Stowaway Jellyfish

September 29, 2017 2017年9月29日

Born in 1990 in Shenyang, Xinmo Wu graduated in 2012 from the photography department of the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts and is currently based in Shanghai. Wu has always had a natural fascination with jellyfish, at first capturing their forms through photography, and later casting them as subjects in her illustration and installation work. From fascination to borderline obsession to observant detachment, Wu’s relationship to this subject matter has been a continual process of change.


吴欣默,1990年出生于辽宁省沈阳市,2012年毕业于鲁迅美术学院摄影系,目前工作和生活在上海。水母这种浮游生物对于吴欣默而言,有着天生的吸引力,从最初通过摄影去捕捉他们的姿态,到现在借助绘画甚至装置去表现。她经历了一个从吸引到陷入,再从陷入到抽离的过程。

Separating these aquatic animals from their backgrounds through color and form, the jellyfishes seem to be fossilized in the canvas, immortalized in images resembling a photo negative. Wu presents a message through her reinterpretation of jellyfishes, using the images as a metaphorical device to explore concepts of identity and gender. In the natural world, jellyfishes are able to reproduce asexually at certain stages of their life cycle, attaining a sort of immortality through their self-replication. But people often project gender attributes onto them, viewing their gentle, flowing forms as feminine, sensual, or even erotic. In our internet-driven world, concepts of femininity are constantly reassigned and redefined, fed to the population in the form of digital media. But when we set our preconceptions aside, perhaps we’re left with an opportunity to understand that being authentic is more important than conforming to society’s ideals of feminity.


当你看着这些匿浮于画板之上的水母时,将体会到她想通过作品传达给我们的信息。它们被从水里分离出来,如同化石,又被置于一块胶片负片肌理的画板上。在自然界,水母可以通过无性繁殖,并在复制自我的过程里达到永生。但是在观众眼中,水母柔软而飘忽的身体却往往被赋予女性化的象征,甚至还有色情与欲望的隐喻。一如目前这个以互联网为主导的媒体环境,年轻女性随波逐流、飘忽不定的形象,被如海水一般的互联网所塑造和加深。而当海水退去后,留在我们脑海里的,却仅仅只是这样的印象,仿佛她们天生就是这样。

Instagram: @mmorganwoo

 

Contributor: Dawen Ding


Instagram: @mmorganwoo

 

供稿人: Dawen Ding

Sculpting the Divine in Kumortuli

September 27, 2017 2017年9月27日
The artist paints over a finished sculpture of Goddess Durga.

Kumortuli is a traditional potter’s quarter in Kolkata, India where artisans have been living and honing their craft for centuries. But what type of work do these artists create? The answer can be found in the festivals that are often associated with India. When most people think of festivals in India, the popular Diwali and Holi will most likely be the first to come to mind. However, that’s barely scratching the surface of India’s love of celebration. Every state has a particular festival that it celebrates with more pomp and splendor than the rest of the country. For Kolkata, it’s Durga Puja.


Kumortuli是印度加尔各答的一个传统陶器产区,几百年来,陶艺工匠生活在这里生活、磨练制陶手艺。而当地陶艺工匠所创作的作品到底如何?答案可以在印度的一些传统节日中找到。说到印度的节日,大多数人首先想到的应该是像排灯节(Diwali)和侯丽节(Holi)这些著名的节日。然而,这些节日其实只能算是印度众多节日中的凤毛麟角,它们不能完全体现出印度人们对节日的热爱。事实上,在印度,每个州都有它的特色节日,在庆祝这个节日时,会比全国其它地方庆祝的方式更隆重、更热闹。而加尔各答的特色节日正是杜尔加女神节(Durga Puja)。

An artist works on an unfinished Durga face.
Seen here is the goddess’ vahan on the left, i.e., the tiger. On the right is the demon king, Mahishasur.

Durga Puja is an annual festival that happens in late September or early October. It reveres the Hindu deity Durga, a fierce goddess of war. One of the most popular legends associated with the goddess is of her battle against demon king Mahishasur. As such, a common depiction of the goddess shows her thrusting her Trishul (a trident that many deities of Hinduism wield) into the demon. In Hindu mythology, every god and goddess ride a vahana for travel. In turn, another common depiction of Durga is atop her vahana, a tiger. Various depictions of this goddess can be seen during Kolkata’s Durga Puja, all of which are created by the artists of Kumortuli.


一年一度的杜尔加女神节于9月底或10月初期间举行。节日是为了庆祝印度教中强大的女战神——杜尔加女神。关于杜尔加女神,最著名的一个传说是她打败妖王(Mahishasur)的那场战斗。因此,她最常见的形象是将自己的三叉戟(Trishul,许多印度教神像使用的三叉戟)插入恶魔身体。在印度神话中,所有的神灵和女神都会乘着一只座骑( vahana )出行。所以,杜尔加女神的另一种常见的形象是她骑着自己的老虎座骑。在加尔各答的杜尔加女神节期间,人们可以看到关于这位女神的各种形象,而打造这些神象的正是Kumortuli的艺术家们。

Some of the smallest Durga sculptures, seen here in a workshop.
An unfinished Durga idol stored in a workshop.
One of the larger sculptures of the goddess.

The Kumortuli quarters have hundreds of artisans working day and night throughout the year to create idols. A typical workshop is nothing more than a small patch of land with minimum necessities and only enough space to house materials and the completed works. Despite the difficult working conditions, the increasing prosperity of the region means that people are spending more and more on recreational activities, which includes the celebration of Durga Puja. As a result, the sculptors of Kumortuli have been given much more creative freedom in their sculptures in recent times.


在Kumortuli区,数百名陶艺工匠全年日夜奋战,制作一个个神像。在这里,大部分的制陶作坊不过是一块地,里面有最基本的工具设备,有刚好足够的空间来放置材料和完工后的作品。尽管工作条件困难,但经济的日益繁荣意味着人们可以有越来越多的经济能力用于娱乐活动,其中包括杜尔加女神节的庆祝活动,所以,近来Kumortuli的雕塑家在创作这些神像时也有了更多的自由和创意发挥。

The bamboo base, on the left, of a typical sculpture made in Kumartuli.

