Monday, May 1, 2023
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Celebrating Alan Rickman
Today’s Doodle celebrates English actor Alan Rickman. With a deep, magnetic voice and endless charm, he’s known for his magical performances in films like Harry Potter and Die Hard. On this day in 1987, Rickman performed in 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses', a Broadway play that was instrumental in launching his career.
Alan Rickman was born on February 21, 1946 in West London, England. A natural painter, Rickman became interested in different art forms after being encouraged by his teachers and family. He was especially taken with acting. After starring in school plays, he earned a scholarship to continue pursuing this interest at Latymer Upper School in London.
After secondary school, Rickman studied graphic design at Chelsea College of Art and Design and the Royal College of Art. After graduating, he started a design company with close college friends while participating in the amateur Group Court Drama Club. At age 26, Rickman left his company and decided to seriously pursue acting, earning a spot at RADA, one of the most prestigious acting schools in the world.
A few years later, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he appeared in The Tempest and Love’s Labour’s Lost. He struck gold in 1985 when he starred as anti-hero Le Vicomte de Valmont in the play Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons). After earning a Tony nomination for his performance, he began receiving offers to act in films.
In 1988, Rickman starred as criminal mastermind Hans Gruber in the film Die Hard. The character is now considered one of the most iconic villains in cinematic history. The film’s success led to Rickman playing similar antagonist roles in films like Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. His career trajectory continued throughout the 1990s with roles in Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny (1996), the latter of which he received an Emmy and Golden Globe Award for.
In 2001, Rickman starred in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as the scene-stealing Severus Snape. His intimidating, scary, and captivating performance saw him star in the following seven Harry Potter films, becoming an international sensation.
Over the course of his career, Rickman received numerous acting nominations and awards and even directed three plays and two films. He’s remembered for his iconic roles on-screen, his philanthropy, and his kind and sensitive nature off-screen.
Happy Birthday, Alan Rickman!
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
St. David's Day 2023
Today’s Doodle celebrates St. David’s Day in Wales, or Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant in Welsh. On this day in the year 589, St. David was canonized and became the patron saint of Wales.
Each year on March 1st, a national St. David’s Day Parade is held in the city of Cardiff, where schoolchildren and bands march in traditional Welsh costumes. They wear bright red gowns and dark tall hats and carry the Welsh flag.
The flag of Wales features a red dragon atop a green and white background. According to the legend of Dinas Emrys, a Celtic king’s castle repeatedly collapsed due to two dragons fighting in a lair below its foundation. Eventually, a red dragon prevailed and became a symbol of Welsh pride. Today, the flag decorates buildings and homes throughout the country.
Today’s colourful Doodle was inspired by items found in Wales. The artwork was hand-crafted with cut acrylic glass inspired by traditional stained glass windows and prominently features Wales' National flower — the daffodil!
Happy St. David’s Day Wales!
Celebrating Mickey Chen
Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Taiwan-based guest artist Dyin Li, celebrates Taiwanese filmmaker and activist Mickey Chen, who focused on telling stories from people that belonged to disenfranchised communities. On this day in 1999, her film Boys for Beauty became the first LGBTQ-themed documentary to be screened at a movie theater in Taiwan.
Chen, fascinated by cameras from a young age, started creating movies in college. At 30, she made her directorial debut with Not Simply a Wedding Banquet (1997), a documentary about the first gay couple to have a public wedding in Taipei. It explored the struggles that members of the LGBTQ+ community faced in Taiwan.
In 1999, Chen released Boys for Beauty, an eye-opening exposé that followed the lives of three gay teenagers from Taipei. The film took a bold stance against gender norms and showcased the societal pressures each subjects’ relatives endured. It was a box office success and a pivotal achievement for Taiwanese cinema.
Boys for Beauty won countless awards and film festival placements, most notably the Audience Award at the 2000 Taiwan International Documentary Festival. Chen gave an inspiring acceptance speech that praised the LGBTQ+ movement and invited several directors to join her on stage in an act of solidarity.
Chen wrote and directed many more documentaries such as Memorandum on Happiness (2003), Scars on Memory (2005), and Fragile in Love (2007). She also published Taipei Father, New York Mother in 2011, a book about family tragedies that occurred during her youth. Throughout her career, Chen documented significant moments of LGBTQ+ history in Taiwan and opened the eyes of the public to them and Taiwan’s progressive LGBTQ+ societal views are a result of trailblazers like her.
