"Day Turns to Night" 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 “Day Turns to Night,” Thompson plays with pattern and color, arranging densely printed silks in transition from light to dark. The kite's lively composition of lush florals celebrates the rhythms of life and exudes a sense of joyous perpetuity.

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