The sculpture creation process in Kumortuli is completely eco-friendly, but the process is tedious. The base of sculptures are made of bamboo sticks, which are ferried in by boat from nearby regions. The bamboo then needs to be dried on river banks. Afterwards, artists will begin creating the foundation. Once the base is done, a coat of clay is applied to shape the idol and recycled paper is used to fill the cracks. Once the clay structure is complete to reveal the perfect likeness of the idol, an artist paints over it with vibrant colors. In the final step, the sculpture is adorned with clothing, accessories, and jewelry. After the celebration ends, devotees submerge their idols into water, which results in the clay being washed away. Artists will then recover the bamboo base to reuse the following year.


在Kumortuli区,神像雕塑的创作过程完全符合环保,但十分繁琐。神像雕塑的基座是由竹竿制成的,这些竹竿都是从邻近地区用船运来的。然后,人们会先将这些竹子放在河岸上干燥。干燥完,艺术家们就可以开始打造基座。完成基座后,艺术家会用粘土涂层来塑造神像,并用再生纸填充裂缝。一旦粘土层能够充分展现出神像的形态后,艺术家就会开始用鲜艳的色彩上色。在最后一步,他们会用服装、饰品和珠宝来装饰神像雕塑。庆典结束后,信徒们会将自己的神像放入水中,让水将外层的粘土冲走,然后艺术家可以将剩下的竹竿结构回收,用于制作来年的神像雕像。

Maa Kaali, the black-faced Hindu goddess.
Unfinished sculptures of Lord Ganesha, kept in a workshop.

While the main idols created at Kumortuli are of Durga, sculptors also create idols of other Hindu gods and goddesses for worship at different festivals across the country. These idols include Lord Ganesha, Goddess Saraswati, Goddess Lakshmi, and more. Visitors can even come across sculptures of Jesus Christ in Kumortuli since Christmas is commonly celebrated in Kolkata and other parts of India. Strolling around and taking a look at the workshops of different artisans is surprisingly evealing of the diverse religious fabric of India. Aside from religious figures, sculptors also create statues of important cultural figures like Swami Vivekananda and Rabindranath Tagore, two respected philosophers and intellectuals who are widely honored on their birthdays.


虽然在Kumortuli区,最常见的神像是杜尔加女神,但艺术家们还会创作其他印度教的神灵和女神,用于在全国各地不同的节日供人们崇拜。这些神像包括象头神(Lord Ganesha)、辩才天女(Goddess Saraswati)、吉祥天女(Goddess Lakshmi)等等。游客甚至可以在Kumortuli区看到耶稣基督的雕塑,因为在加尔各答和印度其它地区,人们也会庆祝圣诞节。在不同艺术家的作坊里闲逛,往往能意外地发现印度不同宗教的文化。除了宗教人物,这里的艺术家也会打造文化名人的雕像,譬如印度两位受人尊敬的哲学家斯瓦米·维韦卡南达(Swami Vivekananda)和罗宾德拉纳特·泰戈尔(Rabindranath Tagore),因为人们在他们生日那天举办庆祝活动来纪念他们。

Idol of Lord Jesus in the middle. On the left is a statue of Swami Vivekananda (with the turban
Two statues of Rabindranath Tagore, seen in a narrow Kumartuli lane.

The sculptures created in Kumortuli are not only sold locally or domestically. There’s often demand for them on an international level. Indians living abroad will even commission work from artists in Kumartuli. Due to this demand, many artists in Kumortuli will end up working tirelessly throughout the year to keep up with the sheer amount of festivals and celebrations. While hordes of photographers frequent this unique place all the time, the sculptors are quite immune to the attention and lead humble lives. Families of artists have passed down their craft from generation to generation – their dedication and hard work contribute to the preservation of tradition and culture in not only Kolkata but India as a whole.


在Kumortuli制作的雕塑不仅会在本地或印度国内出售,还常常被销售到其它国家。在国外生活的印度人甚至会委托Kumartuli的艺术家打造作品。由于需求太多,Kumortuli区的许多艺术家经常要全年不断地工作,才能满足各种节日和庆祝活动的需求。许多摄影师前来参观这个独特的地方,但当地艺术家们对于这种关注已经免疫,始终默默无闻地生活。艺术家们将自己的手艺在家中代代相传,正是他们的奉献和辛勤工作,让加尔各答乃至印度的传统工艺和文化得以传承下去。

Contributor & Photographer: Garima Garg


供稿人与摄影师: Garima Garg

Vans Custom Culture Asia

September 27, 2017 2017年9月27日

Vans has brought the Custom Culture Competition to Asia for the first time ever this year. With a well-established reputation for individualism and self-expression, the Vans brand spirit is perfectly embodied through this competition. Working with the goal of rallying Asia’s creative community and providing a new platform to help showcase the region’s burgeoning creators, the contest invites everyone to flaunt their creativity for a chance to see their design make its way onto a pair of these iconic canvas shoes.


今年,Vans 首次将 Custom Culture 鞋履设计比赛带到亚洲。这一比赛充分体现了Vans 一向推崇个性化和自我表现的品牌精神,致力凝聚亚洲创意社区,为新兴艺术家提供一个新的创意平台。比赛邀请一众亚洲艺术家,尽情发挥他们的设计创意, 获奖者的设计将会被用于设计该品牌的全新帆布鞋产品。

For the competition, Vans has invited various respected artists from around Asia as both mentors and judges. Mentors will help the selected finalists to flesh out and complete their final design. These mentors include Chinese visual artist Lin Wenxin, South Korean illustrator Original Punk, Hong Kong-based woodworking atelier Start from Zero, Singapore-based husband-and-wife creative duo Sabotage, self-taught Malaysian street artist Fritilldea, and India-based street artist duo Varsha Nair. Judges include renowned San Francisco-based illustrator Jay Howell, Nini Sum of the Shanghai-based artist duo IdleBeats, plus many more.


