I do belong here: A Conversation with Flo Fortune

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Flo Fortune by Marie Marchandise

Editor’s note: The following interview and video essay mentions eating disorders and bullying. Reader discretion is advised.

Why do we take pictures of ourselves? Why do we share them? Why do we want to be published? Why do we desire to wear pieces that transform us–armors wrapped around us, there to reassure us–allowing us to become characters injecting freedom into our lives, and granting us the strength to become ourselves? Why do we give life to handmade creations, conceived by spirits whose thoughts only stop at the first clanking sounds of their sewing machines, or when their threads puncture fabric for the first time? Why do we create threads between all of us? Why do we forge ties? Why do we want to meet each other? Why do we create a human and colorful universe? Why do we inspire each other, and feed each other with beautiful visual stories–the ones that smoothly impact you–remaining embedded in your mind? The ones that give you hope, that beckon you, when leafing through glossy pages or watching a fashion show? 

All these questions suddenly find an answer when Flo Fortune opens the doors of this grand dance studio, enveloped between high trees, sun, and silence. Fortune, a professional model, arises quietly and elegantly, such as the echo of their steps on the floor. They are waiting for one thing only: the camera revolving around them; to catch and control it.

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Marie Marchandise for Also Cool Mag: How would you present yourself? How do you think you are seen? How would you love to be remembered?

Flo Fortune: I’m Flo, a 28-year-old queer, midsize model, social media consultant, mental health advocate, writer, and anorexia survivor. 

I think I am seen as a brave person, as I never shy away from stating the mental health issues I’ve dealt with. Being openly vulnerable, on and offline, isn’t easy, but I know for a fact that it can help people feel less lonely in a society that values so-called perfection and success at all costs.

People might also perceive me as a woman because I’m very femme-presenting, which can be difficult to process sometimes.

I want to be remembered as someone who always did what they thought was right and tried their best to achieve what they wanted, even when it seemed impossible.

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Flo Fortune by Marie Marchandise

Also Cool: What is it like to be a model in Paris?

Flo Fortune: No need to sugarcoat it, it’s really hard. Paris is the city of fashion, but in a very traditional way. There is, to this day, very little room for the misfits, fat people, midsize people, people of colour, and disabled people.

For the most part, we simply do not exist, and the ones who made it went through a lot to get there. Diversity isn’t a priority or a goal; it’s mostly a marketing tool. I couldn’t name more than five fat, midsize or nonbinary French models who managed to succeed in France. When it comes to disabled models, it’s like they don’t even exist in the French market. It’s a shame, and I think that the “Parisienne” myth has a lot to do with that.

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Flo Fortune by Marie Marchandise

AC: What defines a “good” model, to you?

FF: Someone who isn’t afraid of not looking pretty, who is ready to play a role, to tell a story. Someone who can use their vulnerability, their story, and their strength to create “the shot.” You have to be okay with the fact that you will give a piece of who you are when on set. Not everything has to be about measurements. Agencies are now, more than ever, looking for personalities, people who have a voice, and things to bring to the table.

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Flo Fortune by Marie Marchandise

AC: How can fashion be more political? What are the first “baby steps” to make the industry more in sync with our era and society?

FF: There are tons of topics that should be discussed and actions to be taken. Sustainability, access to fashion schools, diversity, and ethical work, to name a few. However, none of these issues will ever be truly discussed since most of the industry is still ruled by white, aging, cis male billionaires.

Brands, Maisons, magazines and agencies have to take responsibility and hire people of colour, disabled people, young people, queer people, and fat people, at every level.

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Flo Fortune by Marie Marchandise

AC: Are there any true changes that you’ve spotted?

FF: There are lots of exciting projects that keep me from being pessimistic. For example, I really hope that brands like Marine Serre or Ester Manas, who are getting recognition in France, will inspire others to showcase the same amount of diversity on the runway. Similarly, concerning their sustainable fabric-sourcing, I believe they can influence small designers to consider eco-friendly alternatives and new production processes.

In 2022, I came across many podcasts and Instagram accounts whose goals are to desacralize the fashion industry and share resources. Be it by posting upcycling hacks or addressing issues, such as the colonial dynamics that are still at play within the fashion industry. 

