Both Music

October 20, 2015 2015年10月20日

Both Music is a café nestled in Shanghai’s Red Town creative district. Combining an eclectic mix of music, art, and photography, it’s a hidden haven for beat-makers and audiophiles in Shanghai who want to relax to a curated selection of funk, soul, jazz, and hip-hop.

Both Music，坐落于上海红坊创意园，是集合了音乐、艺术和摄影为一体的咖啡店。在上海，对于想在放克乐、灵魂乐、爵士乐和嘻哈乐中放松的节奏音乐人或者音乐发烧友来说，这里无疑是水泥森林中隐藏的避风港。

The space is rather compact and is beautifully designed by Prism Design architect Tomohiro Katsuki. During the day, café-goers can browse the books upstairs, or preview records on in-store turntables.

Both Music由Prism Design公司的建筑师胜木知宽操刀设计，空间虽紧凑却惊艳无比。在白天，咖啡客可以在楼上看看书，或者自己将唱片放在便携式唱片机的转盘上播放欣赏。

The shop’s music selection is curated by Kobayashi Yoshiharu, a Nagoya native whose passion for obscure records is evident when browsing the walls. Kobayashi travels to Japan and the U.S. regularly to bring records back to the café.

这里的音乐全部由小林芳春甄选。小林是热衷收藏各种冷门唱片的名古屋人，其激情你大可在店内墙上一览无余。他还定期前往日本和美国把唱片带回咖啡店。

At night, Both Music becomes a venue that hosts weekly DJ workshops, discussion forums with musicians, and film screenings.

到夜间，Both Music变身为每周举行一次的DJ工作坊，音乐人论坛和电影播放室。

As a collector with thousands of records back in Japan, Kobayashi wants people who come to the shop to be engaged and exposed to all kinds of music, old and new. Both Music also holds a weekly salon series which invites music groups of all genres to Q&A sessions with the public. Be sure to give it a visit the next time you are in Red Town!

作为上千张唱片的收藏者，小林希望来Both的人们可以欣赏到各种音乐：新的也好，老的也罢。Both Music每周举办系列沙龙，邀请各种流派的音乐组合来参加公众的问答活动。下次到红坊记得一定来这里看看。

Address:
B106, Redtown Creative Center
570 Huaihai West Road
Xuhui District, Shanghai
People’s Republic of China

Website: both.com

Contributor & Photographer: Jia Li

地址：
中国上海市
淮海西路570号
红坊雕塑中心B106

网站: both.com

拱稿人与摄影师： Jia Li

You Might Also Like你可能会喜欢

The Work of Ata Mohammad Adnan

October 19, 2015 2015年10月19日

Ata Mohammad Adnan is a doctor by profession, but he is also a street photographer out of passion. His photography is primarily focused on storytelling, and in his own words, he likes to shoot anything that intrigues him, which usually includes places he visits to interesting faces he sees.

He typically shoots with a Nikon Df 35/85 1.4, a Leica Q and more recently, a Sony A7ii. Over the years, he has felt most comfortable using prime lenses only and that has largely shaped his vision and way of shooting. Ata enjoys shooting and presenting in monochrome. Most of the time he even shoots in monochrome first to get a photograph’s vibe. Over time, Ata has reduced the quantity of photographs he normally takes, as sorting and processing his work is especially important to him.

Since he is a doctor, he also gets to meet a lot of people. That has prepared and helped him to interact with strangers outside when he wants to shoot portraits. “Also in our part of the world where doctors are regarded highly”, Ata admits, ”my subjects almost never reject being photographed by a doctor on the street.” His inspiration often comes from the people around him, and especially from the smiles that his camera infuses into complete strangers. Artistically he is influenced by photographers like James Nachtwey, Steve McCurry, and Nasir Ali Mamun – but most of all he is inspired by Nayeem Kalam whom he describes as his favorite photographer.

Ata Mohammad Adnan often spends from 12 to 15 hours a week shooting on the street. He has been photographing the kids in his neighborhood for the past four year, and they are always amused and quite friendly with him. “There was this one time,” Ata says, “when I photographed a deaf and mute girl. She was smiling and laughing with joy, because no one had ever found her special enough to take a photograph of her.” When he is out shooting, there are many challenges that he encounters. One of the greatest, he believes, is that there are many scenes that often look extraordinary to the eye, but can be very difficult to translate into a photograph. The eyes are, after all, equipped with the best sensors.

Regarding the local creative scene, Ata proudly says that Bangladesh is now one of the leading nations in terms of photography. Sadly however, the masses there are still far from understanding and valuing photography and art in general, so he feels photographers and artists from his region are actually more valued in other countries.

When asked to describe his work, he likes to think of it as being soulful, intuitive and heart-warming. His tips to aspiring photographers are to work hard and be very dedicated to the craft. He advises to “try to interact with people, observe them and understand human characteristics (even when you aren’t carrying your camera)”. This can play a vital part in helping you capture moments in the streets.