在今年比赛中, Vans邀请了亚洲各地备受推崇的艺术家作为导师和评委。导师将帮助决赛选手改善其设计作品。这些导师包括来自重庆的视觉艺术家林文心, 韩国插画家Original Punk, 香港木艺画室Start from Zero, 新加坡夫妻组合艺术家Sabotage, 自学成才的马来西亚街头艺术家Fritilldea和印度街头艺术家组合Varsha Nair。评委则包括来自旧金山的著名插画家Jay Howell,来自上海 IdleBeatsNini Sum等等。

Now, the six talented finalists from China, Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and India have all finished their designs alongside their respective mentors. The final round will decide who will win a trip to House of Vans London and have their creation debuted in stores Asia-wide next year! See the final entries below and vote for your favorites by clicking here.


现在,六位来自中国、韩国、香港、马来西亚、新加坡和印度才华横溢的设计师分别在各自导师的帮助下完成了最后的鞋履设计。最后一轮比赛的结果将会决定谁最终能赢得前往参加House of Vans伦敦站的机会,获胜的设计还将在明年亮相亚洲地区的Vans门店公开发售!下面是所有最终入围的决赛作品,来看看哪一款是你的最爱,点击此处,为它投上一票。


Felix / China

“The initial idea of this design is to make it appealing to a large audience while also bringing the Vans spirit alive. The reason I used this color combination is because I wanted to design a pair of summer shoes. It’s mainly green, dotted by red, with a little watermelon feeling.”


Felix / 中国

“这款设计的最初想法是让它既能吸引主流大众,同时也能诠释出Vans的品牌精神。之所以用这种颜色组合,原因是我想要设计一款夏季穿的鞋子。主色调是绿色,加上红色的点缀,有一种西瓜的感觉。”


Kim Young Hyun / Korea 

“My design is inspired by comics. It’s a bit different from what people see in popular comics. This idea I came up with can be easily executed on a pair of Authentic shoes. I wanted to make a scary character in a witty situation, in order to maximize the humorous atmosphere.”


Kim Young Hyun / 韩国

“我的设计灵感来自漫画,风格跟一般流行的漫画有点不同。我所想出来的创意很适合用在Authentic系列的鞋子上。我想要创作出一个恐怖的角色,把它放在诙谐的情景中,最大限度地突显出一种幽默的气氛。”


Taka / Hong Kong 

“First things first, it’s got to be something I would wear. I like to wear simple colored shoes for ease of outfit matching. I wanted to create something for everyday use, yet as an artist, it has to be a recognizable shoe that was designed by me.”


Taka / 香港 

“首先,我的设计必须是我自己会想穿的鞋子。我喜欢穿色彩单调的鞋子,这样容易搭配服装;我想创造一款适合日常穿着的鞋子,但作为一个艺术家,我也希望它能成为一款独特的鞋子,让人一看就知道是我的设计。”


Khiddir Baharudin / Malaysia

“My design was inspired by how Vans has influenced the people in different parts of Asia. The design portrays different cultures in Asia, with people from Malaysia, Singapore, China, India, and Korea,  focusing on traditional outfits, transportation, and architectures from the ’60s and ’70s.”


 Khiddir Baharudin / 马来西亚

“我的设计灵感来自Vans在亚洲不同地区的影响。这款鞋子展示了亚洲不同的文化,有来自马来西亚、新加坡、中国、印度和韩国的人们,不同的传统服装、交通景观、60年代及70年代的建筑。”


Edmund Seah / Singapore

“As an artist, I paint on various platforms, bringing the style and flow of the Japanese craft onto different media apart from the skin. I do not merely want to create a pretty image without flow and form.”


Edmund Seah / 新加坡

“作为一个艺术家,我会在不同的平台上绘画,将日本手工技艺的风格和韵律展示在不同的媒介上,包括肌肤。我不想要徒有美丽外表,而没有韵律和形式的画。”


Anaghaa Chakrapani / India

“My inspiration for the shoe comes from the local essence of places I’ve traveled. I’ve traveled to many major cities in Asia. The elements in my shoe are inspired by the things I’ve observed and loved in the Asian region and my motherland India.”


Anaghaa Chakrapani / 印度

“这款鞋子的灵感来自我旅游时所去过的那些地方的文化精髓。我去过亚洲的各大城市,我设计这款鞋子的灵感就来自我在亚洲,包括在我的祖国印度,所观察到的一切,以及我所热爱的事物。”

Website: houseofvansasia.com

 

Contributor: David Yen
Images Courtesy of Vans


网站: houseofvansasia.com

 

供稿人: David Yen
图片由Vans提供

Papaya Studio

September 26, 2017 2017年9月26日

Located in Bangkok, Papaya Studio is an antique collectible and vintage furniture studio, and the largest space of its kind in Asia. Having been in business for over 40 years, this multi-story, maze-like warehouse hosts a vast collection of over 100,000 items amassed from around the world. From Eastern European ceramics and vintage figurines to retro electronics and precious cutlery, Papaya Studio has any item that you could possibly imagine – along with much more.


Papaya Studio是曼谷一家著名古董收藏品和古董家具工作室,也是亚洲面积最大的古董工作室。这间工作室至今已有40多年,几层楼的仓库里,宛如一个巨大迷宫,有着种类浩繁的收藏品,这些收藏品来自世界各地,数量超过10万多件。从东欧陶瓷、古董雕像、复古电子产品到珍贵餐具,在Papaya Studio你可以找到任何你能想到或没想到的物品。

Mr. Tong, the founder of the studio, has been an antique collector since he was a little boy. At the age of 21, he opened his first antique store as a college student. Since then, his lifelong affair with antiques has motivated him to travel to Europe every three months to search for more items to add to his collection. According to Mr. Tong, each antique is a teacher and a mentor, and like a fine wine, they only get better with age.


工作室创始人Tong先生从小喜欢收藏古董。21岁的时候,他还是一名大学生,就已经创立了他的第一间古玩店。自那时以来,带着对古董长久以来的热爱,他每三个月就会去欧洲旅行,去挖掘更多古董,加入自己的收藏。Tong先生说,每一件古董都像是一位老师和导师,也像是一瓶好酒,随时间推移,更具魅力。

Boasting such an impressive array of items, Papaya Studio also serves as a resource for movie and photography shoots. Their services include prop and furniture rental, and they also rent studio space for wedding photos, fashion shoots, music videos, and movie shoots.


