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International contemporary artist Brad Kenny specialises in portraiture + figurative representation of the human condition, exploring emotions, identity, character + narrative through his work. Brad notes that his work is characterised by a balance between representation + abstraction, the abstract element of his paintings allowing him his own form of expression. We were inspired not only by Brad's striking works of art, but also by the fact that, as a dyslexic artist, he views painting as a unique form of communication - a language of its own. Having already exhibited in London + New York, and having been featured on Channel 4, Brad is definitely one to watch! We asked Brad to share one of his favourite places in London... >>>
MATVEÏ'S UNIQUE MIX OF HOUSE + RnB, FUSED WITH TOUCHES OF BRAZILIAN + LATIN MUSIC, HAS BEEN CREATING A STIR ON THE ELECTRONIC MUSIC SCENE FOR A WHILE./ AND, SINCE SIGNING WITH ICONIC LABEL KITSUNÉ, THE ARTIST HAS BEEN RELEASING A CONSISTENT STREAM OF SOLID, ACCOMPLISHED TRACKS, EACH BRINGING SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO THE TABLE./ THE FRENCH PRODUCER + DJ HAS ACTUALLY BEEN CRAFTING MUSIC FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE./ HE FIRST SAT DOWN AT A PIANO AT THE TENDER AGE OF 4, STARTED EXPERIMENTING WITH GARAGEBAND AT JUST 11 - AND HAS BEEN PLAYING AROUND WITH SAMPLES + SOFTWARE EVER SINCE./ CITING INFLUENCES AS VARIED AS PHARELL, KAYTRANADA, + SPANISH SINGER ROSALÍA, MATVEÏ REVEALS SOMETHING OF THE NATURE OF HIS SOUND./ HE'S ALSO A BIG BELIEVER IN IMPROVISING, JUMPING ON AN IDEA AS SOON AS IT LANDS + NOT OVERTHINKING IT./ THE RESULT? FRESH, CREATIVE + TASTY HOUSE./ IF YOU'RE NOT SURE WHERE TO START, CHECK 'GET LOST' FOR A TASTE OF WHAT THIS GUY IS ALL ABOUT, THEN HIT 'RIO' FOR THOSE BRAZILIAN FEELS + 'OFF DAT' FOR A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT VIBE./ ALTHOUGH ORIGINALLY FROM LYON, MATVEÏ HAS LIVED IN VARIOUS PLACES + IS NOW BASED IN PARIS./ WE ASKED HIM TO SHARE ONE OF HIS FAVOURITE PLACES IN THE FRENCH CAPITAL. //
SINCE 2017, CUSTOM FURNITURE MAKER D'ANDRE WOODARD HAS BEEN HELPING HIS CLIENTS BRING THEIR VISIONS TO LIFE, THROUGH HIS BRAND 'D'ANDRE FURNITURE'./ IN TODAY'S FAST-MOVING WORLD, WHEN PEOPLE CAN GET ALMOST ANYTHING SHIPPED TO THEIR DOOR IN A MATTER OF DAYS, IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO GET PEOPLE TO COMMIT TO CUSTOM./ BUT, AS A ONE-MAN SHOP, D'ANDRE FURNITURE IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO TURN A CLIENT'S ABSTRACT IDEAS INTO TANGIBLE DREAMS, OFFERING A LEVEL OF INDIVIDUALISATION THAT LARGER SHOPS + STORES ARE UNABLE TO./ D'ANDRE'S SPECIALTY IS MID-CENTURY MODERN, BUT HE'S CAREFUL TO POINT OUT THAT HE DOES NOT LIMIT HIMSELF TO ONE PARTICULAR STYLE./ HAVING EXPERIENCE IN A WIDE RANGE OF AESTHETICS, HE LETS HIS CLIENT'S VISION BE THE GUIDE./ D'ANDRE IS BASED IN AUSTIN, TEXAS - A CITY HE VALUES FOR ITS CREATIVITY + ITS SUPPORT FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES./ WE ASKED D'ANDRE TO SHARE ONE OF HIS FAVOURITE PLACES IN THE CITY... // //
