"Magnolia" 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 this kite entitled "Magnolia," Thompson arranges fragments of printed kimono silk to create an elegant black-and-white composition of flowering magnolia branches. The floral print is arranged in vertical panels to create the illusion of a mountainous landscape in the background, the magnolia branches perfectly outlining the horizon. Symbols of purity and beauty, the magnolia blossoms bend gracefully into the off-white field, each colored with a gentle gradient of grey to white to pink.

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.