There are a few galleries around the world whose exhibitions we pay attention to each time they launch. The Gagosian Gallery is one of those. In the past few months alone, they’ve displayed the works of Cy Twombly, John Waters, and Takashi Murakami. And, in just a few days, starting on May 30th and running through July 17th, their Beverly Hills location will host the West Coast exhibition of Yayoi Kusama’s work (they’ve been showing his pieces in New York since April 16th).

Kusama, now 80, studied the traditional Nihonga painting style in Japan before moving to New York City in the 1950s and creating huge paintings that made the viewer feel as if they were enveloped in her world…a concept she pushed even further with her three-dimensional installations of mirrors, phallic symbols, and other objects.

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One Thread Fair Trade works with communities of impoverished female artisans in India to produce these beautiful hand-crafted accents. The Rama collection shown above are made using hand loom silks which release 1 ton less CO2 in a year than a power loom.
One Thread Fair Trade also contributes 10% of the company’s profits back to the artisan community to fund the education of the artisans’ children and to fund business/leadership workshops.
We always like it when we can get something we really like and feel like we’re supporting a good cause at the same time and with these lovely accents you can get the best of both worlds.

While hundreds of fonts come out every year, we’re lucky if we see one that will have any longevity. House Industries new edition of Neutraface Slab might just be this years winner. It’s been a while since we saw a nicely cut slab serif introduced, and with the variety of weights available this could make a nice edition to your collection.

Time to hit the attic and take those Nintendo games out of retirement. This handheld plays your NES games (not included) on a 2.4? LCD or on a TV with cables. You can either use the built in speakers or the headphone jack. You can play eight hours of your favorite game (in our case Ninja Gaiden) on 4 AA batteries. Dimensions: 15cm x 9cm x 4cm. Pick it up here for $50.

Some lovely work from British photographer Joanna Kustra. More pics after the jump.

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For over a century, Barcelona has inspired artists to create their best works. Here, Gaudi designed his outrageous, fantastical architectural buildings and Picasso painted some of his most memorable masterpieces. The streets still buzz with artistic life and that’s partially in thanks to Anna Taratiel.

In her work, the Barcelona native juxtaposes rigid geometric shapes with soft organic lines, then adds intense colors that cause your eye to bounce all around the image. The result are cartoonish images, a touch reminiscent of Lichtenstein, which convey deep emotion and movement through the simple shapes and balance of color, whether they’re thrown up as street art or displayed in a traditional gallery. I’ve personally found myself most moved by her (possibly illegal?) hulking outdoor works that must startle the passerby upon first glance. Commissioned or not, it seems she has designed them so they improve, not detract, from the original space.

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This weekend Souther Salazar opened his much anticipated solo show at Jonathan Levine Gallery in New York. Entitled “Last Year’s Man,” the exhibition exploded with a menagerie of paintings, sculptures, and mixed media installations in Souther’s signature style. From intricate line drawn empires to utopian cityscapes, Souther has unleashed the inner workings of his imagination and sprinkled in hints of social commentary. Personally I’m constantly enthralled by the detail in each piece finding it difficult to tear myself from the diverging narratives and charming characters. On view until June 16th, “Last Year’s Man” is a must see if in the NY area.

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