Papaya Studio既然拥有如此众多的古董收藏品,自然也成为了电影和摄影的拍摄资源。他们提供的服务包括道具和家具租赁,也会出租工作室空间拍摄婚礼照片、时尚大片、MV和电影。

Prices are not listed on any of the items in Papaya Studio, so customers will need to consult with management to negotiate a price for items they wish to purchase. Certain items, no matter how high the buying offer, are not for sale, as they hold a special place in Mr. Tong’s collection. For Mr. Tong, money is not the final objective – he is primarily motivated by his emotional connection to these items and a burning desire to share his passion for antiques with others.


Papaya Studio工作室内的所有古董收藏品都没有明码标价,顾客如果想要购买某一件古董,需要和店内的经理咨询价格。其中的一些收藏品,无论买家出价多高,都是非卖品,因为它们对Tong先生有着特别的意义。对Tong先生来说,钱不是最终的目标,他对这些古董收藏品的情感,以及他想要与他人分享对古董的热爱之情才是他经营工作室的初衷。

Address:
Soi Lat Phrao 55/2
Lat Phrao Rd., Wang Thonglang
Bangkok, Thailand

Tel:
+02 5398220

 

Website: papaya55.com
Facebook: ~/papayabkk

 

Contributor & Photographer: George Zhi Zhao


地址:
泰国曼谷
Soi Lat Phrao 55/2
Lat Phrao Rd., Wang Thonglang

电话:
+02 5398220

 

网站papaya55.com
Facebook~/papayabkk

 

供稿人及摄影师: George Zhi Zhao

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Juli Baker & Summer

September 25, 2017 2017年9月25日
Image Courtesy of The Jam Factory

The first time I saw Phaan’s artwork was on accident. I was scrolling through Instagram when her bright and colorful images caught my attention. I felt like I had discovered some kind of modern embodiment of French painter Henry Matisse, reincarnated in the hot and bustling streets of Bangkok, but with a dash of femininity and Southeast Asian flavor.


第一次看到Phaan的作品是无意间在Instagram上“滑”到的, 她的作品色彩缤纷亮眼,会让人有一种Henry Matisse 活在2017年并穿梭在曼谷热闹街区作画的一种南洋感受,当然还多了一点少女情怀,实在令人难以错过这个曼谷插画艺术家的作品。

Phaan (whose real name is Chanaradee Chatrakul Na Ayudhya) is a 23-year-old artist who graduated from Bangkok’s Chulalongkun University. Despite having graduated with a major in fashion design, she realized that fashion design wasn’t as she imagined when she first began attending school: designing clothing involves much more than simply conceptualizing designs and fashion sketches. It also entails pattern making, deciding on materials, brand marketing, and sales operations. In the wake of these realizations, doubts toward her pursuit of becoming a fashion designer had begun to fester. Phaan found that she only enjoyed the early stages of the design process, such as collecting image inspirations, forming creative concepts, and penciling drafts. In her sophomore year, she took the opportunity to partake in a student exchange program to the UK where she began taking illustration courses. This affirmed her interest for illustration, and Phaan began shifting her focus towards art, but she didn’t exactly intend on abandoning fashion design as she saw that fashion and illustration were closely linked with one another.


Phaan,本名Chanaradee Chatrakul Na Ayudhya,23岁,毕业于曼谷 的第一学府朱拉隆功大学,主修应用美术系的服装设计部门,对于服 装设计有着强烈的喜好。在校阶段,她发现服装设计不仅仅是前端的设计发想,还有到材质选用、版型制作,甚至到后端的品牌行销及销售经营等,这样一连串的学问让她对服装设计的热诚感到有些怀疑, 开始发觉自己好像比较享受服装设计一开始的灵感搜集、创意发想及设计草图绘制部分。大二那年有机会到英国交换学习,在那边修习插画课程,才更加确定自己对于插画的热情,从那个时候她更着重在插画艺术方面的创作,但仍旧不完全脱离服装设计产业,对Phaan来说, 服装设计和她的艺术创作是息息相关的。

In college, Phaan already began paving the way for her future career in art, even though her work was inconsistent at the time. Depending on her mood, she switched from subject to subject on a whim. But in terms of technique, there was a sense of consistency that can be observed in her use of bold, contrasting colors and the fluidity of her lines. In junior year, she became a columnist for Thailand’s independent magazine Cheeze, where she contributed articles as a writer and illustrator. This was the first of many steps she took in becoming the successful artist that she is today. Phaan’s big break happened when she was commissioned to design the cover art for Stay at Home, an album by the Thailand-based Plastic Plastic, a highly popular local indie band. This opportunity helped her become a recognized name in the local creative community and has contributed massively to her fanbase on both Instagram and Facebook.


大学时期, Phaan就开始自己的创作生涯,作品的主题经常因为自己的心情转变,不变的是使用大胆的对比色、随性的线条,介于现实及插画间完成一幅又一幅多采多姿的佳作。大三那年,为泰国独立时尚杂志《Cheeze》撰写关于电影及服装的专栏,并为该专栏绘制插画 ,借此渐渐打开的人气。一直到被泰国著名的独立乐团Plastic Plastic邀约设计《Stay at Home》专辑封面后,Phaan立刻受到泰国年轻族群的瞩目,让她不管在Instagram和Facebook都拥有一票死忠追随者。

Recently, Phaan invited me to visit her studio space on the outskirts of Bangkok. The vibrant studio was quite revealing of Phaan’s child-like sense of wonder and playfulness. Inside, an entire wall is used as a mood board, covered with an assortment of visual inspirations: Polaroid snaps of daily life, rough sketches, cut-out pages of magazines, and various movie posters are all pinned up in disarray. The rest of the studio is populated with vintage furniture, toys, and various patterned textiles. The entire feel of the space, which is actually located in Phaan and her parents’ house, was warm and joyful, a feeling native to her own artistic style. Phaan shares with us that she’s always had a close relationship with her family and this has been an integral part of her creative development. Growing up, she often enjoyed watching all kinds of movies and would watch foreign films with her father. To her, a movie is like a journey. Each scene and narrative helps her to understand, or at least fantasize about, the different cultural stories and backgrounds depicted in the films. With cinema at the root of her creative interests, she felt it the name Juli Baker and Summer to be perfect for her art and crafts label. In Rob Reiner’s comedy film Flipped, the main character, Juli Baker, shared a relationship with her dad that reminded Phaan of her own relationship with her parents. As for the word “summer,” Phaan tacked that on as she felt like bright and summery vibes characterized her own art perfectly.