Website: ataadnan.com

Contributor: Leon Yan

You Might Also Like你可能会喜欢

Form Maker

October 17, 2015 2015年10月17日

Form Maker is a Shanghai-based design studio that produces a wide range of unique furniture and products for the home from renewable paper materials. Founded in 2013 by Chinese-Australian interior designer Kira Pan, the studio makes designs that have a playful, often geometric, and eye-catching sense of form. Since Form Maker products are constructed from cardboard, they have a delightfully tactile and striking texture. Perhaps surprisingly, the lightweight furniture is also quite durable and sturdy.

Form Maker是一家位于上海的设计工作室，他们以再生纸为材料制作各种独特的家具和家居用品。这家创始于2013年的工作室是由澳籍华裔室内设计师Kira Pan一手打造，出自这里的设计总是充满趣味和几何图案，极为吸引眼球。因为Form Maker的产品是由卡纸制作，它们触感舒适且拥有独特纹理，然而也出乎意料的结实耐用。

Form Maker’s products typically range from small desktop stationary items to much larger pieces of furniture, such as tables and chairs. Each design is carefully crafted in their workshop, with the intent to bring joy and sustainable awareness to homes. Read our interview below with Form Maker’s Creative Director Kira Pan to find out more.

Form Maker的产品包括了小至文具，大至桌子、椅子等各种品类。每一件设计都意在将欢乐和可持续性发展理念认知带进家庭。接下来，让我们与Form Maker创意总监Kira Pan一起带你了解更多关于他们的故事。

Neocha: What is the concept behind Form Maker?

Form Maker: People usually don’t put paper as their first choice when it comes to choosing furniture and homeware, but Form Maker would like to change all that. MDF, polyurethane, plastic are the more common materials that have always been used for furniture making, and they can do a lot of damage to our environment. The idea behind Form Maker is to use design as a language to convince people of alternative sustainable solutions when it comes to making a choice.

Neocha: Form Maker背后的理念是什么？

Form Maker: 人们在选择家具或家居用品时通常都不会将纸质产品作为首选，但是Form Maker希望改变这样的观念。中纤板、聚氨酯(简称PU)、塑料是目前家具制作中更广泛使用的材料，而它们也是破坏环境的罪魁祸首之一。Form Maker背后的理念，就是以设计为话语，去说服人们选择环保的解决方案。

Neocha: Describe for us the process in making a Form Maker product.

Form Maker: Currently we are a small team and all designs are made in-house within a shared workshop space. The process usually involves colouring, cutting and hand making each piece with a lot of care. It is done with a dynamic mix of cutting-edge technology and traditional handcraft.

Neocha: 跟我们讲讲Form Maker的产品制作流程吧。

Form Maker: 目前我们还只是一个小团队，所有设计都是我们几个人在工作坊内一起完成的。制作流程通常包括上色、剪裁以及精细严谨的手工部分，利用前沿技术和传统手工艺的密切结合来完成。

Neocha: What are your design inspirations?

Form Maker: I like to think about what we can create to bring our eco-friendly idea into every aspect of people’s home and workspace. The thought becomes a brief, waiting for a moment when something in life gives that spark of inspiration and lead to sketching and prototyping. We will make sure we road test all designs in our own homes. Functionality is just as important as the look. I want all our cardboard pieces to not only be creative and fun, but also useful and would last the distance.

Neocha: 你的灵感来源是什么？

Form Maker: 我时常会想，要创造一些怎样的东西才能将我们的环保理念带入人们的日常生活以及工作环境中。这个想法，生活里的东西去点燃那个灵感的火花，继而变成一个初步构思，随之形成设计草图和产品原型。我们会在自己家将所有设计都实地测试一遍。对我们来说，功能性和外观同样重要。我希望我们的卡纸作品不仅富有创意、充满乐趣，还要实用并且耐用的。

Neocha: Why is sustainable design important, and how are Form Maker products sustainable?

Form Maker: As a designer we feel the obligation to practice sustainable design, because we need to be the ones pushing the boundaries and define the way future looks like. It is especially critical now as our planet is under serious threat.

Compared with a product of the same size made from plastic, one of our products emits nearly six times less CO2 per kilogram during the production process. We also use water-based adhesives with non-toxic ink to ensure safety for users and to minimize the impact on the environment. With our flat packed designs, carbon footprint during transit has also been reduced.

Neocha: 你为何觉得环保设计如此重要？Form Maker商品是如何遵循这一理念的？

Form Maker: 作为设计师，我们认为自己有责任去尝试环保设计，因为我们要成为那个推动和勾画未来的人。当下是非常关键的时刻，因为我们的星球正在饱受威胁。

在制作过程中，同样大小的塑料制品每公斤比我们的商品多释放出6倍的二氧化碳；并且我们使用无毒的水性粘合剂，确保了使用者的安全，也做到最小化对环境的影响。由于我们的设计采用平板包装，运输中的碳排放也相对减少了。

Neocha: Describe for us a couple of your favorite Form Maker designs. Why are they interesting?

Form Maker: My favorite right now is our latest collection of kids’ homeware, called Gobble. This is a very meaningful project and collaborative effort that we undertook with Kae Collective. Gobble is a collection of fun, eco-friendly, animal inspired furniture. We designed Gobble with the aim to teach kids the habits of sustainable living through daily interaction and play.