ROMAIN LAURENT DOESN'T WASTE ANY TIME./ HAVING RECENTLY MOVED TO AMSTERDAM, IN ADDITION TO STUDYING PHOTOGRAPHY + WORKING AS A BARISTA, HE ALSO RECENTLY SET UP AN EXCITING NEW VENTURE WITH HIS PARTNER./ THEIR COMPANY, 'HANGING PETALS', PROVIDES UPCYCLED DRIED FLOWERS ACROSS THE CITY_, SAVING BLOOMS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE DISCARDED_, + INSTEAD CREATING BEAUT1FUL ARRANGEMENTS THAT EVOLVE INTO UNIQUE 1TEMS OF ART./ THEY'RE ALREADY MAKING_ A MARK ON AMSTERDAM - YOU'LL SEE THEIR INCREDiBLE ARRANGEMENTS IN SHOPS, SPACES + HOMES ALL OVER THE PLACE./ BUT, HAVING MOVED AT THE TIME OF THE PANDEMIC, THEY HAVEN'T YET HAD T1ME TO GET TO KNOW THE BEST OF THE DUTCH CITY./ PRIOR TO HIS MOVE TO AMSTERDAM, ROMAIN HAD LIVED IN THE SCOTTISH CITY OF EDINBURGH FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS - A PLACE FOR WHICH HE HARBOURS A DEEP LOVE./ WE ASKED HIM TO SHARE ONE OF HIS FAVOURITE PLACES_ THERE... //
EYIWAA AGYEKUMHENE IS THE FOUNDER OF GHANAIAN FASHION BRAND 'KAYADUA', WHOSE EYE-CATCHING BAGS + STATEMENT NECKPIECES HAVE RECENTLY BEEN CAPTURING THE ATTENTION OF THE FASHION WORLD./ IT'S A LABOUR OF LOVE FOR EYIWAA, WHO CREATED THE BRAND IN 2018, AFTER GRADUATING FROM KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF GHANA JUST A YEAR BEFORE./ THE BRAND TAKES A SLOW FASHION APPROACH, WITH KAYADUA PIECES OFTEN BEING MADE BY HAND + TAKING ANYWHERE FROM ONE DAY TO ENTIRE WEEKS OF PRODUCTION TIME./ BUT THE BRAND IS ABOUT MUCH MORE THAN INTRICATELY-CRAFTED PIECES./ EYIWAA WANTS TO USE THE BRAND AS A FORCE FOR CHANGE, HONOURING THE LEGACY OF THE ELDERS IN GHANA, WHILE ALSO INSPIRING YOUNGER GENERATIONS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES CREATIVELY./ "I SEEK TO ENCOURAGE CONFIDENCE, WHILST TELLING STORIES THROUGH THE PIECES WE MAKE," SHE SAYS, UNDERLINING HER DESIRE FOR THE PIECES THEMSELVES TO BECOME STORYTELLERS./ BASED IN ACCRA, THE CAPITAL OF GHANA, WE ASKED EYIWAA TO SHARE ONE OF HER FAVOURITE PLACES IN + AROUND THE CITY... //
MEET BRITISH-NIGERIAN ARTIST, PRODUCER + SINGER SONGWRITER, TONY NJOKU./ BEST KNOWN FOR HIS MUSIC, TONY EXPERTLY FUSES ELEMENTS OF SOUL + ELECTRONIC MUSIC TO CRAFT HIS DISTINCT SOUND, OFTEN LOADED WITH SYNTHESIZERS + PUNCTUATED BY SPARSE PIANO./ MUSIC THAT CHALLENGES + INSPIRES, EACH SONG IS A UNIQUE SOUNDSCAPE TAKING THE LISTENER ON THEIR OWN JOURNEY./ TONY'S WORK DRAWS FROM A WIDE RANGE OF INFLUENCES, FROM MUSICIANS SUCH AS BJÖRK ("I THINK HER WORK IS PHENOMENAL") + THOM YORKE, TO VISUAL ARTISTS LIKE JAMES TURRELL + OLAFUR ELIASSON (WHOSE WORK WAS A HUGE INSPIRATION BEHIND TONY'S ALBUM, 'YOUR PSYCHE'S RAINBOW PANORAMA')./ ALTHOUGH BORN IN LAGOS, TONY HAS LIVED IN LONDON SINCE HE WAS A TEEN - A CITY HE LOVES FOR ITS CREATIVITY, ALLOWING HIM TO EXPLORE + EXPRESS HIMSELF IN A WAY THAT OTHER CITIES CAN'T./ AS SUCH A CREATIVE FORCE, WE WERE KEEN TO FIND OUT ONE OF TONY'S FAVOURITE PLACES IN LONDON... //
