Back at the end of May, I promised to cover 13 artists from 13 different countries in the 13 “Feel Art Again” posts for the month of June. Due to personal issues, I’ve gotten a little behind schedule, but I’ll be working this week to fulfill my promise.

At the request of reader Wanda, today’s post features the Canadian First Nations artist Daphne Odjig. The “grandmother of Canadian native art” will celebrate her 100th birthday on September 11, 2009.

1. “Born with a paintbrush in her hand,” Daphne Odjig’s creative streak was nurtured by her artistic family, especially her grandfather. Odjig referred to her grandfather, a tombstone carver and painter, as her “first mentor.” Her mother embroidered, and her father drew; as Odjig said, “Art was always a part of our lives.”

2. Some of Odjig’s work explores erotic themes, which was unusual for First Nations art. In 1974, she illustrated Herbert T. Schwartz’s collection of traditional First Nations erotica, Tales from the Smokehouse. In 1977, when her paintings were on display in a Winnipeg gallery, “the vice squad objected to the size of the genitals in some of the illustrations.”

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Continuing our quest to bring you an artist from a different country in each June post of “Feel Art Again,” today’s post features Japanese-American artist Hisako Hibi (1907-1991) at the request of reader Therese.

1. When Hisako Hibi’s parents moved to the United States, Hibi remained in Japan with her “Zen grandmother.” A few years later, when her parents sent for her, Hibi was reluctant to join them in their new home – she was only 13, a difficult time in any girl’s life even without moving to a whole new continent. Yet 5 years later, when her parents were financially established to move back to Japan, Hibi chose to remain in the United States by herself. (She didn’t become a U.S. citizen for another 28 years, though.)

2. During World War II, Hibi and her husband, fellow artist George Matusaburo Hibi, along with their two children, were interned at the Topaz Concentration Camp. The Hibi family spent 3 years in Topaz, during which time Hisako and George served as teachers at the art school in the camp. Those interned in the camps weren’t allowed to have cameras, so painting and journaling were their only ways of recording their lives inside the fences. Hisako’s 70 or more paintings completed at Topaz depict family life in the internment camp – such as bathing children in laundry basins, as in “Laundry Room” (above) – as well as the nature surrounding Topaz.

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Readers Valerie and Liz requested a “Feel Art Again” post on Remedios Varo (1908-1963) as part of our quest to feature an artist from a different country for each post in June. Although Varo is described as just “an artist from Mexico,” she was born and raised in Spain and then lived in Paris before finally settling in Mexico.

1. Remedios Varo’s fantasy paintings often feature mathematical and scientific concepts, such as the square root of minus one, machinery, test tubes, and orreries. Her scientific interest and artistic talent were nurtured from a young age by her father, a hydraulic engineer. Varo’s father helped her perfect her draftsmanship as well as taught her the correct use of the rule, carpenter’s square, and triangle.

2. Most sources state that Varo was married twice: first to a French poet and then to an Austrian émigré. She was actually married three times, though. Varo met fellow painter Gerardo Lizárraga in art school. They married in 1930 and separated just two years later. She then married her French poet, Benjamin Peret; they separated in the late 1940s. Her final husband was Walter Gruen, the Austrian émigré, whom she married in 1953. Gruen’s small fortune enabled Varo to devote herself to her art. As Gruen told her, “If you want, all you have to do is paint.”

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Today’s stop on the “Feel Art Again” trip around the world is Austria, with artist Egon Schiele (1890-1918). Reader Brandon Z. requested a post on Schiele, “the prolific enfant terrible of the early 20th-century” who died at the tender age of 28.

1. Egon Schiele was notorious for his paintings of nude young women, like “Three Girls” (above right). Schiele usually couldn’t pay for professional models, so he would paint prostitutes, the young girls who hung out at his house, his wife Edith (above left), or even his sister, Gerti. Gerti posed nude for her brother until she was 16, although she was originally embarrassed to pose nude and would only allow Schiele to paint her from behind.

2. Schiele, after seeking out Gustav Klimt, became a protégé of the famed artist. Klimt acted as a mentor to Schiele, buying his drawings and exchanging drawings with him, finding him models, and introducing him to potential patrons. Klimt’s influence on Schiele can be seen in paintings such as “Woman with Black Hat” (above left).

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In our quest to cover an artist from a different country in each “Feel Art Again” post for the month of June, today’s post features Vladimir Tretchikoff (1913-2006), a Russian-born artist who “was a very proud South African.”

1. Among artists, Vladimir Tretchikoff is reportedly second only to Picasso in popularity and wealth. Tretchikoff’s most well-known painting, “Chinese Girl” (also known as “The Green Lady,” above left) is one of the best-selling art prints ever. The painting has achieved a spot in pop culture history with appearances in the Michael Caine film Alfie, episodes of Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Doctor Who, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy.

2. Tretchikoff’s résumé includes stints as a scene painter at a Russian opera house in Harbin, China; a newspaper cartoonist in Shanghai for the Shanghai Evening Post; founder of an art school in Singapore; and a propaganda artist for the British Ministry of Information during World War II.

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Today’s “Feel Art Again” post lands us in India, the third country in our quest to cover a different artist from a different country in each post for the month of June. Reader Tuhina requested a post on Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906), considered “the greatest painter of India,” “the father of modern Indian art,” and a “prince among painters and a painter among princes.” Varma became renowned both for his portraiture, such as “Ramanadha Rao and Son” (left), and his paintings of Indian mythology, such as “Riddhi Siddhi” (right).