Neocha: 跟我们说说你最喜欢哪些Form Maker的设计吧，以及为什么觉得它们有趣？

Form Maker: 目前我最喜欢的是，我们最新的名为“Gobble”的儿童家居用品系列，这是我们与Kae Collective合作完成的一个项目，它对我们来说非常有意义。Gobble是一个好玩、环保并且以动物为灵感的家具系列。我们设计这个系列旨在通过日常的互动和玩耍来让小朋友们养成环保的习惯。

Neocha: How would you define good design?

Form Maker: To put things very simply, I believe good design should be inspired by life and created for life. With these two intent fulfilled, the design can then have the true potential to become part of someone’s life and bring them joy.

Neocha: 你如何定义好的设计？

Form Maker: 简单来讲，我相信好的设计应该来源于生活并且为生活服务。满足了这两点，这个设计便有了成为人们愉悦生活的一部分的潜能。

Neocha: What are the future plans for Form Maker?

Form Maker: Form Maker will be stepping into the interior realm by creating more experiential and educational spaces for people to look, feel, interact and most importantly to live in. Then we will truly see how Form Maker’s ideas can combine with daily living.

Neocha: 对Form Maker的未来有什么计划？

Form Maker: Form Maker将会逐步进入室内设计领域，通过建立更多体验空间和教育空间让人们能够观、感、互动，更为重要的是能够让人得以居住其中。到那时我们可以真正看到Form Maker的理念将如何与日常生活紧密结合。

Website: theformmaker.com
Instagram: @formmaker

Contributor: Leon Yan
Photographer: Mandy Cai

网站: theformmaker.com
Instagram: @formmaker

拱稿人：Leon Yan
摄影师：Mandy Cai

You Might Also Like你可能会喜欢

Lee KiTaek

October 16, 2015 2015年10月16日

Lee KiTaek transforms the image of an ordinary residential complex into a South Korean adaptation of the legendary Gulliver’s Travels. “Giant Jumping the Wall”, as the image is called, is still one of Lee KiTaek’s favorite and most well-known photographic works.

이기택은 평범한 주거 단지 이미지를 전설적인 걸리버 여행기의 한국 버전으로 바꾸어 놓았다. “벽을 뛰어넘는 거인”은 본인이 제일 좋아하고 또 가장 잘 알려진 이기택의 사진 작품이다.

While still in his second year of studying industrial design at Yeungnam University, Lee KiTaek first became inspired by the surrealist works of Swiss photographer Erik Johansson. Thus began his creative exploration into surreal photography, as well as his own personal exploration into the depths of his imagination.

이기택은 영남대학교 산업디자인학과 2학년 때 스위스 사진작가 에릭 요한슨의 초현실주의 작품에서 영감을 받았다. 이후 그는 초현실주의 사진을 창의적으로 탐구하면서 자기 상상 깊은 곳도 탐구해 왔다.

Usually working in and around his neighborhood, Lee KiTaek uses only a tripod and a cell phone camera to capture his images, which are then processed and manipulated in Photoshop. He often appears in his own works, further giving his images the feel and texture of an ordinary photo one might find from social media. However, his surrealist themes and quirky storytelling make these images anything but ordinary.

보통 자기가 사는 동네나 그 근처에서 작업을 하는 이기택은 삼각대와 휴대폰 카메라로 사진을 찍은 후 Photoshop으로 이후 작업을 한다. 때때로 작가 본인도 사진에 등장해서. 소셜 미디어 사진 같은 느낌과 질감을 주기도 한다. 그러나 이기택의 초현실주의 테마와 유별난 스토리텔링은 그의 사진을 절대 평범하지 않게 한다.

KiTaek always likes to stay curious and tends to fill his spare time with traveling and photography. He uses drawing as a way to record his spontaneous thoughts. Viewing his work as a collaborative process, he often consults with friends for their creative input. Instead of seeking praise, he believes that learning from different perspectives and criticism are paths towards greater knowledge.

이기택은 항상 호기심을 유지하면서 여가 시간을 여행과 사진에 쓴다. 그는 자신의 즉흥적인 생각을 기록하는데 그림을 쓴다. 이기택은 사진 작업을 협력 프로세스로 보므로 친구들로부터 창의적인 아이디어를 얻기도 한다. 이기택은 나와 다른 관점과 비평으로부터 배우는 것이 칭찬을 받는 것보다 더 큰 지식을 향해 가는 길이라고 생각한다.

He has also recently started to experiment with making surrealist videos. Lee KiTaek hopes that his work can help others to expand their own imaginations.

최근 이기택은 초현실주의 동영상 작업도 시작했다. 그는 사람들이 자기 상상력을 넓히는데 자기 작품이 도움이 되기 바란다.

