For the past few years, veganism has taken baby steps in permeating the local and regional culinary scenes in this part of the world, as many vegans across the region come out of the open to demand for animal emancipation. Although many dishes in the Middle East are, by default, considered plant-based, the V-word has yet to enter the vocabulary of every household. 

Caking Moments is at the forefront of those that make the world accessible for vegans in Kuwait. With sweets that are aesthetically delightful, mouth-watering, and unbelievably vegan—from cakes and cookies to cupcakes and any kind of pastries or confections that fit any occasion—you name it, Caking Moments veganizes it. 

The vanilla cupcakes are on top of my list. The cupcakes are filled with chocolate made with coconut milk and coconut cream, in which the subtle flavor of vanilla complements the dark, strong flavor of the chocolate. Meanwhile, the chocolate cake is the jewel in the crown. It is made with completely rich organic cocoa powder, oatmeal, coconut oil, with thick caramel filling made with coconut milk, unrefined cane sugar, and vegan butter. Plus, it is packed with crushed, roasted peanuts that are a mob favorite.

Speaking with the owner and manager of Caking Moments, Bhavani, who is a pediatric occupational therapist for 12 years in Kuwait, I learned that she started baking by the end of 2020, and turned the gear to vegan baking after realizing the big space that needed filling for the market. Hence, she started combing through reading materials on vegan food and baking from then on, resulting to the birth of Caking Moments on March 2021.

With encouragements and wise advice from the family, especially Bhavani's sister, Caking Moments diverted its focus on vegan-friendly and allergen-free substitutes from traditional baking ingredients, which parents of children with allergies will love, and that any sweet-toothed foodie, vegan or non-vegan alike, will surely enjoy. To order, please visit Caking_Moments on Instagram.

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Among the products are creations by Emirati talents, as well as, national small and medium companies, including clothes made from recycled materials, souvenirs, and futuristic educational games.

Locally inspired products include those from the Calligraphy collection. They are intricately decorated in Arabic calligraphy (the cursive script also known as thuluth is the same one wrapped around the building) inspired by quotes from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, which embodies the spirit of the museum and its mission.

Taking home the museum experience

The store provides visitors with the opportunity to find souvenirs with which to relive their experience of the museum. Among the collections are souvenirs related to the unique design of the museum and its character, depicting elements such as the building's recognisable stainless-steel façade. These include travel mugs, bookmarks, notepads, and pens among others.

The museum's elaborate Arabic calligraphy and the building's use of 3D printing technology in the construction process are among the features that have inspired gifts for the store. Exhibits including OSS Hope, the Heal Institute and Al Waha have inspired some of the souvenirs.

Products within the OSS Hope collection include keychains that feature the museum's depiction of humanity's home in space and the potential for future space travel. The Heal Institute collection comprises prints impressed on tote bags, coin purses, pouches, and scarfs.

There are also A3 prints of the digital recreation of flora, replicating the museum's digital rainforest. Reflecting Al Waha's earthy tones, the collection includes cream-colored tea and coffee sets. Among the souvenirs are gifts related to the Future Heroes exhibit, dedicated for children ages 3 to 10. Lastly, a number of products are inspired by the museum's Tomorrow Today exhibit, relating to areas such as health, education, smart cities, energy, and transportation. 

The fictional artist is based on two historical women, Judith Leyster and Sara van Baalbergen. They were the first women painters to be included in a Guild of St. Luke in the Netherlands during the 17th century. Both artists whose names were almost buried with them and forgotten as none of their works would have survived until one collector discovered Leyster's monogram on a Frans Hals painting in 1892.

In Dominic Smith's "The Last Painting of Sara de Vos", Sara's artwork, At the Edge of a Wood, was stolen and forged. Assumed to be the only surviving work of the 17th century artist, the painting was replaced with the one created by art history doctoral student, Eleanor "Ellie" Shipley. 

Sara is described as a still-life Dutch painter, facing gender stereotype in that era, and involved in art sale in the Netherlands as member of a painters' guild. Her daughter's death resulted in her family's financial predicaments until she finally gives up her craft and focused on domestic life.

[Marty de Groot] won’t mention that it’s the only surviving painting of Sara de Vos, the first woman to be admitted, in 1631, as a master to a Guild of St. Luke in Holland. And who could he tell that he liked to stare up at the girl’s pale and cryptic face while he made slow, contemplative love to his melancholic wife in the years after her second miscarriage?

