“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.”
- Pablo Picasso

As a vendor at the World Tea Expo, I had the pleasure of watching the transformation of the exhibition hall from dusty cavern to what must have been the largest tearoom in the world. On Thursday morning, our booth set-up day, the temporary shells were assembled but unadorned, the floors bare concrete, the forklifts beeping and not a hint of leaf or herb. Within 24 hours the room was filled with the international flavor of our industry and the intoxicating fragrance of tea - ready to open the doors to the thousands of attendees who have traveled from around the world to join the celebration.

One of my favorite Expo experience is the smell of the tea that fills the air before the Expo Hall is opened to the crowds. I walked the isles absorbing this rare blend. For me, this experience is comparable to a theme park for a child. It’s like a Disneyland for tea lovers. And, in keeping with my blog theme, I looked a bit beyond the leaf to find a few examples of the art that it inspired for our gathering.

One sculpture was a Teapot Car by Carol’s Special-Teas. Parked at the entrance, it was launched everyone’s day with a smile. I’m reminded that humor is not one of the traits that media attribute to tea lovers.

Tea also inspired wearable art by Harshita Designs. A designer who has grown up in a tea family, Harshita prints her images of the leaf, of teapots and teacups on elegant silk. Dozens of her special designs are specialized with tea themes.

Of course, teapots and tea cups are the examples of art that we expect to see at tea events. Offerings would satisfy and frustrate serious collectors. So many choices.

But one special mention is the work of designer, Eva Zeisel. She is world renowned. Her work is displayed in museums and galleries around the world. She was 99 years old when she created the kettle pictured here. She is one of the artists who successfully integrate form and function, elevating the tools we use every day to an art.

It is a characteristic of tea lovers and tea businesses to be drawn to the artistic. Booths and displays didn’t disappoint. These three examples are a small sample of what I’m calling The Art of the Expo. I could share examples from almost every business represented there. Some were simple displays of tea in small white bowls. The leaves themselves were beautiful examples of the craft of creating tea. Other booths were amazing sculptures filling their space with intrigue and light. Even the tea bagging equipment on display could be said to have an elegance in design and a music to its operation.

If the purpose of art is, as Picasso says, to wash the dust off of the daily life of our souls, I would say that tea is the art of food. Tea instructs us to pause for a moment of beauty and peace. We dust off our souls. And that may be one of our industry’s most important messages during this time of political conflict and economic struggle. As we brew a cup, we also create an opportunity to appreciate the beauty that man creates, especially when he partners with nature in a respectful and honorable way.

Is there any other food product where the process from picking to packaging require such artistic commitment?

I was also one of the last vendors to pack up my booth. On Monday morning at 8 AM there were very few remnants of our show remaining. Teamsters had removed the carpets and were packing up the tables and disassembling the booth walls. It seemed very fitting that the last image tea were a few posters - photos of the beautiful plantations in far away places. The beginning.

I continue to wonder at the way in which this plant inspires beauty, elegance and humor.

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