Website: rot0708.wix.com/leekitaek

Contributor: Banny Wang

웹사이트: rot0708.wix.com/leekitaek

글쓴이: Banny Wang

You Might Also Like你可能会喜欢

Water Reaction

October 15, 2015 2015年10月15日

In nature, pine cones change with the weather conditions. When the air is dry, they open up their scales to release their seeds, while rain or moisture will cause them to close up. By nature’s design, pine cones have two layers of scales – the exterior layer expands when it comes into contact with water, while dry conditions will cause the two layers to return to normal length, causing the pine cone to bloom.

松塔在潮湿时呈闭合状态，天气干燥时则打开释放种子。这是因为它的鳞片具有双层结构，外层具有更高的吸水膨胀率。这样，在鳞片潮湿时，外层变得比内层更长，让鳞片自动弯曲闭合起来，当它干燥时，鳞片内外层长度恢复，于是松塔也恢复打开的形态。

Chen Chao became fascinated with this phenomenon during his time at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London. Through observation, dissection, and rigorous research on pine cone behavior, he created a biosynthetic material that mimics the reaction of pine cones to water. The project, named Water Reaction, has three main applications: as a moisture detector in soil for indoor plants, a building surface which changes color in the rain, and a shelter which automatically closes during downpours.

当时还在RCA学习的陈超，经过观察、解剖、实验，与严谨的仿生学文献的支持，发现了松塔这种对湿度的感应，并根据自己的发现设计出一种人工合成材料来模拟松塔鳞片。这就是Water Reaction，即水感应材料。这种材料有3个应用方向: 在雨中自动关闭的挡雨棚、建筑外立面（在雨中改变建筑的色彩）、土壤湿度提示器（室内种植使用）。

Previously, Chen Chao studied at Jiangnan University in Wuxi, China, where he worked in product development at the UP Spring Design Studio under Professor Huang Hao. At the time, Chen Chao’s work focused on local culture and natural resources including bucaro, bamboo, and cane. After becoming recognized for his work and receiving a Red Dot design award for design concept, Chao wanted to further expand his craft. Following in the footsteps of legendary English designers Jasper Morrison and Thomas Heatherwick, he also went to RCA, where he completed studies in Product Design.

陈超，近期毕业于英国皇家艺术学院 (RCA) 产品设计专业。此前在中国无锡的江南大学学习，期间曾参与导师黄昊老师壹分之贰产品设计工作室的组建与产品开发工作，专注研究地域文化与资源 (紫砂、竹、藤)，并以此为根基进行设计。虽已投入实际设计工作，在自己的作品获得红点设计大奖设计概念奖等奖项之后，他仍抱着想看“高山”的心态，追随Jasper Morrison、Thomas Heatherwick两位设计大师的脚步前往RCA。

The Water Reaction concept came about during Chao’s first year at the RCA in a class called “Curiosity.” Over the course of his studies, he would be exposed to new patterns of thinking, using individual perception and exploration of personal interests as the foundations of his process. This kind of approach was a “fairly experimental” departure from his previous training in China, which tended to start with a conclusion and end with a design. For Chen Chao, these two methods are analogous to Eastern and Western medicine, which are each inspired by their own respective environments, with neither being superior to the other.

Water Reaction的起点正是他在RCA一年级时一个叫“好奇心”的课题。在RCA的两年学习带给了陈超设计思考和方法的改变，让他学会以个人感性化的兴趣为设计起点，再用“比较实验”等理性非跳跃的研究法引出设计产物，在设计探索中贯彻创造性与逻辑性。这与之前接到项目先根据自己的判断来揣测结果再用设计语言去表达的方式很不一样。不过在他看来，这两种方法比较像西医与中医思维的关系，皆是适应相应环境的产物，无关好坏。

Regarding the future of Chinese design, Chen Chao believes that the “Made in China” era is at a turning point. The manufacturing sector, economy, society, and education system of the country have all matured to bring about a new era of “Designed in China.” Chao will return to Beijing to lead new research projects, always looking towards nature and life as supreme principles. Currently, the Water Reaction project is still in its prototype phase, and needs development to address real-world issues such as strong winds, heavy rainstorms, and freezing temperatures. Like the future of Chinese design, it should be worth the wait.

谈及中国产品设计的现状和未来，陈超认为，“中国制造”正面临向“中国设计”转型的过渡期。当下制造业的成熟，社会经济与教育的发展，都将促进设计的蓬勃。他本人即将回到北京工作，日后也会带领课题进行设计研究，并会一直以自然和生活为“上师”。他设计的水感应材料，虽还处于可以工作的原型阶段，并需要克服在室外（强风、骤雨、急冻）使用时的耐久度问题，但和中国设计的未来一样，值得我们期待。

Website: chaochen-design.com

Contributor: Banny Wang

网站: chaochen-design.com

供稿人：Banny Wang

You Might Also Like你可能会喜欢

daddy_lee

October 14, 2015 2015年10月14日

Born in San Francisco, Sean Marc Lee is a Taipei-based American photographer who captures his loved ones with analog photography. A film school graduate, Sean started taking photos for fun and then transitioned to full-time professional photography. His works shows playful, special moments in everyday life frozen in a cinematic frame. His love of photography and cinema he attributes to his father, whose Minolta camera was his first introduction to photography.

