Bliss Gets Happy!

Before I explain the reason for my sudden and way too long  absence (teehee, sorry!) the reason of which family and close friends know by now, I'd like to share with you this blissfully happy news from my friend, the now New York-based accessories designer Happy David!

After taking up further studies in jewelry design at FIT, scoring coveted internships at the studios of Dana Lorenz and Alexis Bittar, and continuously working on honing her craft, Happy is unveiling a month long exhibition of her work at BLISS on BLISS STUDIO in New York, a creative space run by artists Ged Merino and his wife Carolina Morales!

For those who recall Happy's work back in Manila, you'd remember her for her fun, whimsical pieces. But as you can see from her most recent work made in New York, such as the cuff on the invite above, which is inspired by woven mats, her designs have acquired a more sophisticated, elegant but still edgy quality to them. 

The artist's reception was held last Sunday, January 15, 2011 at Bliss on Bliss, with a special performance by neighborhood band Hide Inaba.

If you are in the area, drop by Bliss on Bliss Studio, the exhibition runs for a month until mid-Feb. It is open to all, Tuesdays to Saturdays 9am-4pm or by appointment.

Bliss on Bliss Studio
4149A 45th St. Ground Flr.
Sunnyside, NY 11104
Directions: BLISS STREET STOP on 7 TRAIN
Phone: +19177679735

Now for those in the US who would like to buy Happy's work, she has been selling her pieces at the Manhattan outpost of NIDA, whose first boutique was opened in San Francisco.

The carefully-curated boutique which carries labels such as IRO, MALOLES, YVES SALOMON, BA&SH, LES PRAIRIES DE PARIS, BALMAIN, EROTOKRITOS, MAISON OLGA, RUE DU MAIL, and PAUL & JOE SISTER has been selling Happy's pieces for about a year now, and Happy considers it an honor to be carried alongside these hot European brands!

NIDA Boutique
573 Hudson Street
NY, NY 10014
Email: nidaboutique.ny@gmail.com

For more information about the exhibit or Happy's body of work, contact Happy at gethappynow@gmail.com

Stanley Ruiz on The Radar

During the 80s and 90s, when I was growing up, it seemed like a flight of fancy to want to become a photographer, a writer or a designer. To middle class parents, it didn't make economic sense. The "arts" was for people who could afford to indulge in such "hobbies". I don't think it is a sweeping generalization to say that my generation was prodded to go into law, medicine or finance because these were seen as stable, "real" careers. During my time, if you wanted to be a make-up artist or a stylist, the adults would never take you seriously.

 

So of course, I love it when I hear, see or meet people from my generation who have made a name for themselves in the arts. They've thumbed their nose at convention and are so successful at it,  that they are recognized for doing so.

When my friend, jewelry artist Happy David told me about Brooklyn-based Pinoy Stanley Ruiz's feature in Surface Magazine's Avant Guardian issue for 2010, I knew she was on to something special. Here was this guy from the College of Fine Arts in UP Diliman, one of those "grungy, creative types" from the other side of the campus, featured in a New York magazine! Now, none of my doctor, lawyer or even US MBA educated friends have ever been in one, so this was like, "Darnit, told ya we're in the wrong industries!"

Stanley's Raw Clock, which was featured in Avant Guardian, incidentally, is sold exclusively online at Urban Outfitters, o diba!

Curious as to how a creative from UP Diliman found his way to Brooklyn (the place to be if you're an artist in New York), I interviewed Stanley about his work and his Brooklyn hot spots, for my first story for 2011 On the Radar.

(Photos in the article by Tammy David)

Enjoy and be inspired! Read HERE!