Another thing that comes to my mind is the current debate about nepo babies. We’re finally collectively talking about the fact that most people in fashion don’t come from the working class and that it has to change! 

That being said, I think it’s fair to say that change is being pushed by “small” creators, brands, journalists and so on, and not by those who have the actual power and the means to make a huge positive impact. 

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Flo Fortune by Marie Marchandise

AC: What are you hoping to change in the industry?

FF: Let’s face it, I might be queer and midsize, but I’m still a non-fat white person. I know that I have an easier path than others. That being said, I do think that working in this industry, being who I am, knowing where I come from and how narrow-minded the modeling industry is, is already a push in the right direction. Being "a face and a body" isn’t enough. I want to use my voice and work on projects that mean something as much as I can. Be it by working with sustainable, QTBIPOC-led brands, queer photographers, or truly inclusive agencies.

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Flo Fortune by Marie Marchandise

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I do belong here credits

Model: @manicpixiefuckk
MUA: @paulinemakeupro
Hair: @lapetitevictoulouse
Dress: @noemiedevime.paris
Lingerie: @eternel_ephemere_underwear
Nails: @nailedbyines
Jewels: @labricotbleu, @annashelley.fr, @jeannette.atelier, @cecile.dallaglio_jewellery, @maaadboutique
Location: @residencedesartstoulouse  

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Marie Marchandise

Marie Marchandise is a 28-year-old photographer, art director, and PR specialist living in Toulouse, France. When she was a child, she wanted to be a poet. Growing up, she was obsessed with the fact that she actually wanted to be helpful: she wanted to be a vet, a psychologist, or a lawyer. With arts and PR, she combines the inherent desire of her first dream job as a child, and her inner need developed from her teenage years into adulthood.  When she tells visual and written stories with brands, designers, models, and creatives, she contributes to a bigger picture. If you feel something when looking at her photographs or reading her texts, it means that her job is done. If you are inspired, motivated, looking for something new thanks to them, this is more than she could ever dream of. 

Instagram

Flo Fortune 

Fashion is, for me, a tool to get my own emancipation. A way to explore. A means to reach self-definition on its own. Fabrics and textiles represent artistic expressions, helping me to exist. As a child, fashion allowed me to be alive when the rest of the world wanted me to disappear. Today, when I’m wearing clothes, I am always diving somewhere else, into a new universe. Every time. Every day. My individuality is asserted thanks to fashion. I want to be loud. I am clear: I belong here. I am doing this job as I am craving poetry and creativity. I am eagerly looking for different ways and options to communicate and create a sustainable and healthy bond with persons who are not only like me, but inspire me. I want to give back that inspiration, I want to breathe in and breathe out in studios, catwalks, and magazines. I am doing this for the past versions of myself that thought too many times that I needed to suffer and starve myself to create beautiful pictures. I am doing this job to prove that you can fall many times, yet always pick yourself up, stand up, and rise up.

Instagram

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La Luna Naranja: Exploring the Collaboration of Amalia Naranjo, Luna Nashar, and Oriana Confente

Amalia Naranjo modelling the La Luna Naranja collection. Photo courtesy of Oriana Confente

“Every night, I am alone. I transform into

different shapes

Every 28 days.”

As seasons begin to change, I have found myself getting further swept up by pensiveness under the night sky. The evenings draw longer, leaving a collection of charcoal clouds and twinkling stars which further illustrate the vastness that surrounds us and the bittersweet reality that everything must shift. Who are we in relation to each other, to our environment, and to past versions of ourselves?

The latest creative collaboration between Montreal-based artists Luna Nashar, Amalia Naranjo and Oriana Confente contends with such questions, linking tote-bag aficionados across the universe with a transcendent connection. La Luna Naranja was released earlier this summer; its canvas was carefully designed by Naranjo and Nashar, and captured by Confente with a warm and decadent editorial photoshoot. On La Luna Naranja, the trio shares:

“La Luna Naranja offers a unique fragment of what forms a Bigger image. In this fast-paced life, we go through ours with a small perspective of what's happening around us, letting our surroundings affect how we grow and reshape into our new self. The uniqueness of a Luna Naranja bag represents the beauty of individuality while still being a part of a more complex whole. A 1x1 metre canvas, hand painted by Amalia Naranjo. Each tote bag, unique, is a part of a greater picture. United, they create the original piece. However, the canvas was never meant to keep its beauty for itself. Cut, folded and sewn, it shares its true purpose: unity through art.”