来到Phaan在曼谷郊区的工作室就像来到一个大孩子的房间, 处处充满童趣。一整面墙宛如她的mood board,上面贴着日常生活照片、草图、杂志内页、电影海报等,工作室内摆着复古家具、玩具、充气沙发和各种花样的布料,完全和她的个性及作品相吻合,是那么地温暖、欢乐。事实上,Phaan的工作室就在她的住处内,和父母关系极为融洽的她仍 和家人同住,对她来说和家人相处的和乐感也是自己创作的来源之一 。受到爸爸的影响,从小就喜欢观赏各种电影,经常和父亲一起欣赏各国电影,对她来说看电影就像是旅游,由电影的场景与剧情,Phaan 可以了解或是幻想不同的文化背景及故事。电影启发了她的创作,她 的网站名为Juli Baker and Summer,就是源自于Rob Reiner所执导的青少年浪漫喜剧片《怦然心動》(Flipped)。片中女主角的名字就是Juli Baker,电影里Juli Baker和她爸爸的相处模式让Phaan联想到自己和父亲的亲子关系,至于为什么后面还会加上Summer则是反映她的作品随时让人感受到阳光正面的夏日清凉感。

“In October, I plan on releasing an illustrated travel book,” Phaan shares of her plans for the remainder of the year, speaking with the same sense of optimism and excitement that’s found in her art. “As for the rest of the time, if I’m free, I’d like to travel. I want to refuel myself with a trip and find more inspiration so I can draw more for the people who like my work. For me, art is both cathartic and a medium for self-expression. I hope that my art can bring people happiness.”


问到这个年轻艺术家的下一步是什么?她笑说,”十月预计出旅游游记绘本, 接下来剩余的时间就看看自己有没有机会到处旅游了。希望可以到国外充电一下,带回更棒的题材呈现给喜欢我的观众。艺术对我来说就是展现自己最佳的方式也是一种心理治疗,我希望藉由我的作品人们可以放松而有开心快乐的感觉。”这位随时充满笑容的艺术家, Phaan,如同她的画作一样,总是让人心情愉悦、充满活力。

Image Courtesy of The Jam Factory

Website: julibakerandsummer.wordpress.com
Facebook: ~/julibakerandsummer
Instagram: @julibakerandsummer

 

Contributor & Photographer: Etty Liu
Additional Images Courtesy of Juli Baker & Summer and The Jam Factory


网站: julibakerandsummer.wordpress.com
脸书: ~/julibakerandsummer
Instagram: @julibakerandsummer

 

供稿人与摄影师: Etty Liu
附加图片由Juli Baker & Summer与The Jam Factory提供

Prismverse by XEX

September 22, 2017 2017年9月22日

 

无法观看?前往优酷

Recently, multimedia artist Chris Cheung (aka h0nh1m) and his team at XEX debuted Prismverse, a brand new art installation, in Shanghai. Blending futuristic elements with traditional concepts, Cheung’s stunning installation is his personal reinterpretation of Chinese philosophy.


近日,香港跨媒体艺术家張瀚謙(又名 h0nh1m)带着他的团队XEX的最近装置作品——《Prismverse》来到上海。张瀚谦的美学观反映他对中国哲学的铨译,其艺术作品融合传统和未来的概念。

The concept of Prismverse originates from brilliant-cut diamonds, or more specifically, the way that light is maximized through brilliant cuts. In the installation, the use of prisms reveals the polychromatic nature of white light, showering the space in a spectrum of rainbow colors. To create complete sensory immersion, Cheung and his team used omnidirectional speakers, LED floor panels, and tessellated mirror walls. Prismverse is an impressive audiovisual experience where visitors can appreciate and marvel at the many miracles of mother nature through invoking images of galaxies, distant stars, rare gemstones, and different forms of light.


《Prismverse》体验馆的创作概念源自一种名为“明亮切割”的钻石切割法,此切割法将钻石面所能反射出的光最大化,制作出富优质亮度的成品。白光中蕴含着无穷的色彩,棱镜则将光谱中的各种色温分折重现。《Prismverse》集合了大自然中夺目的银河星光、晶石珍光、细水粼光及棱镜折射的炫光,为观众展示不同光束的美学与力量。场内设置了直径十米的LED地板屏及多边形镜墙,加上独特的十二面立体扬声器,让体验者置身于全方位的视听氛围中,勾画出对钻石切割面内光线反射与折射的想像。

Website:
h0nh1m.com
xex.com.hk

Facebook:
~/h0nh1m
~/xex.com.hk

 

Videographer & Contributor: Ye Zi
Images and additional footages Courtesy of XEX


网站:
h0nh1m.com
xex.com.hk

Facebook:
~/h0nh1m
~/xex.com.hk

 

视频摄影师与供稿人: Ye Zi
图片及部分视频素材由XEX提供

Neko Neko Ai Ni

September 21, 2017 2017年9月21日

San Francisco-born and Taipei-based, Sean Marc Lee is a photographer with a keen eye for capturing the playful aspects of day-to-day life. His debut zine, Neko Neko Ai Ni, stays true to his love of quirkiness, offering a candid glimpse into Lee’s life at home with his girlfriend, Carina Hsu, and their two mischievous cats, Guabao and Susuwatari. 


来自旧金山的摄影师李子仁目前生活在台北,他的兴趣是用镜头捕捉日常生活中那些好玩的时刻。他个人首本zine杂志《那个那个爱你》延续了他一贯对奇特风格的喜爱,坦然地展示了他与女友Carina Hsu、以及他们在家中那2只淘气小猫 Guabao和Susuwatari的生活。

“It’s all about something silly someone does, or something semi-provocative in some quirky way,” Lee says. “Many times, it’s that half moment in between gestures someone does while posing or being ready to have their photograph taken. The biggest obsession that I have is mostly of my loved ones, whether it be my father, my girlfriend, or my cats. They are always the constant source of my inspiration.”


