The Magnificent Masai

On our recent trip to Africa Thomas and I were overwhelmed at the genuine joy and happiness of the Masai people. The Masai actually feel bad for us as a society as we have way to many variables and unknowns where they as a people are guided by ritual and custom to know at what age what happens when it should happen and how it happens.

Our trip the their village was a vibrant experience with a welcoming Jumping Dance that we all took part in followed by a tour of their village huts made from cow dung and ash approximately 5ft high ending with them adorning me with beautiful Masai wrist and ankle talismans.

The Maasai (sometimes spelled "Masai") are a Nilotic ethnic group of semi-nomadic people inhabiting Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are among the best known local populations due to their residence near the many game parks of Southeast Africa, and their distinctive customs and dress. The Maasai speak Maa (ɔl Maa), a member of the Nilo-Saharan language family that is related to Dinka and Nuer. They are also educated in the official languages of Kenya and Tanzania, Swahili and English. The Maasai population has been reported as numbering 841,622 in Kenya in the 2009 census,  compared to 377,089 in the 1989 census.

The Tanzanian and Kenyan governments have instituted programs to encourage the Maasai to abandon their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle, but the people have continued their age-old customs. Recently, Oxfam has claimed that the lifestyle of the Maasai should be embraced as a response to climate change because of their ability to farm in deserts and scrublands. Many Maasai tribes throughout Tanzania and Kenya welcome visits to their village to experience their culture, traditions, and lifestyle

                                          Arriving at Masai Mara

                                          Masai Beaded Ankle Talisman

                                          The Masai Hut

                                          Sitting inside the Masai Hut

                                          Masai Mama

                                         Jumping to The Masai Dance

                                           Classic Masai Robes

                                          Masai Women Welcoming Us

                                          Tradition at its best

It's All About Polka Dots!

From the artist Laure Hatchuel-Becker to Kusama to Valentino's latest collection to Pharrel Williams in April's GQ and George Clooney's W Magazine cover. We here at Thomas Fuchs Creative are too celebrating Polka Dots with our hand blown 22K GOLD POLKA DOT Glasses available at Barneys New York and Saks Fifth Ave. New York.

Enjoy the spring let it rain Polka Dots!

Available at Barneys, Thomas Fuchs Hand Blown
Amethyst Glass w/ 22K Gold Polka Dot 

Laure Hatchuel-Becker

Available at Saks Fifth Avenue. Thomas Fuchs Hand Blown
Grey Glass w/ 22K Gold Polka Dots

Valentino 2014

Available at Saks Fifth Avenue,  Thomas Fuchs Hand Blown
Amber Glass w/ 22K Gold Polka Dots

Michou Mahtani at Kusama
Art / Sculpture Preview at Fairchild Gardens

Pharrel Williams GQ April 2014

Roger Vivier Flat Spring 2014

Kusama Flower Sculpture at Fairchild Gardens

Africa Now

Having just come back from Africa with Michou Mahtani, my vision of El Anatsui's show at the Brooklyn Museum is refreshed.

El Anatsui (born 1944) is a Ghanaian sculptor active for much of his career in Nigeria.
Anatsui was born in Anyako, and trained at the College of Art, University of Science and Technology, in Kumasi, in central Ghana. He began teaching at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1975, and has become affiliated with the Nsukka group.^[1]
Anatsui's preferred media are clay and wood, which he uses to create objects based on traditional Ghanaian beliefs and other subjects. He has cut wood with chainsaws and blackened it with acetylene torches; more recently, he has turned to installation art. Some of his works resemble woven cloths such as kente cloth. Anatsui also incorporates uli and nsibidi into his works alongside Ghanaian motifs.