On January 18, 2025, Craft in America holds an opening reception for new exhibitions – Chris Maynard: Soar and Feather Adornments: Boris Huang. Both exhibitions explore the cultural significance and artist beauty of feathers through the eyes of each artist.
Chris Maynard: Soar
Chris Maynard, White Amarillo Tempest, detail, 2017. Courtesy of the artist.
Chris Maynard transforms feathers into intricate art by carving delicate bird shapes with a surgical scalpel. His creations, often displayed in shadow boxes or wall installations, depict bird activities and their ecosystems. Maynard’s work highlights feathers’ natural beauty, emphasizing their patterns and colors. He sees feathers as symbols of flight, transformation, and connection. “Feathers are perfect by themselves,” Maynard explains. “Presenting them slightly altered encourages people to see them differently.”
Feather Adornments: Boris Huang
In Hawaiian culture, feathers have long symbolized protection and compassion. Boris Huang, originally from Taiwan, immersed himself in this tradition after studying in Hawaii. Fascinated by the art of featherwork, Huang apprenticed under Feather Lei Master Aunty Mary Louise Kekuewa for five years. He mastered the meticulous craft of tying individual feathers to create leis, capes, and adornments.
The feathers Huang uses for his work are sustainably sourced from molting and other harmless means of gathering. Feathers from different parts of the bird have different qualities and these subtle variations become the basis for symbolic and aesthetic decisions. Blending Eastern and Western techniques, Huang’s work honors Hawaiian tradition while incorporating his cultural perspective. Therefore being from Taiwan, Huang’s work is sets him apart.
Both exhibitions showcase feathers as more than decorative materials, revealing their roles in culture, nature, and art.
On View: January 18, 2025 – April 26, 2025
What: Chris Maynard: Soar and Feather Adornments: Boris Huang
Where: Craft in America Center, 8415 W. Third St., LA, 90048
When: Running thru April 26, 2025
Website: https://www.craftinamerica.org
For additional art exhibitions, and performances as well as culinary events, see LAArtParty’s Upcoming Events Page.