他说:其实拍的都是人们做的一些傻里傻气的事,或是一些略显突兀的搞怪东西。许多时候我定格下的画面正好介于他们正在摆造型和完全摆好之间。我最着迷的是那些我爱的人,比如我的父亲、我的女朋友,还有我的猫,他们一直是我永无止尽的灵感来源。

Neko Neko Ai Ni is now available in the Neocha Shop. The zine is available in a limited edition of 500, with each copy personally signed and numbered by Sean Marc Lee.


《那个那个爱你》 现已于Neocha商店限量发售。限量制作40张,每一本都由李子仁亲笔签证和编号。

To pay via PayPal or international credit card, please check out through our Shopify. To pay with AliPay or WeChat, please visit our Weidian.


如需使用PayPal或国际信用卡支付,请转至我们的Shopify页面;如需使用支付宝或微信支付,请至我们的微店

/**/


《那个那个爱你》by 李子仁

¥100

立刻购买

Details:

  • Year of Publication: 2017
  • Number of Pages: 40 (including front and back cover)
  • Size: 14.8cm x 21cm
  • Print Quantity: 500
  • Printing Method: Offset
  • Binding: Saddle stitch
  • Paper: 150gsm Matte Coated Photo Paper
  • Price: $15 USD

详情:

  • 出版年份: 2017年
  • 页数: 40 页 (包括封面和封底)
  • 尺寸: 14.8 x 21 厘米
  • 发行量: 500
  • 印刷: 平版印刷
  • 装订: 骑马订装
  • 纸张: 150gsm 哑光照片纸
  • 价格: ¥ 100 RMB

Websiteseanmarclee.com
Facebook~/sean-marc-lee
Instagram@seanmarclee

 

Contributor: David Yen
Images Courtesy of Sean Marc Lee


网站seanmarclee.com
脸书~/sean-marc-lee
Instagram@seanmarclee

 

供稿人: David Yen
图片由Sean Marc Lee提供

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Strawberries Will Save the World

September 18, 2017 2017年9月18日

 

无法观看?前往优酷

Japanese director Yoko Okumura’s Strawberries Will Save the World is a short and whimsical documentary that takes viewers into the life of Yuko Okumura, an avid strawberry enthusiast and the director’s own mother. Yoko’s main instruction to her production team was to make the film “Make it cute. Make it really really cute! ” Strawberry mugs, strawberry socks, strawberry glasses, strawberry spatula, and even a strawberry-related chatroom – Yuko’s life and home is filled to the brim with anything and everything strawberry related. In Japanese, the word for strawberry is ichigo, which can be dissected into ichi (meaning one) and go (meaning five). As a result, the number 15 is considered to be related to the fruit. And whether it’s checking the time or driving around, Yuko feels like the number 15 shows up everywhere she goes even though she’s not looking for it. This became affirmation that, all along, it wasn’t her searching for strawberries – strawberries are naturally drawn to her.


居住在美国的日本影片制作人 Yoko Okumura拍摄了一部记录短片,讲述了一个草莓疯狂痴恋者的故事,而影片的主人公 ——Yuko Okumura,正是她的妈妈。短片以一种轻松可爱的手法讲述了Yuko女士对草莓的痴狂。拍摄的时候,导演Yoko Okumura给团队的要求就是:“拍得可爱一些,拍的非常非常可爱。” 草莓杯、草莓袜、草莓眼镜和草莓锅铲甚至是草莓聊天室,Yuko女士家中塞满了和草莓相关的一切,或者说,她的生命也是和草莓紧紧关联在一起的。在日语中,草莓的发音与数字“15”的发音一致, Yuko女士说每当她拿起手机或开车的时候,总能自然地看到”15“这个数字,仿佛不是她在找草莓,而是草莓进入了她的生活。

The internet has allowed Yuko to connect with other like-minded strawberry lovers and share her impressive collection with them. She’s now a member of a Japanese association of strawberry enthusiasts and is even brainstorming on how to shoot an entire movie about strawberries. As this simple fruit has brought so much joy to her own life, Yuko feels compelled to spread this same happiness to more people around the world. Watch the documentary above to see how Yuko plans to channel more positivity into the world with the power of strawberries.


现在,Yuko女士是日本一个草莓爱好者协会的成员,她通过网络向和她一样喜欢草莓的朋友们分享她的收藏,甚至还在筹备着一部和草莓相关的电影。Yuko女士一直坚信着一件事——草莓可以拯救世界。草莓为她的生活带来了太多的欢乐,而她正尝试着将这些欢乐传递出去,影响更多的人。观看上方的影片,感受这对母女用草莓向世界传递的童趣和正能量。

Website: yokofilm.com
Vimeo: ~/yokookumura

 

Contributor: Ye Zi


网站yokofilm.com
Vimeo~/yokookumura

 

供稿人: Ye Zi

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Herschel Supply’s China Debut

September 18, 2017 2017年9月18日

With a newly opened Shanghai office and a strong showing of upcoming releases at this year’s YO’ HOOD streetwear trade show, Herschel Supply appears ready to take the Middle Kingdom by storm. The Vancouver-based brand, founded by brothers Lyndon and Jamie Cormack, has been producing quintessential bags and accessories for North American urbanites since 2009. Herschel’s foray into China is an opportunity for the brothers to introduce their products and share the brand’s spirit of exploration and thoughtful designs to a new, massive audience.


Herschel Supply先是在上海开设新办公室,又在刚结束的YO’HOOD世界顶尖潮流品牌新品展上亮相品牌新品,看来,这个加拿大包袋品牌已经准备好大举进军中国。品牌由Lyndon Cormack和Jamie Cormack两兄弟成立,总部位于温哥华,自2009年以来,品牌包袋已经成为北美都市潮人的必备配饰,今年,他们进军中国也将标志着品牌一个全新的开始。这也会为两兄弟提供一个机会,向全然不同的消费者分享他们的探索精神与设计美学。

What sets Herschel apart from all the other brands entering China is its open-mindedness and ambition – the brothers aren’t merely interested in introducing a Western aesthetic into China. Chatting with Lyndon, he shared some plans of upcoming collaborations with local Chinese designers and brands. Speaking passionately, Lyndon says, “Being a global brand is about collaborating with artists around the world and bringing their stories to the global audiences. It’s not enough to bring North American stories to China, we want to bring stories from China back to North America.” Taking into account Herschel’s recent collaboration with Japanese streetwear brand WTAPS, the brand appears genuinely keen on facilitating creative collaborations in not only China but throughout Asia and the rest of the world.