李子仁是一名生于旧金山而定居于台北的美籍摄影师，他钟爱用胶片来拍摄自己所爱的人们。从摄影学校毕业后，子仁就开始拍摄些有趣的东西，不久后他就成为全职摄影师。他将日常生活的玩乐场景或特别的时刻用摄影的方式一一定格。他觉得自己喜欢摄影和电影完全要归结于他的父亲，因为带他入门摄影的第一台相机正是他爸爸的一部美能达。

Currently, Sean is working on a photography project about his father titled daddy_lee. Sean says of his father, “Although he is ethnic Chinese, he was born in Japan in 1947, and immigrated to the U.S. late 1950 to early 1951 and has never traveled outside the U.S. since. Basically, I want him to meet his extended family that still resides in Japan and just take quirky fun photos. He’s been a cab driver in San Francisco for more than 40 years and is full of stories and has a child-like view of the world in terms of his energy and his love for Disneyland.”

目前，子仁正在做一个关于他父亲的名为《daddy_lee》的摄影项目。谈起父亲，子仁说“虽然他是华裔，但他其实是1947年出生在日本，然后于1950年底到1951年初移居美国，在那之后再也没离开过美国。基本上，我想让他和尚在日本的亲戚们见上面，并拍摄一些搞怪好玩的照片。他在旧金山开了40多年的出租车，而他骨子里其实充满了童真并且对迪士尼乐园满是热情，这种心态和经历让他整个人生都好比是一本故事书。”

“Film is love, digital is work,” Sean says. His peculiar taste in special moments are captured using a medium format and small compact film camera. “It’s all about something silly someone does, or something semi-provocative in some quirky way. 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 inspiration.”

“胶片是爱，数码是工作，“子仁说。他平时就用一个中画幅胶片机和一个小型简易胶片机来捕捉他眼中的特别时刻。“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。”

Often featuring his girlfriend and friends, his cat, or moments of life in Asia, his body of work has a sense of humor and a storytelling aspect to it that is framed as if it were part of a movie scene. Sean says, “The simple approach of influences lies heavily in cinematic story telling, from Japanese films to the explosion of Asian New Wave cinema in the late 90s to early 2000s.”

他时常用相机拍摄自己女友、朋友、他的猫，或是在亚洲生活的点点滴滴，子仁的作品如同来自电影中的某个场景，总带有一种幽默感和故事性。他说“这种简简单单的氛围渲染很大程度上受了叙事性电影的影响，起初是日本电影，再到90年代末至2000年初那段时间爆发的亚洲新浪潮电影。”

Apart from daddy_lee, Sean is a full-time lifestyle and editorial photographer who has shot for clients such as Monocle, Hypebeast, VSCO and The New York Times, as well as on many film sets.

除了上面说到的《daddy_lee》，子仁还是全职的生活类刊物摄影师，他为《Monocle》、《Hypebeast》、VSCO和《纽约时报》等出版物提供照片，同时也做剧照摄影。

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

Contributor: Jia Li

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

供稿人：Jia Li

You Might Also Like你可能会喜欢

The Art of Anpu Varkey

October 13, 2015 2015年10月13日

Anpu Varkey is a New Delhi-based painter and street artist. She completed her studies in Baroda, India and London, and had her first solo show in NYC in the summer of 2008. While living in Bremen, Germany, she had her first encounter with street art and started actively stencilling on the streets.

Since 2011 she has been working out of New Delhi, honing her craft by doing large murals, while also participating in and co-organizing street art festivals. In 2014 she published her first graphic novel, which takes a voyeuristic look into a day in the life of her cat.

Neocha: How did you get started with street art?

Anpu Varkey: I’ve always dreamt about being an introverted studio painter, the one that has many muses. I did live that way for over a decade, where I painted avidly on large canvases. The slight detour into street art happened inadvertently. I lived in Bremen, Germany for two years, where I shared a studio with different artists, some of whom were writing actively on the streets. I was immediately drawn to their tales of love in the city, as well as how they expressed these experiences with paint. Slowly, I made my first stencils and paste ups on the streets there.

Neocha: How did street art start out in India? What’s different about street art in India in comparison to other places?

Anpu Varkey: Street art as an art form came into major Indian cities through the influx of writers from different countries coming through and leaving their mark. Sometimes they would collaborate with local writers in the city. The internet created a certain awareness about the possibilities of engaging in the street, which inspired many artists who were just starting out. But street art as a more general medium has always existed in India, as political writings on walls, cinema posters, and so on. There has always been a tradition of street painters in India, but mostly within the realm of advertisements, politics, and a certain beautification of the city which was pre-approved by the municipality.

Neocha: What’s the street art scene in New Delhi like?

Anpu Varkey: I moved to Delhi four years back, and I remember seeing some interesting stencils that were mostly political. There were many writers on the scene like DAKU, YANTR, ZINE, and SAM SAM, but there wasn’t a big street art scene. I was part of Extension Khirkee, the first festival we organized in Delhi in March 2012, which was completely organic and self-funded. I guess this was a beginning for a lot of us, for making large murals within cityscapes.

