinterest too. I decided it was time I investigated who was behind these gorgeous folk-inspired woodland wonders and made a discovery. A young woman going by Waii-Waii creates these objects in Lille, France. She has whole families of them and I'm desperate to get my hands on some. If my French weren't so atrocious I would email her myself. You can find her blog here and her flikr here. 

5. Susumu Fujimoto

Susumu Fujimoto is a Japanese illustrator, whose work can mostly be seen in children's books. I love the playful style that Susumu has, melding both traditional Japanese mediums with Danish influenced colors and drawing techniques. He's a personal favorite.

6. Jordan Grace Owens

Jordan Grace Owens is a recent Etsy discovery and I am madly in love with her personalized paper dolls. Her renderings are gorgeous and the whimsical qualities of the people keep me mesmerized and excited for more. Once Ryan and I get a dog we will be getting a family portrait done by Miss Owens asap.

7. Anna Bond

I've talked about the amazing Anna Bond before, here. I love Rifle Paper Co and find the most amazing cards and gifts for friends and family there. Her stationary and paper goods have started popping up at boutiques and chain stores like Anthropologie and I'm thrilled to death about it. Her hand painted illustrations for weddings were my first exposure to her work but you can buy everything from calendars to coasters on her website.

I love that artists across the globe with totally different backgrounds and stories can all share a familiar aesthetic that touch people wherever they are at. Share some love with these good folks and check out their websites for me, they deserve the love.

I think it is going to be a goal of mine to start collecting these pieces for myself, to do more than save an image on a computer but bring it to life in my home. I'll start small but don't be surprised if you see something big on my walls by one of these folks some day. big kiss, bekuh