GIAN POWER IS ON A MISSION TO MAKE WORKPLACES MORE EMOTIONALLY INVITING./ AS THE FOUNDER OF TLC LIONS - A STARTUP THAT PUTS WELLNESS + MENTAL HEALTH FRONT + CENTRE - GIAN IS HAVING A BIG IMPACT ON THE CORPORATE WORLD./ GIAN'S JOURNEY ALL STARTED AFTER A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE UPENDED HIS OWN LIFE IN 2015./ IT WAS DURING THAT HUGELY DIFFICULT PERIOD, WHEN HE FINALLY OPENED UP TO COLLEAGUES IN THE CORPORATE WORLD, THAT GIAN REALISED THAT HE WASN'T THE ONLY ONE WITH A STORY - A REALISATION THAT GAVE HIM THE CONFIDENCE TO LAUNCH TLC LIONS./ THROUGH SPEAKER EVENTS + ONLINE LEARNING, TLC LIONS NOW SUPPORTS OVER 150 ORGANISATIONS IN 57+ COUNTRIES, INSPIRING + ENCOURAGING EMPLOYEES TO SPEAK UP + CREATE MEANINGFUL EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS./ WE ASKED GIAN TO SHARE ONE OF HIS FAVOURITE PLACES TO UNWIND IN LONDON... //
WMD IS THE SOLO MUSIC PROJECT OF SEATTLE-BASED MUSICIAN, MICHAEL ERICKSON./ OFTEN DESCRIBED AS A UNIQUE BLEND OF CHILLWAVE + AMBIENT, WMD'S MUSIC INCORPORATES LUSH SYNTH + MINIMALISTIC ELECTRIC GUITAR, WITH THE RESULTING LAYERS OF SOUND STIRRING FEELINGS OF NOSTALGIA, CONTEMPLATION + MELANCHOLY (FROM EARLY MORNING SUNRISES, TO NEVER-ENDING LAZY SUMMER AFTERNOONS, TO THOSE DARKER MOMENTS WHERE WE TURN INWARDS)./ HAVING GROWN UP IN A SMALL TOWN IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, ERICKSON BEGAN PRODUCING MUSIC AT A YOUNG AGE./ INSPIRED BY THE INTERNET CHIPTUNE MUSIC SCENE + ARTISTS LIKE BIT SHIFTER + ANAMANAGUCHI, HE RELEASED THE ALBUM 'SOPHROSYNE' AGED JUST 16, GOING ON TO RELEASE NUMEROUS ALBUMS + EPs SINCE./ NOW BASED IN SEATTLE, WMD HAS BEEN PLAYING SHOWS IN + AROUND THE CITY FOR SEVERAL YEARS, + HIS LOVE FOR THE PLACE IS EVIDENT: "I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANYTHING THAT WOULD MAKE ME WANT TO LEAVE SEATTLE'S VIBRANT MUSIC + ARTS SCENE."/ WITH SUCH A LOVE FOR THE CITY, WE ASKED WMD TO SHARE ONE OF HIS FAVOURITE PLACES... //
DOMINICAN-LEBANESE FASHION DESIGNER JUSEF SÁNCHEZ HAS BEEN MAKING WAVES IN HIS HOME COUNTRY FOR SOME TIME - EVEN WINNING CELEBRITY MASTERCHEF IN 2021!/ KNOWN FOR SOPHISTICATED, FEMININE PIECES WITH CLEAN LINES + A REFINED SILHOUETTE, IT'S PERHAPS NO SURPRISE THAT THE YOUNG DESIGNER WAS CHOSEN TO DRESS TWO OF PRESIDENT ABINADER'S DAUGHTERS AT HIS INAUGURATION IN AUGUST 2020./ BUT IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT THE RED CARPET GLAMOUR - THE DESIGNER'S SS20-21 COLLECTION MARKED A NEW STREET-SAVVY DIRECTION FOR THE BRAND, UNVEILING A SERIES OF OVERSIZED UNISEX T-SHIRTS, SHORTS + SNEAKERS - ALL LAUNCHED DURING THE COUNTRY'S FIRST ONLINE FASHION CATWALK!/ AS ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S MOST FAMOUS DESIGNERS, WE FIGURED JUSEF WOULD KNOW SOME PRETTY AMAZING PLACES ON THE ISLAND./ WE ASKED HIM TO SHARE JUST ONE OF HIS FAVOURITES... //
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