On the 25th of September the inspirational 'Van Gogh+Munch' exhibition opened at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, after it had been on display at the Munch Museum in Oslo. The exhibition - for the first time - explores the similarities and connections between the two influential artists; starting with alignment in aesthetics and stylized kinship to their connections which exist on a deeper level. Rather than uncritically accepting established perceptions, the exhibition takes a closer look at their artistic point of departure, the influences they were exposed to, the development in style and technique and what artistic goals they set for themselves, and in this way create a deeper understanding of why these artists are so often compared to each other. When in Amsterdam make sure to visit. [ Continue reading ]

Artists Jarmila Mitríková and Dávid Demjanovič, now based in Prague and Košice, had their breakthrough in the Slovakian art scene after they graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava in 2011 with their paintings created through pyrography. A traditional technique in which one burns motives into plywood and colors it with wood stains. Their use of pyrography forms a direct reference to a folk amateur art, being the most popular technique during socialism in the former Czechoslovakia. In their case it is not only the reinvented visual attraction they are working with, but mostly a medium through which they are joining a critical discours with different cultural contexts. Mitríková and Demjanovič's art inhabits elements of folklore, through religion and mysticism typical for geopolitic region of Central Europe, to national history and identity all translated into a dark aesthetic. We are particularly drawn to their most recent works in which the duo has created extraordinary ceramics with a haunting political, mystical and ritualistic mood. [ Continue reading ]

Many modern skincare brands label themselves natural, but if you look closely at their ingredients almost none of them actually live up to the claim, mainly to guarantee a long shelf life. Motivated by how empty the signifier 'natural' has become in modern cosmetics, the newly launched Danish cosmetics brand NUORI has made it its mission to actually deliver what it claims. The brand only uses ingredients of natural origin and when they add actives to their formulations, only naturally occurring compounds such as vitamins and amino acids are chosen - resulting in a maximum shelf life of 12 weeks after which one has to start using new products. With its bold approach - which we love - of only using natural ingredients, the NUORI products are fresher than any other and form a unique addition to the market, available in Amsterdam at 290 Square Meters and in Paris at colette amongst others. [ Continue reading ]

Frederik Vercruysse is a very talented Antwerp-based photographer whose beautiful work we discovered some years ago. He describes his work as still life photography in the broadest sense of the word, always aiming to photograph the subject in its purest form, sometimes realistic, often minimalistic. Distinguishing features of his work are fresh, graphic images bathed in a soft light. Vercruysse has an eye for detail and a well-defined sense of aesthetics. He is an expert in creating compositions, regardless of whether he is photographing architecture, an interior or a still life. With Frederik being such an inspiration for us, we asked him about his inspirations in life. [ Continue reading ]

In the early Seventies a young Margaret Howell found a shirt at a jumble sale. It was this fine, well-tailored shirt which sparked the initial inspiration to make men’s shirts of her own (after having designed bracelets and chokers for Browns the years before). At that time, the shirts - of Jermyn Street quality but with a more relaxed line - were made by Howell herself, and after demand grew by a group of machinists in a workshop she set up in 1973. At that point Howell's designs attracted a new influential generation of American buyers, including Tommy Perse, of concept store Maxfield’s; Ralph Lauren, who at that time also sold other brands; and also British names like Paul Smith; Browns and most importantly Joseph Ettedgui (of Joseph) who subsequently launched Howell as a clothing brand. More than 30 years on and Margaret Howell heads one of the most inspiring companies worldwide. But, despite the size of her current operation, the designer's approach has remained just the same over all these years, making her for us an often overlooked, but undeniable, visionary icon of modern fashion. [ Continue reading ]

During last week's London Design Festival the super fascinating Plants Out Of Place initiative curated an exhibition with a selection of inspirational projects to introduce its mission to the public. The London-based initiative seeks to engage with the world to re-consider the value of wild plants and how we may utilize them to design for a better future - a vision through which they created a sensory event aiming to trigger the public on an experiential level to question the values and approaches to sustainable practices. The exhibition showed an overall high standard with work by inspirational names like Studio Drift and Drink Factory, yet we are most impressed by the work of our favorite; Coloni which combined forces with Studio Aikieu, resulting in some of the most beautiful imagery we have seen in months. [ Continue reading ]

Although we weren't overwhelmed by what was on display at the last Unseen, there were still works which impressed us in the best possible way. We loved finally seeing the 'Tokyo Parrots' in printed form, as discovering the larger-than-life 'Facades' images by Markus Brunetti, but most impressive was probably seeing the work of celebrated American photographer Todd Hido in person. For the first time in the Netherlands a solo exhibition of his work opened on the 12th of September at Alex Daniëls Reflex Amsterdam, who in turn showed a new group of works unique from the show named 'Selections From A Survey - Khrystyna's World' at Unseen.  [ Continue reading ]