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
Celebrating Sương Nguyệt Anh
Today’s Doodle celebrates Sương Nguyệt Anh, the first female newspaper editor of the first women’s newspaper in Vietnam. On this day in 1918, the first publication of Nu Gioi Chung (Women's Bell) was published — the newspaper where Nguyệt Anh was editor in chief. Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Hanoi-based guest artist, Camelia Phạm.
Nguyệt Anh was born on March 8, 1864 in An Binh Dong village of the Ben Tre province. Her father, Nguyen Dinh Chieu, was a poet and teacher who taught her how to read and write in both Chinese and Chữ Nôm, a form of Vietnamese language that uses Chinese characters. Nguyệt Anh started writing her own poetry. In honor of one of her most well known poems centered around apricot blossoms, the Doodle artwork incorporates apricot blossoms and an apricot color palette.
The next few decades were a tragic time for Nguyệt Anh. Her father died when she was 24, and she and her brother took over his school to teach the locals. She then moved to Rach Mieu in My Tho City, married, and gave birth to a daughter. Two years later, her husband passed.
She became the first female editor in chief in Vietnam when she started writing for the Nu Gioi Chung newspaper in Saigon under the pen name Sương Nguyệt Anh, meaning “Widowed Nguyệt Anh.” Many of the newspaper’s issues spoke about women’s roles in Vietnamese culture and society.
Sương Nguyệt Anh is remembered for her bright mind and personality, as well as her resilience through adversity. She was a pioneer for women writers and editors in Vietnam and paved the way for generations to come. She had connections with people from all walks of life and treated everyone with respect. There are several streets named after Nguyệt Anh in cities like Ho Chi Minh, Da Lat and Vung Tau.
Thursday, January 26, 2023
India Republic Day 2023
India gained its freedom from the British Empire in 1947 and began drafting its constitution soon after. The India Constituent Assembly took two years to discuss, modify, and approve the governing document, and when adopted, India became the country with the longest constitution. The adoption of this document paved the way for democracy and empowered Indian citizens to elect their own representatives.
To celebrate the national holiday, there are various parades around the country, with the largest one taking place at Rajpath, a ceremonial boulevard in New Delhi. After a ceremonial wreath laying to honor fallen soldiers, regiments of India’s armed forces and tableaus representing cultural and historical heritage march through the street. To conclude the festivities, the Beating Retreat ceremony takes place on the evening of January 29th. The saffron, white, and green Indian flag is flown as the Indian National Anthem plays.
Today’s Doodle artwork is crafted from intricately hand-cut paper. Many elements of the Republic Day parade are represented in the artwork including the Rashtrapati Bhavan (where the president resides), the India Gate, the CRFP marching contingent, and motorcycle riders.
Happy Republic Day, India!
Check out the behind-the-scenes process for today’s Doodle artwork
Guest Artist Q&A with Parth Kothekar
Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Ahmedabad, Gujarat-based guest artist Parth Kothekar. Below, he shares his thoughts behind the making of this Doodle:
Q. What were your first thoughts when you were approached about working on this Doodle?
A: I had goosebumps! I reread the email multiple times as I couldn’t believe it and with joy I informed my mother and sister about it. I’d never thought that I would get such an opportunity!
Q. Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle?
A: My inspiration was to create a portrait of India. The exhibition that takes place during the Republic Day parade is vast and humbling! I wished to weave various strands and elements of it together.
Q. Why was this topic meaningful to you personally?
A: During my school days, every year I would be mesmerized by the Republic Day parade. Receiving this opportunity enlivened that fascination and I thoroughly enjoyed diving into it as I went into details of every facet displayed on the papercut. I learned a lot through this process.
Q. What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle?
A: This papercut took me 4 days to complete — 6 hours a day. I wanted to demonstrate the complexity of India, with all of its interconnected facets! I'm hoping that the complexity of this artwork allows the viewer to get a glimpse of that.
Sunday, January 1, 2023
New Year's Day 2023
Happy New Year!
However you choose to ring in the new year, here’s to good fortune in 2023!
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