Neocha: How is your studio work the same or different from the work you do on the street?

Anpu Varkey: I felt tied down with my studio process of painting, so in many ways working on the streets was liberating. I realized then that there are many ways that one can confront a space. I could create many alter egos just to work on the streets. I didn’t have to be limited to being just one person, which was how my studio work was mainly conditioned to be. The two mediums are very different, but at the same time there’s a lot of overlap.

Neocha: Street art is typically viewed as a male-dominated medium. Has being a woman in street art affected your experience in any way?

Anpu Varkey: It hasn’t really affected my experience or I wouldn’t know if it has. I’ve always had different kinds of people from different life experiences come by and share their understanding of what it is they think I’m doing. I feel immune to any sort of judgement while I’m wearing my paint stained clothes. I look just like any other worker, like so many other people on the streets.

Website: anpuvarkey.wordpress.com

Contributor: George Zhi Zhao

You Might Also Like你可能会喜欢

Wang Zhijun

October 12, 2015 2015年10月12日

无法观看？前往优酷

Wang Zhijun is a designer and artist from Beijing whose main medium is sneakers. A self-professed sneakerhead, Zhijun remembers his biggest dream as a kid was to create his own pair of beautiful sneakers. Since then, he started designing and modifying his favorite styles in his spare time. He has created custom editions of Nike Air Force 1’s, New Balances, Pumas, Asics, among many others, and works from time to time with brands to create unique sneaker designs.

生活在北京的王志钧，是一位以运动鞋为主要创作媒介的设计师、艺术家。自诩运动鞋狂热者的他，仍记得小时候最大的梦想就是能拥有一双自己设计的漂亮运动鞋。自那以后，志钧开始利用闲暇时间不停设计完善自己最喜欢的鞋款。他已经完成了Nike Air Force 1、New Balance、Puma、Asics等的定制鞋，也时常和品牌合作设计特别款。

His creations often look and feel as if they’ve just come straight out of the factory, even though they are 100% handmade by Zhijun. Working out of his apartment, he deconstructs, sews, paints, and assembles every piece by hand. The level of detail reveals the painstaking process of Wang’s craft that has been refined over the years, which involved learning how to sew and gaining a sense of intuition about materials and design.

他的作品看起来似乎是工厂直出产品，但事实上，它们全部由志钧全手工制作完成。拆卸、缝接、上色、组装，每一个步骤都是在他的住处手工完成。各种细节真实体现出他多年来手艺上的磨练、缝纫技术上的积累已经让他对选材和设计有了敏锐的直觉。

Growing up in Beijing as a child of the 80s, Zhijun is nostalgic for the memories of his youth in the capital city. With the rapid pace of city life today, he feels that “a lot of young Chinese people no longer have a sense of identity or have any idea of how generations before them used to live.” With this in mind, he often integrates Chinese elements and references to Beijing in his work. “I don’t want just to copy something that is Western, I want to express my own culture and where I’m from.” Using traditional sewing techniques and materials, his designs mix themes of pop culture and consumerism with Chinese cultural elements and motifs.

作为土生土长的北京80后，志钧深深怀念他儿时记忆中的那个首都。如今快节奏的城市生活，让他觉得“很多中国年轻人不再有身份认同感，也不知道他们的先辈们曾是如何生活”。于是他把中国和北京元素融合进他的作品。“我不想只是照搬西方的东西，我想表达自己的文化，自己的城市。通过传统的缝纫技巧和材料，他的运动鞋作品融合了流行文化和中国特色的消费主义。

In 2014, Zhijun stopped running, as pollution in the city got worse and worse. In thinking about how to express his frustration and reflect on these issues, however, he started disassembling sneakers and making face masks from them. The face masks have military-grade filters and are crafted from new, unworn sneakers.

2014年，随着北京的污染情况日渐恶化，志钧停止了跑步。他开始将运动鞋拆卸做成面罩，想着如何表达他对这些问题的沮丧和思考。这些面罩全都具有军事级别的滤器，由全新未穿着过的运动鞋改造而成。

Zhijun says, “A lot of people think, why would you waste a pair of expensive, highly sought-after sneakers and turn them into a mask? But I wanted to change the way that they are perceived, and give them more life and meaning rather than just as objects to buy and put on a shelf at home. I’m also someone who likes to go out and buy new things, but I still want to try to highlight these problems so that more young people think about them.”

志钧说，“很多人会觉得，你为什么要浪费一双昂贵又抢手的运动鞋，把它们变成面罩？但是我想改变人们对它们的看法，我要给它们更多的生命和意义，而不让它们只是一种买来摆放家中的物件。我绝对也算是有物质欲望的现代人，但是我仍然想要把这些问题体现出来，让更多的年轻人思考。”

Website: zhijunwang.com
Facebook: ~/zhijunwang
Instagram: @zhijunwang

Contributor, Videographer & Photographer: Jia Li

网站: zhijunwang.com
Facebook: ~/zhijunwang
Instagram: @zhijunwang

供稿人、视频与照片摄影师：Jia Li

You Might Also Like你可能会喜欢

Kiran Maharjan & the Prasad Project

October 11, 2015 2015年10月11日

Kiran Maharjan (aka H11235) is a Nepalese artist who uses street art to address social issues within his community. Kiran is one of the primary organizers of the Prasad Project, a street art initiative to make a positive impact on Nepalese youth through workshops, exhibitions, and public murals.