或许,Herschel Supply最有别于其它进入中国的品牌的一点是他们的开放性和抱负——他们可不仅仅是想将西方美学引入中国。最近,我们与Lyndon聊了一下,他充满热情地介绍了他与中国当地艺术家和品牌在接下来的合作计划。Lyndon说:“我们希望透过与世界各地的设计师合作,把品牌打造成为一个全球品牌,将设计师的故事分享到世界各地。不仅仅是把北美的故事带到中国,同时也要把中国的故事带回北美地区。”考虑到他们最近与日本服饰品牌WTAPS的合作,Herschel似乎确实很急切地希望能有更多创意合作,不仅是中国,而是在全球范围内。

Beyond an interest in the cross-pollination of cultures, Lyndon places great importance on respecting and understanding cultural nuances from region to region. When releasing new collections, the brand carefully considers the needs of different regions in terms of both functionality and aesthetics. Hinting at features of upcoming designs, Lyndon shared his observations of Chinese cities: “Sometimes when you leave home for the day, you won’t return until late at night. In North America, most people rely on cars so they can leave things there and bring more with them. For China, people have to be more thoughtful with what they’re bringing with them every day.”


除了跨文化地域的合作,Herschel也明白到尊重和充分理解不同地区在文化上的细微差异的重要性。他们在新品中就考虑到了不同地区在功能和美学方面的潜在需求。Lyndon分享了他对中国城市的一些观察——当然,这些观察很可能会成为新品的设计特点。“有时,当人们离开家后,可能就要到深夜才会再回家。在北美,大多数人都很依赖汽车,他们可以把物件放在车上,所以也能带更多物件出门。但在中国,人们必须在平日随身带什么物件上考虑更多。”

One of the most surprising aspects of Herschel might be where its products are manufactured. Even though its design aesthetics are firmly rooted in North American heritage, much of Herschel’s products are manufactured in China, a matter that the brand has happily maintained transparency around. “The factories and the amount of technologies in China they’ve been investing in to ensure they’re cutting-edge and leading is far superior to what we’ve seen in other countries,” Lyndon beams. “We want to make our products in the best place we can and it happens to be right here in China.”


虽然他们的设计和美学风格都源自北美,但是Herschel的产品大部分都是在中国制造的,这一点令很多人大感意外。但是,对于这一点,品牌一直保持完全的透明度。Lyndon骄傲地说:“中国的工厂和他们为了保持先进地位、引领行业而对技术的投资远远超过了我们在其它国家找到的工厂。我们想要找最好的工厂来制造我们的产品,而这个工厂恰巧就在中国。”

As our conversation came to an end, Lyndon optimistically commented on China’s fast-developing fashion scene, “Before, Chinese kids might’ve wanted to be like American kids. Now, Chinese kids want to dress like Chinese kids. I think it’s going to come full circle. What’s going on here is going to influence everything in North America and Europe as well.”


在我们的谈话最后,Lyndon谈及中国的时尚行业,他乐观地说:“之前,中国的年轻人可能会想追随美国年轻人的潮流。但现在,中国的年轻人只想要穿出中国的风格。我觉得这就像是一个循环。现在,在中国发生的变化也会影响到北美和欧洲。”

Website: www.herschelsupply.co
Weibo: ~/HerschelSupply
Instagram: @herschelsupply

 

Contributor: David Yen
Images Courtesy of Herschel Supply


网站www.herschelsupply.co
微博~/HerschelSupply
Instagram@herschelsupply

 

供稿人: David Yen
图片由Herschel Supply提供

Passion & Fragility

September 17, 2017 2017年9月17日
Friends

Mizuki Nishiyama is a Japanese multimedia artist, painter, and poet based in New York City. Currently a student at the Parsons School of Design, Nishiyama creates abstract expressionist works that examine personal experiences, ideas of the extreme, and the concept of human fragility. Nishiyama tells Neocha more about her artwork below.


Mizuki Nishiyama是来自日本的多媒体艺术家、画家和诗人,现居纽约,就读于帕森设计学院(Parsons School of Design)。Nishiyama以抽象表现主义的作品,探讨自己的人生经历,极端的想法和人类脆弱性的概念。最近,Nishiyama和Neocha分享了她对艺术、文化和创意的一些想法。

Snails In Her Eyes
Gustav
In My Lake of Boulders

Neocha: What first drew you to pursue art?

Nishiyama: My grandma, granduncle, and mother are all painters. Each of them work in different mediums – my grandma uses tennen iwa enogu (powdered minerals) for Nihonga (traditional Japanese art), my granduncle paints with watercolor, and my mother paints with oil. As my family has an artistic background, I presume I’ve been influenced by them. Nevertheless, many of my own personal developments have led me to explore different methods to recreate or make a statement, whether it be through music, dance, or writing. Over time, I’ve realized that painting allows me to create the most accurate representation of what I intend to visualize.


Neocha: 你一开始为什么会对艺术感兴趣?

Nishiyama: 我的祖母、伯祖父和母亲都是画家。他们各自用着不同的媒介来创作。我的祖母用Tennen Iwa Enogu(粉状矿物质)来画日本画(Nihonga,指日本的民族传统绘画),我的伯祖父画水彩画,而我母亲则是画油画。由于我家的艺术背景,我从小就已经受到他们的影响。尽管如此,我个人的很多经历也在促使我去寻求不同的方法来创作或表达,可以是音乐,也可以是舞蹈或写作。慢慢地,我意识到,绘画能最准确表达出我想要可视化的内容。

Rokurokubi

Neocha: Aside from familial influences, how does Japan and its culture influence your artistic process?

Nishiyama: I was fortunate to have been raised in a culturally diverse environment. My father is from Japan and my mother is from Hong Kong, but they spent a big portion of their lives in Italy. Bouncing between five languages at home and attending a Canadian International School in Hong Kong, I’ve never been able to identify concretely with particular heritages. However, I’ve always had a fondness for Japanese history and culture. By visiting Japan ever so often, I’ve been exposed to traditional arts such as bunraku (traditional Japanese puppet theatre), kabuki (classical Japanese dance-dramas), buyō (traditional Japanese performing arts), and ukiyo-e (an art genre that flourished in Japan between the 17th and 19th century), which have all brought my attention and attraction to classical arts. I’m so grateful to have been brought up with multiple cultural values, as I do realize that I unconsciously blend aspects of all those cultures together.