1. Ravi Varma’s talent was first discovered on the walls of his family’s home. Around age 7, Varma began drawing animals and scenes of daily life on the walls of Kilimanoor Palace with charcoal. Luckily for Varma, his family was artistic and his uncle, Raja Raja Varma, began giving him painting lessons. By age 14, Varma was taken to Travancore Palace to be taught watercolor painting by the palace painter. By age 17, he was trained in oil painting by Theodor Jenson, a British artist.

2. During an eight year time span, Varma painted portraits of many members of the Indian aristocracy as well as British officials, which bolstered his fame. According to one site, Varma became so famous that Kilimanoor Palace was “compelled to open a post office” due to the countless painting requests that arrived “everyday from everywhere.” Varma was well-compensated for all his work: he was paid Rs50,000, “an astronomical sum for the time,” for a 14-painting commission by a maharaja.

3. Varma was the first artist whose work was available to the mass market, including “ordinary people” and not just the rich. Determined to bring “real art” to millions of Indians, Varma decided to mass reproduce his works. In 1894, he set up an oleography press, Ravi Verma Pictures Depot. (Oleographs are, basically, lithographs that look and feel like oil paintings.) Thousands of reproductions (including oleographs, lithographs, and prints) were made of Varma’s work; even today, his works can be found in almost every home in India.

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Entering its 90th week on mentalfloss.com,
“Feel Art Again” has featured more than 250 artists.

It can be a little hard to remember all 250 artists, so we decided to make it easier on you. Check out the new “Feel Art Again: Artists” spreadsheet, which lists each artist we’ve covered in alphabetical order, along with their nationalities, years of birth and death, and the link to each “Feel Art Again” post.

You can also scroll back through the “Feel Art Again” category at http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/category/feel-art-again.

Once you’ve checked out our shiny new spreadsheet and caught up on any posts you’ve missed, swing back here and let us know what you think, or suggest an artist we haven’t featured yet. (Which you can also do by e-mailing feelartagain@gmail.com.)

This month, we’re featuring at least one artist from a different country in each post. We’ve already covered Candido Portinari from Brazil and George Lilanga from Tanzania… check back on Tuesday for the next artist and country!

“Feel Art Again” appears three times a week. Looking for a particular artist? Visit our archive for a complete listing of all 250+ artists that have been featured. You can e-mail us at feelartagain@gmail.com with details of current exhibitions, for sources or further reading, or to suggest artists.

In our quest to feature a different artist from a different country in each installment of “Feel Art Again” this month, today’s post highlights George Lilanga (1934-2005). Known as “the Picasso of Africa,” Tanzania’s best-known artist comes at the suggestion of reader Christina W.

1. George Lilanga’s paintings and sculptures are full of colorful, playful figures. The figures, known as shetani, have been described as a kind of “devil” from African mythology” and as “heirs to the unruly spirits of Makonde cosmology.” (Makonde is Lilanga’s tribe.) The titles of Lilanga’s paintings are just as playful as the figures in them: “There’s a word but I’ve forgotten it,” “Wait a minute, my neck is itchy,” and “When children play they jump here and there” are a few examples.

2. Lilanga first began sculpting as a teen, working in the Makonde tradition. In the 1970s, Lilanga switched to painting, a change that was considered by some of his fellow artists to be a betrayal to the Makonde sculpture tradition. Lilanga returned to sculpture in the 1990s, during which time he produced works carved in soft wood and painted with vivid oil-based enamels.

3. In 1978, Lilanga got his big break. An exhibition of African artists was mounted in Washington, D.C. with 280 works of art, of which approximately 100 were by Lilanga. He received international exposure and became one of the most well-known African artists of the time.

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In our quest to feature a different artist from a different country in each installment of “Feel Art Again” this month, today’s post highlights “the greatest artist Brazil has ever produced,” Candido Portinari (1903-1962). Reader Mateus Fonseca suggested Portinari, whose life—and death—was “fascinating.”

1. In 1948, Candido Portinari painted panels for a church in Batatais. The paints he used were an “extremely toxic composition” that contained arsenic, which caused a hemorrhage that sent Portinari to the hospital. His regular paints, especially the yellow and white, also contained high quantities of lead. Doctors advised the artist to stop using the paints, but Portinari stubbornly continued to paint. He died from lead poisoning in 1962.

2. Brazil’s government commissioned Portinari in 1952 to interpret the United Nations’ objective “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war” as two giant panels: a “war” one and a “peace” one. Portinari created the two 14 meters by 10 meters panels in four years, after making more than 150 studies in preparation. The murals were presented to the UN as gifts from Brazil on September 6, 1957, and installed in two prominent locations. “War” greets new arrivals to the UN building, while “Peace” is passed on the way out; the idea being that countries may enter the UN at odds, but leave reconciled.

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For the month of June, “Feel Art Again” will feature an artist (or artists) from a different country for each day the series appears. (That’s at least 13 artists from 13 countries for 13 days.) To do so, we need YOUR help.

Submit your requests for artists from around the world today!

Comment on this post, or send an e-mail to feelartagain@gmail.com, naming the artist(s) you recommend and what countries they’re from.

In the past, “Feel Art Again” has featured artists from America, Armenia, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Thailand. The majority of the artists featured on “Feel Art Again,” though, have been American, English, French, and Russian. We’re looking to bring some diversity to the series and expose readers to art from other parts of the world. (We’re especially lacking on African art.)

Let’s get those submissions rolling in!

And don’t worry, we’re still plugging away at all the past recommendations, too.

“Feel Art Again” appears every Tuesday and Thursday and once on the weekend. You can e-mail us at feelartagain@gmail.com with details of current exhibitions, for sources or further reading, or to suggest artists.