Kiran Maharjan (又名H11235) 是一位力图用街头艺术解决他周遭社会问题的尼泊尔艺术家，也是Prasad项目，一个通过研习会、展览和公共壁画积极影响尼泊尔年轻一代的街头艺术联盟的最早组织者之一。

Neocha: How did you get into street art?

Kiran: I used to be influenced by classical European Realism, and I’ve always been intrigued by faces. I used to do portraits with charcoal and other mediums before I got into street art. Later on, I would be introduced to the graffiti and street art scene through skateboarding culture, especially the graphics on the skate decks.

I came to a turning point when I started to bring my works to commercial galleries in the city with the hope of being exhibited. All of them turned me down. Some considered me an amateur and didn’t want to showcase my work, while others turned me down because they simply weren’t interested in my style. This rejection became a driving force for me to use the streets as a medium for expression. That was four years ago, and since then I’ve always been active and present on the streets, continuing the process of growth and change.

Neocha: 你是如何涉足街头艺术领域的？

Kiran: 我曾深受古典的欧洲现实主义影响，并一直对人脸非常着迷。在涉足街头艺术之前，我就常用炭笔或其它工具绘制肖像。再之后，滑板文化，特别是滑板画，为我打开了涂鸦和街头艺术的大门。

人生转折点出现于我开始拿着自己的作品，带着可以出展的希望去那些商业画廊时。当时，他们全都拒绝了我。有些画廊认为我是新人而不想展出我的作品，而另一些则对我的作品毫无兴趣。那次的被拒，成为后来我选用街头作为表达媒介的一个驱动力。那已经是四年前的事了，自那之后，我就一直频繁走上街头，不停成长和蜕变。

Neocha: What is the Prasad Project about?

Kiran: The word “Prasad” is a Sanskrit term that means sweet offering that is given during prayers in a Hindu temple. We named our project after this because it’s our offering to the people through the medium of street art. Also, the first hero that we painted as a mural for our project, Laxmi Prasad Devkota, has the middle name “Prasad,” and that seemed fitting with our idea.

With this project, we hope to tackle one of the major contemporary problems being faced in our country: youth migration. Nepal has had a long history of political turmoil in addition to a worsening economic situation. A lot of our young people travel to the gulf and other countries to work as migrant workers in the hopes of a better life and income. Sadly, this has resulted in a brain drain in Nepal, and the bad living standards and unsafe working conditions abroad have only made the situation worse. Every day, the dead bodies of our migrant workers return back to Nepal.

Neocha: 能不能跟我们讲讲Prasad项目是什么？

Kiran: “Prasad”是一个梵文词，指印度教寺庙里分发给祷告者的甜祭。将这个名字定为项目名，是因为这项目也是我们通过街头艺术这个媒介献给人们的美好礼物。而且，我们为这个项目绘制的第一个壁画人物，Laxmi Prasad Devkota，中间名也是”Prasad”，这也正好契合了我们的主题。

通过这个项目，我们希望解决我们国家当今面临的一个重大问题: 青年流动。很长一段时间，除了经济不断恶化，尼泊尔还要面对政治动乱。许多年轻人为了更好的生活和收入，移居到了海湾地区和其它国家。遗憾的是，这直接导致了尼泊尔的人才严重流失，而他乡恶劣的生活条件和危险的工作环境更是让这种现状雪上加霜。每一天，我们都有在外打工者的尸体被送回尼泊尔。

Neocha: How does Prasad use street art to address the problem of youth migration in Nepal?

Kiran: The project tries to communicate that it’s possible for young people to be successful and to have a fulfilling life here in Nepal. One of our main themes is hometown heroes. Heroes are people who are born and raised in Nepal and have stayed here, making a difference in the country through their respective fields. Through their work, they’ve made a mark on the country, or even on the world. In order to commemorate them and inspire the youth, we paint public spaces with murals of these local heroes.

Since street art is a medium of the youth and so highly visible to the general public, it becomes a very powerful medium to talk about these issues. Street art is relatively new in Nepal, so it also spreads the message that with creative ideas, a DIY attitude, and new mediums of expression, it’s possible to solve our problems. We work with the youth directly, so it makes it easier to get this information out into the community.