The project alluringly melds temporality with an everlasting vibrance – what began as one has been reborn as many, and the many have been immortalized as one. Although the fragments of La Luna Naranja have each found their forever homes, their bond—much like ours with the past, present, and future—remains fused throughout the phases of the night sky. Also Cool Mag recently connected with Naranjo, Nashar, and Confente to discuss their creative bonds and their visions for La Luna Naranja.

Amalia Naranjo modelling the La Luna Naranja collection. Photo courtesy of Oriana Confente

Rebecca L. Judd for Also Cool Mag: Thank you all for sharing your creativity with Also Cool! To start, I would love to know a bit more about each of you and your respective practices. Can you elaborate on how this collaboration came about? How did you folks cross paths, and which artistic values or interests have you bonded over?

Luna Nashar: Amalia and I met on set of my first editorial in 2020, and I met Oriana at my very first art exhibition a year later! Since then, we have created opportunities for ourselves to connect and grow together as creatives. 

I am inspired by Amalia’s unapologetic approach to her art. She is a multidisciplinary artist, and [through this project] I really wanted to challenge her and get to know her as a painter. 

Oriana is a perfect fit on the project. Her use of film photography reinforces the “one-of-a-kind” theme of the project. I also love discussing sustainability in fashion with Oriana – we both are big on thrifting! It was interesting to have her on this project where a new art piece is recycled into a tote.

Oriana Confente: I actually met Amalia on the same night I met Luna at her exhibition last year. That was the first time I had seen Luna’s textiles and Amalia’s paintings. 

It’s funny how sometimes you encounter people and you just click. Like Luna mentioned, we connected over sustainability in fashion and I admire her approach to design. I love that Luna often repurposes deadstock fabrics, and I’m obsessed with her interpretations of the female form. I mean… pussy pockets. What a concept! I have at least three at home, and I’m sure that I’ll own more soon. 

I fully agree with Luna – I’m also inspired by Amalia’s unapologetic approach to her work. Getting to know her more through the events and projects that Luna organized has been lovely. It was especially fun to have an opportunity for Amalia to model with pieces she co-created. Funnily enough, this shoot was supposed to just be for e-commerce at first, but it evolved into so much more. I am thankful for transformation!

Amalia Naranjo: Like Luna said, we met in September 2020 for her editorial photoshoot. A year after that, I met Oriana at Luna’s art exhibition The Red Room. Their energy always felt so pure and real to me, when Luna proposed to me to collaborate with her on a tote bag project where I would get to paint, I was really excited to jump in. 

I immediately bonded with Luna. I loved her style, her creativity and her aesthetics, but mostly her perspective on arts and community values. She has the gift of bringing interesting creative people together so we can share and collaborate on our creations. Oriana’s artistic approach on themes like nature and technology and how they can co-exist really captured my attention. I admire the complexity of her projects and how she talks about it in an effortless manner.

Also Cool: La Luna Naranja fuses individual pieces into a greater narrative about transformation, reflecting on interconnectedness between eras and experiences. Tell us more about how this is thematically reflected in the collection, and what you’ve learned in creating it.

Luna: I feel like a bond of sisterhood developed throughout the project, as we learned from each other and spent time with each other's art. It was fruitful to share and be part of different challenges when it comes to our different mediums. As I sewed the totes, I could tell where Amalia put more paint! It was really fun to imagine her creative process as I was transforming her art.

Also, it was lovely seeing people choose which tote would be theirs. It reflects their uniqueness. I feel like La Luna Naranja created a small community where each one-of-a-kind tote is carried by an exceptional soul who shares a love for the art piece. The sisterhood that we shared together is for the community.

Amalia: When I had to come up with a design, I knew I wanted to bring a sense of uniqueness to every individual bag, so I knew that it wouldn’t be a single pattern throughout the whole fabric. But I also wanted it to be all connected and dynamic to represent movement and change through time and space – hence the lines that travel through the whole piece. There are also the different shapes of what seem to be naturally-rounded balls, but whose shapes change depending on their surroundings – just like us. Humans are affected by our surroundings, and we change as we move through time and space.

