Inspiration you can depend on: Amir Sali

I attended a talk on embellishment techniques last year at the National Museum, and that was when I first encountered the work of Amir Sali.  I remember having a grand time that afternoon, just simply being blown away by the work samples he brought with him.  It was a major plus that the artist we were getting to know was a fellow Filipino.

He established himself in the Middle East, that is where he built this network.  Now he gets orders from everywhere. 

Top design, top quality.  See the work above? That's actually the backside of his work, which is where all the sewing knots and awkward stitches are usually found.  But in his work, none!

Ooh, that one above is truly one of the more impressive ones.  My favorite quote from his talk was something like "Don't waste time. Do something. Use your hands."  He did and look what beauty he has produced! He has production in the Philippines too, and I particularly remember him sharing that he went to the provinces to search for beaders and workers and found a group of men recently laid off from their jobs (they made nets or something).  He taught them his techniques and became thoroughly satisfied with their work.  Now, they are pros.