Journal
When was the last time you held a photograph in your hand, or wrote a letter to someone, with a pen and paper? The answer is probably that you can't remember, such has been the sea-change in our habits since the advent of the digital age. Photos,...
Journal
Too. Cool. For. School. German illustrator Kirsten Rothbart's style is every bit the real-world embodiment of the subjects she depicts. Tattooed rock chicks with pastel locks and vintage store couture, stoned hipsters drinking cheap spirits from the...
Journal
Created by an Italian, showing in Los Angeles, funded by a New York organisation and focused on China, Federico Solmi's latest work is a global concept for a worldwide audience. Chinese Democracy and the Last Day on Earth may use the next world...
Journal
New Yorker David Ayllon has a penchant for comic book style art, and loves a good bit of retro to boot. In his work for the likes of Kid Cudi and Lupe Fiasco, Batman-wannabe Ayllon comes across like the superhero he wants to be; bold, brave,...
Journal
Georgia artist Michael Murphy's new work is all about how we look at things, in a literal as well as figurative sense. In God We Trust examines the troubling role of the church in American politics, a topic very much in focus as the US electoral...
Journal
The beauty of this job is being confronted with new things all the time. I've got to be honest, the last time I wore make-up I was done up as Dracula for a fancy-dress party, aged 12, and it didn't leave a lasting impression. While I won't be...
Journal
Belgian artist Stefaan de Croock is a master of the mural. Inspired by doodlers like Jon Burgerman, and the spontaneity of expressionist 'action painting', de Croock - hip street name: Strook - creates live works (such as his brilliant reverse...
Journal
Many artists seem drawn to the mundane, particularly those who work with photography. However, few we can recall have embraced the mundane with quite the abandon of Singapore-based Jaroslaw Komuda. His celebration of the boring is pensive,...
Journal
Canadian artist Aaron Moran has a bit of a thing for geometry: his mathematically-infused sculptures fusing the forward-thinking of shapes and space with the earthliness of nature, by way of their materials; namely found wood. Evoking early modern...
Journal
The sun has set on the London 2012 Olympics, likewise the euphoric glow of the gold medals is diminishing behind the horizon. All the talk is now about legacy, and what the games will do for Britain in the future. But let's not forget what went...
Journal
A new play often means building a new set. It doesn't often mean building a new theatre. That's what Chichester Festival Theatre decided to do to mark its 50th anniversary celebrations. The group engaged design-and-build team Assemble to create...
Journal
You know how sometimes you look in the mirror and there's a beast staring back...? Multi-skilled artist Arran Gregory has opened the doors on his third solo exhibition, Wolf, at Dalston's hip Print House Gallery. The exhibition includes print...
Stuff Crush
Weirdness is a notion long entwined with the concept of creativity. Mocked by the strait-laced confined to their boxes of conformism, celebrated by the bold and the brave who pursue the outré as a means of pushing beyond the banal. In Weird...
City Notes
In Montreal’s Little Italy, a new arrival is making waves with a fresh take on Italian dining. Pasta Pooks, which opened in March 2025, is a compact five-seat takeout counter serving pasta and natural wine in a space that marries Old World charm...
City Notes
A once-forgotten 19th-century residence in Savannah’s historic district has been brought spectacularly back to life, reincarnated as The Douglas; a refined 16-room boutique hotel at 14 East Oglethorpe Avenue, where design meets old-world...
Dispatches
In a country where club floors open with Buddhist chants and Ladyboys offer dawn alms in corsets and stilettos, Elizabeth Waterman has found a world of contradictions too vivid to ignore. Over the past three years, and across four extended trips,...
Dispatches
There's a paradox about self-care, which is that those who need it most are probably the least likely to practice it. If you're one of those people, you might even be put off by the term self-care. Maybe it sounds too self-indulgent to you. If...
Dispatches
Looking for a Japanese tutor in Chicago without breaking the bank? You’re not alone. Whether you’re aiming to order ramen with confidence, ace a language exam, or shape your skills for business or travel, one thing’s clear: good private...
Dispatches
If you’ve ever looked at your balcony and thought, “What a wasted space,” you’re not alone. Many of us live in homes where every square foot counts, yet balconies often remain underutilized. Whether it’s too small, too plain, or simply...
Dispatches
Recognising the world’s most inspiring work across design, innovation and creativity, the A’ Design Award & Competition stands as one of the most respected and far-reaching international design accolades. Each year, a diverse panel of academics,...