Amalia Naranjo modelling the La Luna Naranja collection. Photo courtesy of Oriana Confente

AC: I’m interested in the prospect of “unity through art”; how the repurposing of this piece into tote bags helped it to achieve a higher level — “its true purpose”. As artists, was there a moment when you felt that this was achieved?

Luna: Great art is life-changing. Traditionally, a painting is appreciated in a specific space. Repurposing it into a timeless piece elongates its narrative. I love the idea that you get to spend time with a piece that makes you feel a certain way. 

Transforming Amalia’s art was a very big moment for me – especially the first cut! I feel like a bond of sisterhood developed throughout that process of transformation. Although, the greatest feeling is knowing those tote bags are part of someone else’s life now. Maybe we should do a reunion with all the La Luna Naranja carriers!

Amalia: I could not say it better, Luna! By giving the art piece a utility, its purpose definitely adds more to the symbolism of moving through time and space with the user, and the sense of unity with all the people involved in this creation and the consumer is defined. I feel like this project keeps reaching higher levels. From doing a playful photoshoot, wearing the big painted fabric, to wearing the individual tote bags while doing more of a conceptual photoshoot. I feel it even more when I see people using it in their everyday lifestyle, and finally, when I see it published in a magazine for all eyes to see!

Amalia Naranjo modelling the La Luna Naranja collection. Photo courtesy of Oriana Confente

AC: I’d love to hear more about the intentions with colour in the piece, both as totes and in this photoshoot. 

Luna: Each emotion that each colour communicates, I want to feel and experience. I wear what I feel, and I am very comfortable expressing those feelings. I like finding balance in those emotions and I believe Oriana did a great job capturing that!

Oriana: Luna and Amalia are both incredibly vibrant human beings, in terms of the work they create but also in terms of who they are. Capturing their essence in this editorial was important to all of us. 

Amalia came to the set with electric blue eyeliner, and Luna had the spontaneous idea to throw some yellow lace she had in the studio over the backdrop… It came together quite naturally. 

Amalia: I cherry-picked the colours to create a vibrant palette of a nice variety, one that represented a diverse range of feelings and states. I also had fun blending various colours inside the balls, which was again to represent free movement and transformation. I chose to paint the lines black so that they could be neutral while the balls do all the eye-catching with their bright changing colors. When it came to the photoshoot, we approached colour in the same way: we went extra on the colour palette with the electric blue eye makeup, the extravagant red backdrop and the bright yellow lace. 

AC: Thank you all for your time! To close things off, what are each of you up to next, creatively? Are there any future collaborations in the works?

Luna: I am currently working on a new collection of bags in collaboration with a vintage store in Montreal, where transformation is also a major theme. Truly, collaborations are essential to every artist's growth. 

Oriana: Luna and I are starting a new project together! My practice, through photography and other creative means, is interested in disrupting consumerism and repurposing materials. I work with electronic waste (e-waste) a lot. Right now, Luna and I are co-designing garments that incorporate e-waste we’re collecting from friends and family. 

I’ve created e-waste accessories before—like earrings made from microchips—so it’s exciting to be working with a skilled designer like Luna to make more elaborate wearables. Plus, sharing talents and merging practices continues to commit us to transformation and unity through art. Collaboration and making-with is crucial for any type of community. I’m grateful I can experience that artistically with really cool folks. 

Amalia: I am very proud to say that as La Luna Naranja sold out very quickly, I am currently working on a new collection of painted tote bags with Luna. I am also working on a collection of paintings to have my own art exhibit soon. I am looking forward to more collabs with more creatives as I believe we can only do so much more amazing stuff when we work together.

Medusa, a “pussy pocket” bag produced by Luna Nashar. Photo courtesy of Luna Nashar

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La Luna Naranja

Modelled by Amalia Naranjo

Photographed by Oriana Confente

Garments produced by Luna Nashar

Tote bags designed by Luna Nashar and Amalia Naranjo

Hair styled by FirstClass Hair

Make-up by Dorianys Naranjo

Assisted by Vladim Vilain

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Luna Nashar

Website | Instagram

Oriana Confente

Website | Instagram | Twitter

Amalia Naranjo

Instagram

Rebecca L. Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag. She writes and creates out of her studio apartment in Ottawa, kept company by vivid dreams and a cuddly grey kitty named Dora.

