"Furbelow I" Kite by Michael Thompson

Chicago-based artist Michael Thompson creates unique kites crafted from split bamboo frames covered with stretched muslin and a collage of vintage Asian ephemera—including fragments of fabric, scrolls, drawings, and books collected during his travels.

In “Furbelow I,” Thompson arranges scraps of Japanese silk to form a patchwork of contrasting pattern and color. Placed with balanced asymmetry, the panels of deep indigo and sheer silk create a dark, moody atmosphere reminiscent of a night sky. Gradients of light to dark evoke soft, moonlit clouds and delicate pine branches appear as forked bolts of lightning. Two floral kamon symbols dot the composition like a pair of full moons shining through parted clouds.

Thompson has earned an international reputation for his kite works, an engrossing project initiated by the artist more than a decade ago.

Split bamboo, muslin, silk.