"Migration" 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 “Migration,” a cloud of black ink sweeps across the kite with frenzied urgency. Accented by subtle grey scale watercolors, the directional movement of Thompson's brushstrokes evokes the instinctive call to migrate - a universal impulse for change. Dark, captivating, and passionate, Migration awakens a longing for something more.

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