dark ‘til dawn

poetry lamps

November 7, 2009

Shanghai

decollection launches its first line of designer art pieces, the dark ’til dawn series of collectible lamps

the conception

The dark ‘til dawn poetry lamp series was conceived as a meeting point for the art of American poet Shelly Bryant and Chinese artist Peter Zhou (周宇).  By bringing together two distinctive art forms from two different cultures, a unique new work has been forged.  Each collectible piece began with a haiku written by Bryant.  Zhou’s paintings and lamp designs were built to give visual impact to the imagery that is central to Bryant’s haiku.  When viewed as a whole, the series points to a bright future, even in the darkest times.

shelly bryant

Bryant’s poetry has appeared widely in various magazines, anthologies, journals, and websites.  Her work has been published in the US, Canada, New Zealand, India, and Singapore.  Her first poetry collection, Cyborg Chimera, was released in October 2009.

Bryant concentrates on speculative poetry, a field that has been steadily gaining prominence in English poetry circles since the 1970s.  Speculative poetry integrates science fiction, fantasy, mythology, horror, and the surreal into all forms of English verse.  Minimalist forms, such as haiku, are favorites amongst speculative poets.  Much of Bryant’s published poetry is written in haiku and related forms.

peter zhou (周宇)

Zhou began his artistic career as a painter, garnering along the way recognition at the national and provincial level, as well as from academics in the field.  His art has appeared in publications all over China, and his work has been sold abroad in the US and the UK.  Not confined to the canvas, he has ventured into creating soft furnishing designs as well.  He has served as lead designer for many 4- and 5-star hotels in China, as well as government buildings, offices, and showrooms for high end real estate companies.

Zhou is one of the pioneer members of the decollection staff, and has collaborated closely with Bryant on the pieces now on display in the company’s first line of collectibles.  About the dark ‘til dawn series, Zhou says, “Shelly’s poems have served as an inspiration for the lamp designs and paintings in the series.  It is my hope that the pieces in this collection will give others a glimpse of the pleasure I’ve experienced in this collaboration.”