Exerpt, The Last Painting of Sara de Vos, Dominic Smith

"The Mouse's Tale" appears in Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, or Alice's Adventures Under Ground in the manuscript version. It foreshadows the nonsensical trial depicting an anthropomorphic entity called the "Fury" that condemned the mouse to death at the finale of the book. When the classic English novel's titular character, Alice, is told of the mouse's sad story, his "long and sad tale", she imagines the mouse's tail as the tale being told while looking at it. The "tale" is formed into a concrete poem in the shape of the mouse's tail. 

Extras: Speaking of concrete poems, here's my piece titled "G Fret". Written in 2010 under my pseudonym, Armineonila M, the poem is now featured in my debut poetry collection, Line Breaker. Click the image to read it.

HB Eyeglasses

 

Crown Sunglasses

Dollar Sunglasses

A-dollar-an-eye pair of glasses that looks so cool, methinks, it would give eyewear and other novelty item designers a run for their money. Just watch out for specs snatchers lurking behind the shadows in your neighborhood.  

Straw Eyewear

Now, can we drink to these super cool frames made out of swirling straw? Obviously, we can! Feeling thirsty yet? This one-of-a-kind novelty eyewear can make you multitask as you can wear and drink from it your favorite orange juice at the same time, while waiting for a date or your favorite TV series.

Artistic curiosity does not need a cat. Creative clutter is a learning process. I always take interest in exploring multiple possibilities and embracing the chaos in search of order. It's human nature, I guess.

Being a "Jack-of-all-trade" doesn't mean you can't be a master of one. It's a fallacy. You can excel in one or two fields and still learn another. It's ironic how those who think otherwise claim knowledge is powerful, hence, as a result inspire less of the society. Shakespeare must have rolled his eyes. 

When I studied Comparative Literature, I had to take the basic subjects, then enlist in various disciplines, e.g. visual arts, psychology, economics, political science, broadcasting, philosophy, history, theatre, natural sciences, and others. Comparative Lit is a multidisciplinary course. It's a prerequisite that the student understands the other components of the human experience to produce meaningful interpretations of a literary text. 

I've never dreamt of becoming an "expert", anyway. An expert ceases to explore. In art-making,  I believe the identity of an artwork does not merely rely on style but also on the personality of the piece itself. Mastery has always served the artist but not so much the art-making. It hinders growth and compartmentalizes skills.

Remember when as a child you were asked what you wanna be when you grow up? And my mom would always contradict that by saying I could be anything I wanted to be. That I can be someone.

I agree with her. Living a monotous life is a dead end because life is a non-stop learning train.

Image: "Music and Literature" (1878), William Harnett 

Most artists create their masterpieces using conventional paints, mediums and papers that are oftentimes made of animal components or contain bone char, gelatin, ox gall, rabbit collagen, carmine, eggs, shellac, casein, beeswax, and many other animal-based ingredients. Art supply companies produce and retail high-end professional brushes that are usually made from hairs and fur of slaughtered animals such as pigs, horses, squirrels, and others captive animals. 

Luckily, ethical alternatives are now available for artists who prefer art supplies that are cruetly-free and vegan. These materials neither contain animal ingredients nor are they tested on animals. Vegan art supplies are available in both student and professional grades. 

Tips on choosing vegan art supplies

But how does an artist know if an art material is indeed cruetly-free? Take these pointers.

Returning from a hiatus prompted by the coronavirus pandemic, the recently concluded 2022 edition of Art Basel, a premier Modern and contemporary art fair, featured 289 leading international galleries. On 16-19 June 2022, the art fair showcased exceptional artworks from 19 first-time participants, plus over 90 large-scale pieces including a spacious installation titled "Out of Sight" by the late American conceptual aritst, Lawrence Weiner.

Art Basel 2022 highlights its collaboration with the City of Basel, leading cultural institutions in the city, and various local institutions on a public art project in support of Ukraine. The show presented Ukrainian artist Boris Mikhailov’s latest photographic series, 'Temptation of Death’. It also backed the performance of Russian punk collective Pussy Riot and evenly donated a total of CHF 110,000 to three humanitarian aid organizations.

The next Art Basel show will roll on 20-23 October 2022 in Paris.

Images: Art Basel in Basel 2022. Courtesy Art Basel.