Stage Face - Colour Symbolism

Kathakali

Kathakali originates in Kerela, India. It is a combination theatrical dance, song and mythology and is for the most part secular in that there is no connection with temple worship, though there are Hindu ritual and rebirth themes present. In Kathakali, the make up is the character and this particularly complex make up follows some of the following symbolism:

Green: Good

Red: Anger

Black: What is repellent

Yellow: Wonder

Eye makeup: Oval/lotus shapes for good , block/square for evil

The make up makes the character which makes the mood or abstract aspect of life

 Peking Opera

Now to East Asia and Peking Opera which has distant religious roots but is generally another secular entertainment. Characters are once again heavily defined by the the face and the expressions determined by mask and make up, from feminine gentleness to brutality. Artistically stylized designs are vital in Peking Opera to provide the audience with instantly recognisable characters and historic figures. Once again we have integral colour symbolism:

Gold: Divinity, supernatural beings

Yellow: The imperial colour, reticence (whole face)

Black: Impetuousness or (strict) law abiding

Red: Courage, loyalty, faithfulness

White: Brutality (whole face), scoundrel/clown (patch across nose & eyes)

Blue: Cruelty

Green: Demon/devil

Twenty Three

As the post title suggests, I said goodbye to twenty two yesterday! In the morning I was woken by my flatmate to be given my first present, that being an amazing necklace, I also opened cards and presents from my family which can be seen in the photos below. Unfortunately I still had to attend the CDG course to suffer the monotony of sitting around doing nothing all day but it wasn't too bad seeing as I have friends to talk to there. In the evening my flatmate and I went to the Hobbit pub and following that was good old Dungeon, can't seem to keep away from the place and at £1 a double I can't be blamed! I'm going back on Saturday again, not so cheap but still reasonable compared with other clubs/bars but I'm also doing the meal thing, which I'm incredibly excited about - Pilgrim House Chinese buffet, delicious!

My new haircut and the necklace and t shirt (from ASOS) are gifts from Bex.

 Images by KLV

Manchu Butterfly

For Winchester Fashion Week, some of my headdresses will be shown on the catwalk and a promo shoot is taking place next week so I thought I'd design and make a couple more. The first idea that came to me was a merging of the two photos above, I've found central and eastern Asian headdresses/hats very useful for inspiration and so I've used the shape of the Manchu headdress as the base, combined with the style of my former paper butterfly shoot. I've been adding to it slowly over the weekend and though not finished, it will look something like this:

These photos were taken not long after a small gathering at mine where I watched as friends cooked the food I bought on the BBQ, I'd forgotten how much I enjoy the summer! The evening started off with the Bollywood 'Devdas' soundtrack in the background and it was nice to see a couple friends I hadn't met up with in a while. Two of these friends are in fact pictured above, one wearing the butterflies and the other my new headdress and I've uploaded a couple photos from the evening, including the cat that invited itself over!

 

Images by KLV

56 Ethnicities of China

 

A full list of minorities and accompanying images can be found here.

Maggie Cheung Man-yuk

Hong Kong born Maggie Cheung is one of my favourite actresses. I think she brings a sense of class and elegance to all the roles I have seen her, such films include In the Mood for Love, Clean, Hero, Irma Vep, As Tears Go By and Days of Being Wild. I first saw her in Hero, a film starring Jet Li, where her scene entitled 'Gone with Leaves' entranced me. The following video I have posted, from In the Mood for Love, definitely showcases the elegance of this actress.

The Era of Seven Great Singing Stars

During the 1930-40s in Shanghai, a music scene emerged that evolved from actresses singing the soundtracks featured in the city's developing film industry. In the earlier stages of this era, Shanghai was known as the 'Paris of the Orient' where decadence was rife. Despite the Japanese invasion in 1937, the careers of the 'Seven Great Singing Stars' continued until 1949 when Communist China denounced this particular genre as pornography. The image on the right is of Zhou Xuan who, following her success with becoming the most well known of the seven, died in a mental asylum at the age of 39. The remaining stars, having to deal with arrests and persecution, lived many more years with some remaining alive today. Their names are as follows:

• Zhou Xuan - The Golden Voice
• Yao Lee - The Silvery Voice
• Wu Yingyin - The Queen of the Nasal Voice
• Gong Qiuxia - Big Sister
• Li Xianglan - Yoshiko Otaka
• Bai Hong - White Rainbow
• Bai Guang - White Light

The Great Catwalks of China

China boasts two of the most intriguing catwalks I've seen so far, the first of which was brought about on the Great Wall of China by Karl Lagerfeld for Fendi in 2007. Shortly after, the Pierre Cardin fashion show in the Mingsha Mountain Desert, near the famous Silk Road, took place.