Neocha: 日本文化对你的作品有什么影响?

Nishiyama: 我很幸运可以在一个多元文化的环境中成长。我的父亲来自日本,而我的母亲来自香港,但他们大部分时间都生活在意大利。在家里,我会在五种语言之间来回切换,加上是在香港的加拿大国际学校读书的,所以,对我来说,我从来都没有特别觉得自己属于哪一种文化。不过,我一直都很喜欢日本的历史和文化。我经常去日本,也接触到很多当地传统艺术,例如文乐(Bunraku)、歌舞伎(Kabuki)、舞踊(Buyō)和浮世绘(Ukiyo-e)、而这些艺术又让我开始注意并喜欢上古典艺术。我很感恩,自己能在这种多元文化的环境中成长,因为我发现,自己会不自觉地将这些不同文化融合在一起。

B.D.P.C.
She
Peas and Peaches

Neocha: What are some recurrent themes in your artwork?

Nishiyama: I’m a very emotionally driven person. I’m tempestuous, and my thoughts are impassioned. The images that I paint come from a very sensitive and ardent side of my human experience that I simply want to document.

My work covers unconventional topics about the human experience that are intentionally confrontational. I’m extremely intrigued by the rawness of the human psyche when we are vulnerable to our emotions. These feelings help cultivate my creativity through emotional intimacy between myself and the brush. The themes I’ve expressed thus far have been based on personal experiences and spontaneous social issues, often ignored or instinctively disregarded by society.

I started painting as a response to many situations in my life. This allowed me to take a step back, and analyze these situations through a secondary lens. I consider my paintings as somewhat of a visual diary. By looking back at my work, I’ve learned to understand myself better – emotionally and circumstantially.


Neocha你的作品有哪些常见主题?

Nishiyama我是一个很情绪化的人。我性格暴躁,充满激动的想法。我所创作的画像,灵感就源自于我想要记录的那些极为敏感和激烈的人生经历。

我的作品探讨的都是比较颠覆传统、关于人类经历的主题,充满着故意的对抗性。我尤其热衷研究人类最本质的精神世界,因为那时候的我们很容易受情绪主宰。这些情绪能让我和画笔融为一体,从而提升我的创意。迄今为止,我所表达的主题都是来自于个人的经历和当下的社会问题,尤其是那些常常被社会忽视或本能地忽略的话题。

我一开始画画,是为了对我的生命中很多情况作出回应。通过绘画,我可以让自己退后一步,以另一个角度来分析这些情况。我觉得自己的画作其实算是我的视觉日记。回顾这些作品,可以让我更好地了解自己的情感和身处的环境。

Camellia
Tic Tac Toe
Swing Me From The Cantaloupe I Swear To Beckon This Raisin Day

Neocha: How does color play a role in your art? What does color mean to you?

Nishiyama: Selecting the appropriate colors to provoke emotions and amplify messages are constantly on my mind. Themes surrounding my pieces are often quite impassioned, so I tend to naturally grab darker, more vibrant and vivid shades. I am currently experimenting with mediums. I am familiar working with highly pigmented shades, however, I’ve recently begun incorporating gouache, gloss, thickening mediums, as well as glazing to create a variety of looks.


Neocha: 色彩在你的艺术创作中扮演什么角色?色彩对你来说意味着什么?

Nishiyama: 我总是会去思考如何选择合适的色彩来挑动情绪,突显作品想要传达的信息。我的作品主题往往都十分激烈的情感,所以很自然地,我倾向于使用更鲜活生动的暗色调。我目前在尝试用不同的媒介进行创作。我比较擅长用高饱和度的色彩创作,但是最近我也开始使用水粉、光泽涂料、可以增厚质感的媒介,以及透明画法(glazing)来营造同不的效果。

Sunflowers Dream

Neocha: As both a painter and a poet, how does your creative process differ across these two mediums?

Nishiyama: Literature and painting go hand-in-hand when it comes to being able to show an accurate representation of what I intend to document. I’m a big fan of confessional poetry. I do not intend to create flawless stanzas nor sculptured phrases. I have always treated both my paintings and my poems as representative milestones in my life. The commonality would be the emotional heaviness I convey through both mediums.


Neocha: 你身兼画家和诗人两个身份,那么你在分别创作这两个媒介时,会有什么不同的创作思路吗?

Nishiyama: 文学和绘画都能准确表达出我想要记录的内容,在这一点上,两者是一样的。我特别喜欢自白派诗歌(Confessional Poetry)。我不打算创作出完美无瑕的诗节,也不想精雕细琢所用的词语。一直以来,我创作的画和诗都是记录我生命的里程碑。两者的共性在于我透过这两种媒介传达的沉重情感。

Katherine

Neocha: How has studying in New York City influenced your attitude towards art?

Nishiyama: I became more driven once I started attending the Parsons School of Design, due to constantly being surrounded by highly motivated and creative people. Moving to New York City meant there were going to be a lot of new life changes, and that resulted in many conversational pieces. Nonetheless, Hong Kong, Japan, and New York are all creative, visionary cities to develop one’s art. But I do favor New York simply because it is a new chapter in my life, and there is yet so much more for me to learn and explore.


Neocha: 在纽约学习的经历让你对艺术的态度产生了什么变化?

Nishiyama: 入读美国帕森斯设计学院( Parsons School of Design)后,我变得更有创作的动力,因为身边的人都充满了创作欲望和创意才华的人。搬到纽约后,在生活上自然会发生很多的变化,也因此创作了很多交谈画(Conversational Piece)。虽然香港、日本和纽约都是充满前卫创意的地方,非常适合发展艺术,但我尤其喜欢纽约。原因很简单,它代表着我人生的新篇章,在这座城市有那么多值得我去学习和探索的东西。

Messy Heads

Website: mizukinishiyama.com

 

Contributor: George Zhi Zhao


网站mizukinishiyama.com

 

供稿人: George Zhi Zhao

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