A Marble Fairy Tale

Taj Mahal at sunrise

In the morning sun it gleams with a snowy effervescence that exudes serene power. By the afternoon light, the marble glows, sending out golden rays as if it were a second sun. Centuries of royal authority radiate from the column minarets and chamfered, octagonal body. At dusk, as the shadows lengthen, and the courtyard begins to cool, the marble blushes with coy pride, showing off rosy tints and coral hues. This is when the Taj Mahal becomes seductively romantic, transcending from stone to a lyrical poem.

Street Art in Kuala Lumpur

Travel writer Arman Shah goes in search of graffiti in Kuala Lumpur and finds these artistic murals by the Klang River.

Photo courtesy of Arman Shah

The seed of intrigue revolving around the graffiti scene in Kuala Lumpur (KL) was first planted in me one Tuesday afternoon at work, when I was researching on art-related activities to engage in at the Malaysian capital. I was flying there from Singapore for a business trip, and I wanted to make sure that I fully utilized my time doing productive things – as opposed to being cooped up in the hotel room like the dull young adult who I’m (hopefully) not – when I wasn’t attending any work event.

I remember Google producing a list of articles about street art in Malaysia, and after a few clicks of the mouse and a thorough ingestion of the various features and their accompanying images, I was convinced that I had to check out this fascinating scene. A week later, equipped with a camera and an adventurous spirit, I found myself roaming the city of KL in search of this unique art form.

The Power of the Hoodoos

I like to think of Bryce Canyon as an artist. One who would sit happily between Mark Rothko and Roger Broders. With its surreal shades of vermilion and striking architectural formations, this national park in southwestern Utah ignites my imagination every time I go for a visit. Whether I am leisurely overlooking its malformed geologic features, known as hoodoos, or hiking among its evergreen forests, Bryce captures all the emotion of long forgotten, hair raising fairy tales I read as a child. Walking through this park always makes me wonder: am I seeing creatures from a folktale come to life, or have I entered another planet?

Art Finds Inspiration in a Book

Art has the power to change lives, and for us it transforms a place from simple destination into a personality. Masters of the palette like Monet, Lautrec, and Chagall understood this phenomenon when they traveled to the south of France. Here, in picturesque villages like Monaco, Eze, and Nice, these painters sought to capture the elusive essence of each locale onto their canvases. We traveled in their footsteps to rediscover the light and landscapes they painted and to see how the seasides, beaches, and hills still retain that effervescent quality they fell in love with. See how art transformed the French Riviera into paradise and how this region changed the lives of so many artists, in our book “The Artists’ Paradise.”