Imagine stepping into a crystal cave infused with opalite colours and dazzling patterns- that was the feeling many viewers experienced on Saturday night when they stumbled upon the world of Ondina M’s 2013 MAH Collection ‘Quaintrelle’ at Gusto & Élan.
The 2013 MAH Collection is a series of images for limited edition silk scarves and textile born out of the artwork of Dr. Jim Frazier. For many years, Frazier – a world famous inventor and naturalist – developed one of natures most beautiful art forms. By manipulating tiny crystals in specialized solutions and photographing them, he created worlds never before seen.
This proprietary art form produces surreal landscapes from lush tropical foliage, to an arctic wilderness or bizarre extraterrestrial images. Crystals are first dissolved in different solutions and upon reforming they are manipulated using an array of different techniques.
Tiny brushes and small implements are used and a range of temperatures is employed to alter the natural growth rate and structure. The coloration is done using filters over tiny fiber-optic lights .The color and dimension added to those paintings depends precisely on the angle that light strikes the crystals. A settled blend of Art and Science: the glass plate is the canvas and the crystal patterns are the drawing.
In partnership with international artists, designers and photographers MAH under the curatorial eye of its founder Ondina M. creates unique scarves collections that will delight, amaze and fascinate the viewer.The 2013 collection is dream infused landscapes and pastels colored in abstract harmony, a skillful blend of Art and Science on the road to Fashion.
The ethos behind the company is to produce wearable art pieces and rely on craft rather than mass production. Design and manufacture whether it is digital, screen-printed or woven is conducted using a sustainable approach. MAH supports and encourages international artisans to maintain their traditional techniques.
Preserving and promoting international artistic tradition in is important to the MAH philosophy. All their scarves have a limited run of a maximum 50-100 pieces per design and are in part, if not entirely, handmade.
So just who is the Quaintrelle woman? Ondina says, “On one level she is a high maintenance Diva, on another level she is a living work of art. A woman who expresses her passion through her appearance and surroundings: a woman who thinks nothing of fashion but everything of style”.
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