A man dressed as Hindu goddess Kali, the goddess of power, performs with a burning camphor tablet on his tongue during a religious procession ahead of the “Kumbh Mela”, or Pitcher Festival, in the northern Indian city of Allahabad January 6, 2013. During the festival, hundreds of thousands of Hindus take part in a religious gathering at the banks of the river Ganges. The festival is held every 12 years in different Indian cities. (Photo by Jitendra Prakash/Reuters)

“Ой, да не вечер” – the Russian national song. It is also known under the name “Stepan Razin's Dream”. It is sung on behalf of Cossack Stepan Razin ((1630–1671) was a Cossack leader who led a major uprising against the nobility and Tsar's bureaucracy in South Russia) who tells the bad dream foretelling trouble. Sings: Pelagea Sergeevna Efimova (born 14.06.1986 in Novosibirsk, Russia).

“Born in Bellshill, near Glasgow, Scotland, George studied at Blackpool College of Photography before moving to London, where is currently based. George is a multi-faceted talent, equally at home on location or in the studio, working with people, animals, locations or still life. He produces strong and vivid images with a distinctive and unique photographic style. Many of his images have been described as having an other worldly feel”. – Tim Mitchell

Artist Tsuneo Sanda was born in Osaka, Japan. He first came to Tokyo at age 23, and has been there ever since. He lives in a rural, residential town about 20km west of Tokyo with his wife, Sachicko, two sons, Kensaku and Sohei, and Vivian, their American Shorthair cat.

Realistic impressionist whose art, prints and posters express his love of nature and a man gifted with a rare talent. Having studied with some of the great Italian masters of fine art, he has developed a brilliant and commanding style. Born in Castelluccio, Italy, in 1954, Egidio Antonaccio graduated from the Institute of Fine Art in Castrovillari, Italy, in 1973. Then in 1978, he graduated with honors from the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, Italy.

Kim Haskins was born in 1981 in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. Throughout school she was known as the class artist - the one who drew pictures in other peoples’ exercise books, made posters for school plays, designed t-shirts etc. Even growing up she pictures always fell into one of two categories: humorous or still life.

Many people have seen feathers as decorative items before. Today, ostrich, peacock and bird of paradise feathers can be seen in haute couture and in the costumes of indigenous peoples. They can be colorful and spectacular in their own right, but how much more stunning might they be when used as canvases for artists, eager to demonstrate their talent for the unusual? Alaskan-born and -bred artist Julie Thompson is an astounding exponent of this incredible art form.