Editor’s Word: In Living Colour

The arrival of May and June marks a sensory pivot: an unforced departure from winter’s muted, weary tones toward a palette that feels unapologetically alive. Greens hum; pinks pulse; blues deepen with the lengthening light. The iconic artist Georgia O’Keeffe understood this impulse better than most: 

“Colour is one of the great things in the world that makes life worth living to me.”

In an era dominated by the monochrome glow of screens and the persistent drag of ambient anxiety, the ability to perceive colour is not just a luxury; it is an urgent call.

This issue lingers in that conviction. We turn away, at least within these pages, from the gray uniformity of the status quo to experience the fullness of chromatic existence.

We begin on the stage, where two-time gold medalist Grace Rubacek, a principal classical Chinese dancer with Shen Yun, reveals how the mysterious, undisturbed beauty embedded in centuries-old Tang Dynasty poetry is translated into movement. Through virtuosic leaps and vivid palettes on stage, she gives visual form to the most radiant facets of the human spirit.

From the ethereal, we descend into the grounded, earthy work of designer Yu-Fen. At 50, she stepped away from the international fashion circuit to the remote, ancient villages of Southwest China. There, she encountered the oral traditions of natural dyeing, a craft passed down through generations and now meticulously codified by her into a modern, replicable colour spectrum. She describes these hues as “breathing,” noting that while synthetic dyes offer a flawless finish, natural dyes provide something more intimate: the “no-makeup makeup” of cloth.

On the cedar-dotted shores of windswept Atlantic Canada, the Seabright Residence offers a masterclass in sensory architecture. Here, the shifting colours and light of the seasons are not mere views but constant companions, dancing through the rooms like nature itself: unpredictable, alive, and timelessly beautiful.

Inside Kyoto’s 220-year-old confectionery, Kameya Yoshinaga, wagashi transcend mere sweetness. From clandestine Edo-era guild recipes to delicate, strawberry-kissed ubatama, these exquisite confections become edible calendars. With every bite, the fleeting, poetic colours of the 24 solar terms dissolve on the tongue.

Our exploration of colour continues throughout this issue. Whether traveling to the crystalline coast of Sri Lanka to source dazzling gems or wandering through the world’s most beautiful libraries with the founder of the viral “1000 Libraries” account, these pages offer a vivid reminder of a simple truth: life is not monochrome.

May you read, and see, this issue with the windows open.