If you, along with pretty much the entirety of the human population, think Beyonce is the epitome of cool, then take a moment to consider Beyonce embroidered. Yes embroidered. For whilst we can all appreciate Beyonce’s goddess-like attributes, her mane of glossy hair and those oh-so-slightly risque dance moves, it is artist Inge Jacobsen’s woollen additions that make Beyonce’s aura of cool enter a whole new level. And it’s not just Beyonce at the receiving end of such wondrous creativity. From the celebrities centre stage on the front covers of magazines, to the models found in advertisements and lining glossy fashion spreads, Inge has embroidered, collaged and cut them all. Describing herself as a London-ish based artist, her stunning and refreshingly out-of-the-box portfolio in her own words “seeks to intervene in this overwhelming consumption from the mass produced and alter it to create something unique”, and using women’s fashion magazines, newspapers and most bizarrely, pornographic images to make up the main body of her work, we don’t think she can possibly get much cooler. For many artists exploring themes of race and identity, the notion of bodily space is key to explore.
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This is the case for the New York-based artist Sasha Gordon, whose biracial identity is wrapped up in the idea of what it means to be Polish and Korean. The artist delves into the symbolism of identity throughout her emphatic hyperreal paintings; explaining how, “being Korean and Polish was always a strange concept for me because I felt as though I’m forced to identify more with one than another”, the artist tells It’s Nice That. Artist Michael Cox tends to habitually focus on areas he lives in or visits for his landscape-focused paintings. First meeting Michael back in 2016 when he was one of our, the Falmouth grad’s paintings depicted an array of British sights from Aylesbury to Robin Hood Gardens. Whether painting buildings or rural areas, the consistent trait in the artist’s work is his approach, always painting from the point of view of an outsider. Since moving away from London where he settled after graduating, Michael’s recent set of paintings have returned back to being rurally-focused, stepping away from city structures and, instead, painting suburbia. As Singapore Art Week takes place across the Southeast Asian peninsula, there is one exhibition in particular that has grabbed our attention here at It’s Nice That.
Chinese photographer Feng Li is known for his hawk-eyed street photography. He captures everyday passings on the street as if they were multi-million dollar movie sets. In his latest exhibition for this year’s Singapore Art Week, he collaborates with illustrator come designer AikBeng Chia for Singapore Express, a series which “combs the streets” of the Asian city, shedding new light on its tropical quirks. Last time we wrote about, the Madrid-based graphic designers had been working with its city council to celebrate, expressing the diversity, freedom and equality that the central Spanish city hopes to foster. Since then, Madrid City Council has been working to become “the most transparent institution in Spain”, allowing citizens the right to request information, including via anonymous requests.
“This is a reason to celebrate,” explains Koln – something the studio has tried to do through graphic design in its most recent project. The Portland-based magazine Cult Classic celebrates the voices of creatives from around the country. The platform is run by a group of friends including the magazine’s creative director Justin Morris who speaks to It’s Nice That about the recently-published second issue. “Our approach to each issue is to identify and amplify creators that we find personally inspiring. More often than not, we choose people who we think should be heard louder than they are.” From performance artists, an international girl gang of artists and healers, and a faux-fur textiles artist, the new publication is eclectic in its content – and design. For many illustrators, it can be a struggle to find a balance between consistently delivering a signature style while simultaneously meeting the clients commissioning needs. For Maxime Mouysset however, this seems easy.
His high turnover of commissions individually embody an editorial story while staying true to his signature style. Though the style varies from piece to piece, on the whole, Maxime’s body of work possesses a strong oeuvre that feels unequivocally Maxime, despite the fact that each commission is for a different client.
For many artists exploring themes of race and identity, the notion of bodily space is key to explore. This is the case for the New York-based artist Sasha Gordon, whose biracial identity is wrapped up in the idea of what it means to be Polish and Korean. The artist delves into the symbolism of identity throughout her emphatic hyperreal paintings; explaining how, “being Korean and Polish was always a strange concept for me because I felt as though I’m forced to identify more with one than another”, the artist tells It’s Nice That. “The past year has been eventful,” read the screen (with just a hint of understatement) behind Spotify’s design director Nicole Burrow, as she spoke to the audience at Designing for Tomorrow last Monday evening (21 January). The event was held by Spotify Design and featured a panel discussion with It’s Nice That’s editor Matt Alagiah in conversation with author and designer Laura Kalbag; Deborah Goschalk, product manager at green-energy provider Bulb; Zander Brade, lead product designer at mobile bank Monzo; and Alex Macleod, design lead for platform and partner experience at Spotify. Under the microscope was the fascinating yet fraught area of ethics in design, and how designers can help build a better future and create more meaningful experiences.
New Studio is a new concept studio currently comprising of 12 creatives from around the world, excelling in each of their individual disciplines. From Axel Peemoeller in New York to Klaus Stille in Hamburg, the international creative team can address any design brief with their collaborative breadth of knowledge. Axel Peemoeller, the initiator of New Studio explains that it consists of “no hierarchies and no boss”, he tells It’s Nice That. “We want to build something that is fair to everybody, that everybody can identify with and feel ownership of.” Each project is divided according to their percentage of contribution, ensuring a “fair and transparent” working ethos that can sustainably grow.