Made in China

I was watching a show on Comedy Central today featuring comedian Jeff Dunham. Dunham is a ventriloquist and has a variety of puppets that he uses in his show. One such skeleton puppet 'Achmed the Dead Terrorist', does not believe he is Middle Eastern or Muslim because he has a 'Made in China' sticker stamped on his rear.

This skit although funny reminded me that we live in a world where increasingly the diversity of products and craftsman ship is being sacrificed in the name of cheap prices and disposable goods. Globalization wears the twin masks of comedy and tragedy. 'Made in China' unfortunately has come to be associated with cheap quality, toxic products and recalls.

This computerization of industries and standardization of products and services has led to a 'cloning' of art. The objects that surround us today are often mass produceed in factories, the creative concept of a global corporation. Every time I go to Bed Bath and Beyond or one of the big box home stores I cringe when I see the canned pieces that masquerade as 'art'.


Unlike today, during the Renaissance people were encouraged to use their God given talents. Artists were held in high esteem and the arts flourished. Today art and music programs are constantly cut due to lack of funds. Children are being left behind not just in reading, writing and math but also the liberal arts. Current educational curriculum often ignores the development of emotional intelligence and often stifles creative thought.

However just as every action has a reaction. I believe a new movement has begun. Trends like buying local foods and eating seasonal items have also influenced peoples choices in art and design. I and many people I know are finding ways to keep art and beauty alive often in sustainable and practical ways. I try to buy items that are made from local artists instead of buying factory made items. My husband and I visited the Garlic art festival last year and I bought a beautiful pottery garlic holder with dragonfly on the lid. It is a beautiful memento of that day and it brightens up my kitchen. Visiting local art and craft festivals, farmers markets and other community events opens your eyes to the beauty and vitality of one's neighborhood. Hand made items may cost more but their benefits are far reaching.

By supporting artists from your family, society or country you can support local economies and help lift people out of poverty. By buying hand made items we can keep the skills and knowledge that has been passed down through the centuries alive. As for me I prefer ‘Handmade in China’

In the presence of genius

I think when you look up the meaning of the word genius, Leonardo da Vinci’s name should appear somewhere in the definition. Even the website of the traveling Da Vinci Exhibition recognizes this truth. http://www.davincithegenius.com/. The exhibition features examples of Da Vinci's drawings, paintings and replicas of several of his inventions.

I was lucky enough to view the Da Vinci Exhibition when it was in San Fransisco and the sheer beauty and artistry of his drawings, inventions and paintings just took my breath away. The exhibition featured many interactive exhibits. My favorite pieces were the first tank and car that Leonardo designed. He was truly a Renaissance Man. A genius for all time.

Giorgio Vasari, in the enlarged edition of Lives of the Artists, 1568,[9] introduced his chapter on Leonardo da Vinci with the following words:

In the normal course of events many men and women are born with remarkable talents; but occasionally, in a way that transcends nature, a single person is marvelously endowed by Heaven with beauty, grace and talent in such abundance that he leaves other men far behind, all his actions seem inspired and indeed everything he does clearly comes from God rather than from human skill.

—Giorgio Vasari

For all his successes Leonardo had to have paid a high price. He once wrote in a journal ‘"The Medici made me and the Medici destroyed me’. Fame often comes with a deep personal cost. We see this today in the lives of many professional actors, athletes and celebrities such as Britney Spears.

Leonardo sometimes provided misleading information or hid clues to the functioning of certain devices in other drawings to prevent people from stealing his ideas. Copyright infringement was an issue then too.

He procrastinated often, starting but never finishing a number of paintings and projects. Although being that he juggled so many hats (inventor, artist, architect, anatomist, scientist, engineer, etc) it is easy to understand this fault. I don’t think anyone today can accomplish in several lifetimes what Leonardo Da Vinci accomplished during his.


Just like Leonardo was divinely inspired, the artist Sadequain challenged the boundaries of art in the Islamic world. Born in Pakistan in 1930 Sadequain is known for the beginning the renaissance of calligraphy in the East. He created his own unique script that was expressive, emotive and painted vivid images inspired by the Koran and his own poetry.He used many calligraphic forms to portray images of cities, buildings, forests, men, and women. In addition he also created several sketches, large murals and paintings.

Sadequain's work was often controversial because it depicted faces which is not allowed in Islam. Sadequain once said “People ask why I don't paint flowers, butterflies and landscapes? I tell them that I seek the truth and I am after reality. I am not inspired by someone posing against the backdrop of roses in a vase or pink curtains. What inspires me is a person who has gone hungry for hours and is struggling for survival. The expression that lights his face at the end of the day when he has finally found some scraps, that is what touches me. I am a painter of the expression of reality.” He was a ‘faqir’ or ‘spiritual recluse’ and used his art to explore issues faced by the common man.

For this Sadequain often suffered the wrath of the religious leaders but gained the respect and admiration of people around the world. His work 'Artist' provides some insight into the suffering of artists for their beliefs, ideals and art.

When I visited Pakistan in 2006 I was given a commemorative calendar featuring Sadequain's paintings and poetry. His work is reminiscent of paintings by some of my favorite artists Van Gogh, Cezanne and Picasso.

Like Leonardo Da Vinci, Sadequain was too a man ahead of his time. Both men used art to forever change the world. Both men were geniuses in their own right.

Click here to view a selection of Sadequain’s murals, paintings and sketches

Click here to view a list of geniuses throughout history. It is sad that no one is listed from the year 2000 onwards.