"Rooster" 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 “Rooster,” Thompson gives a traditional Chinese calligraphy painting pride of place amidst a collage of neutral brown fragments. A symbol of honesty and reliability, a delicately painted rooster perches atop a rocky outcropping with his head thrown back mid-caw.

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