"Crane 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 “Crane Migration,” Thompson creates a graphic composition through careful use of color, layering floral silk obi fragments against inky parchment paper. The vertical orientation of this particular kite wonderfully frames the central panel of four cranes in flight, soaring against a field of green.

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