Neocha: Prasad是如何用街头艺术为尼泊尔的青年流动问题进行呼吁呢？

Kiran: 这个项目力图传递一个信息，即，年轻人留在尼泊尔是有可能成功并过上充实生活的。我们的创作主题之一即是家乡英雄，那些土生土长、驻守着这片土地、通过各自的领域一点点改变着这个国家命运的尼泊尔人。他们，用他们的事业，将自己的印迹留在这片国土，甚至这个世界上。为了纪念他们并启发年轻人，我们在公共空间画上了这些本土英雄的壁画。

街头艺术是年轻人的表达方式，在公共场所也有极高眼球吸引力，所以它自然成为了探讨这类问题一个强有力的媒介。街头艺术在尼泊尔相对而言还算新事物，所以它也传递着富有创意的、满怀DIY姿态的、具有全新表达方式媒介的讯息。因此借由它来解决这些问题是可行的。我们与年轻人零距离接触工作，所以这让信息可以轻易传播到整个社群。

Neocha: What are the current and future plans for the Prasad Project?

Kiran: We’re now in the second phase of the Project, and we’ve continued to travel to different regions of the country in order to spread our message. In each city we visit, we conduct workshops with local youth to teach them street art, and we collaborate with them to paint two murals of local heroes. It’s a great way to take the skills that they’ve learned and try them out on the streets. It’s also a way for us to speak to the public about the project, as a lot of people come up and ask us questions regarding the work. Every mural is different and unique because it comes from the vibe of that specific city and its youth. In the end, the work belongs to them. It’s their city and their responsibility, so I think we need to make them understand that.

We plan to do this until the end of 2016, covering five more cities with street art, workshops and exhibitions. We hope to continue the project even after that with new initiatives.

Neocha: Prasad项目于当下以及未来有哪些计划？

Kiran: 我们目前处于这个项目的第二阶段，为了传播我们的理念，我们不停前往国内各个地区。在每个去过的城市，我们举办研习会，教当地青年街头艺术，我们也与他们合作绘制两幅当地英雄的壁画。这是让他们掌握并实践这些技能的最佳方式，也是我们向公众传播这个项目的一种途径，因为会有很多人上前对我们的作品进行询问。每一副壁画都是不同且独特的，因为它们都是来自各个城市和其年轻人群的特定环境。这些作品终是属于那些年轻人群。这是他们的城市，是他们的责任，我想我们需要让他们明白这一点。

我们打算2016年底之前都这么做，将我们的街头艺术、研习会和展览再覆盖五个城市。同时也希望之后能够带着新方案将整个项目延续下去。

Facebook: facebook.com/H11235
Website: prasadproject.wordpress.com

Contributor: George Zhi Zhao

Facebook: facebook.com/H11235
网站: prasadproject.wordpress.com

供稿人：George Zhi Zhao

You Might Also Like你可能会喜欢

The Photography of No. 223

October 10, 2015 2015年10月10日

No. 223 (aka Lin Zhipeng) is a photographer known for his ability to show the volatile, primal energy of China’s younger generation. His work explores topics of love, sexuality, gender, free expression, and consumption within the context of modern China. No. 223 was one of the 12 artists brought together by Gap REMIX Project to reimagine the classic Gap logo in an exclusive collection of graphic tees.

编号223（又名林志鹏）是一个以表达躁动的青春荷尔蒙而被众人所知的中国新生代摄影师。他的作品探寻的正是当代中国最受关注的主题：爱、性、性别、自由。编号223是参与2015年Gap REMIX项目的11位艺术家之一，该项目邀请每位艺术家以各自风格重塑经典的Gap logo，从而打造出一个特别版系列T恤。

无法观看？前往优酷

The name “No. 223” comes from one of the characters in the classic Hong Kong film Chungking Express. According to No. 223, “Wong Kar-wai is my all-time favorite director. I love his work, and that’s where the name came from. Now most people just call me 223 – some people don’t even know my real name.”

“编号223”的名字源于经典港片《重庆森林》中的一个角色。编号223说“王家卫是我最喜欢的导演，他的作品我都很喜欢，所以我的名字也是出自他的作品。现在大家都叫我223，一些人甚至从来不知道我的真名。”

The photography of No. 223 often gives the viewer a voyeuristic look into his life. According to him, “I try to be open and just share everything… my feelings, my insecurities, my experiences, my joys, my pains, my struggles.” Authenticity is key, since all of his images “are an expression of real people and real sensibilities.”

编号223的作品常有一种让别人窥视他生活的观感。他说，“我试着展示所有，和大家分享一切……我所感知的、我的不安全感、我的经历、我的快乐和痛苦、我的挣扎。” 真实才是关键，而他所有的照片“都是对真实的人和内心的一种展现。”

Much of 223’s work captures his friends and the people around him, making him more than just a sideline observer. “When I’m shooting, I’m a participant. I’m in the moment and in the environment together with my subjects.” According to him, “the imagemaking process is a mutual experience.”

许多223的作品中出现的都是他的朋友以及身边的人，这让他可以更多地感知，而非仅仅作为一个陌生的旁观者。他说，“拍摄时我自己也是参与者，我与拍摄对象共享那个时光和同一空间。拍摄的过程是一场相互的体验。”

No. 223 continues to live and work in Beijing when he is not traveling abroad. He regularly publishes collections of his photographs, which are readily available for purchase on his website.

除了经常出国旅行来丰富自己的灵感，编号223的大部分时间都在北京工作生活。他会定期出版自己的摄影集，并在自己的个人网站上出售。