Reflections on art, memory, and cultural encounters across places
Wander in Rishtan: The Glaze That Rose from Ash
Step into Rishtan, a town of potters, where red earth and a glaze made from wild shrub ash become Uzbekistan’s famous ishkor ceramics.
Wander in Margilan: Uzbekistan’s Silk Capital
In Margilan, silk begins as cocoons and is transformed into “royal silk” through generations of craftsmanship. Come meet the artisans behind the shimmering fabrics you see in bazaars across Uzbekistan.
Wander in Nara: Making My Own Calligraphy Brush
I came to Nara to buy calligraphy brushes but ended up learning to make one, and discovered that Japan’s brush-making craft is said to have begun here, with a monk and a tuft of hair.
Guang Xing Paper Mill: Where Paper Is Still Made by Hand
In Puli, a town ringed by forests and mountain peaks, a workshop still makes paper the slow way: one sheet at a time.
Gripped by Ink: Kneading My Way Into Nara Sumi
Setting foot in the 150-year-old ink shop in Nara, I expected to get my hands dirty. Instead, I learned that my ink stick could outlive me by more than a thousand years.
Wander in Riyadh: Arts & Culture Guide
From a mudbrick citadel that gave birth to a kingdom to a forgotten 1980s mall reborn as a hub for contemporary art, Riyadh hides some of its best stories in plain sight. Here is where to find them.
The Art of Zhuangbiao: Mounting Chinese Calligraphy and Painting
Somewhere between the artist’s last brushstroke and the scroll hanging on a wall, there is something most people never see: zhuangbiao, the craft that carries a work of art over generations.
Wander in Abu Dhabi: An Arts & Culture Guide
Abu Dhabi tells its story through ancient fortresses, world-class museums, and sacred sanctuaries, and all you have to do is start wandering.
Wander in Dubai: Al Shindagha Museum
Before Dubai had a skyline, it had a creek. Follow it far enough, and you’ll discover how a fishing and pearling village became the world’s most dazzling city.
Wander in Dubai: An Arts & Culture Guide
Every city has a version of itself that doesn’t make the highlight reel. In Dubai, that version is shaped by art, culture, and a heritage far older than its highrises.