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Artist Spotlight: Jen O'Connor (Part II)

Jen O’Connor. Photo courtesy of CJ Sommerfeld

In our first chat with Vancouver-based artist Jen O’Connor, she dove into the series of events which initiated her purpose to integrate consumer waste into creative works. It all started with a rejection of what she’d been taught was the first step to making art: purchasing materials. After beginning to source items that were simply around, she was propelled into garbage sculpture and subsequently constructed a public stage where she hosted a TV show-formatted performance titled Trash Talk. 

Following her sculpture and TV show endeavours, O’Connor’s divergent uses for what society refers to as ‘single-use items’ and other discarded materials have evolved into a painting practice where she merges garbage with oil paints on canvas. In part-two of our conversation with O’Connor, she further elucidates on the confluence between her garbage works and consumer culture, as well as why she documents many of her pieces via film. 

AC: Your artist statement acknowledges that society's discarded materials—which you integrate into your works—hold embedded narratives of our consumer culture. Can you elaborate on the stories that pertain to the waste, and the greater narrative that comes together once waste materials are transformed on canvas?

JO: The narratives of consumer culture are embedded in a way that we do not notice them anymore. The most banal object, such as a can, is so commonplace that we take for granted the necessity of cans when there could be alternatives to single-use objects. 

Through the process of smelting the can, its own narrative is betrayed by revealing that it is not made of solely aluminium but also a composite of plastic. The paintings may appear as an optimistic solution for the issue of waste, but this is not the reading I intend to illustrate. I want to depict, rather, the great deal of effort that must be made to reintegrate something as simple as a few pieces of refundable waste, and give them the dignified status as “diverted permanently from the landfill”.  These paintings should raise the problem of reintegration of waste. 

Even in my video work, the detritus does not become a new entity on its own. It simply gets documented through its narrative journey to the landfill. My work aims for proportional representation of waste in the gallery, of which I have barely scratched the surface.  

Jen O’Connor. Photo courtesy of CJ Sommerfeld

AC: Upon completion, you archive many of your works that are too big to store using video documentation. How did you formulate the idea to preserve your larger pieces using this approach?

JO: When I decided to produce works using garbage, I had to abandon my painting practice. Since there was so much material available, I rapidly began to work on a larger scale. These objects were not commodifiable, nor could they be stored easily, so the only hope for them to exist as artworks was through an ephemeral assemblage. In an effort to preserve my work, I chose to document.  

AC: Can you give us some examples of works which you documented via film?

The first body of work that I made entirely out of garbage was called “The Apartment”. It was a replica of my bachelor apartment made entirely out of garbage. After completing this work, I realised that I could also use both my body and others’ as free materials through performance; I then decided to build a theatre in the parking lot made entirely out of waste. This was named the Garbage Conglomerate Theatre and became the stage of Trash Talk.

Following my work through the GCT and my post-graduation art practice has veered towards film and video where I do not make the usage of garbage explicit. Instead I produce short films with a collaborative group named Sacred Projections; we have no funding which leads us to make use of free, found, scavenged and borrowed materials.

AC: What’s next on the horizon for your upcoming works?  

JO: I like to paint, draw, and illustrate tattoos when I am working solo, but I am invested in creative collaborative work at the moment. I believe that collaboration is just as important, and that it can be quite a difficult skill to have people working together towards a goal or a dream. Given the polarized directions in which our society is being pulled, I think that the community working together is of paramount importance, so I’ve been channelling my energy into producing Sacred Projections.

Sacred Projections is an open call to artists where we come together to produce short films on a monthly basis. Any type of collaboration can be difficult, so working together creatively gives us some room for abstraction. We work together to solve problems without the situation needing to be overly stressful. We are all participating because we want to, and everyone brings something to the table.I want to continue creating in this way for the time being. 

Aside from that project, I am still smelting cans and receiving interesting results in doing so. As I continue to smelt, I am collecting these materials for a future series of paintings. I also have a series of painted works in progress, entitled “22”; this series draws upon archetypes, alchemy, astrology, psychology and human behaviour. It will illustrate narratives that are reoccurring in the sphere of human activity. 

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Jen O’Connor

Website | Sacred Projections YouTube | Garbage Conglomerate YouTube

CJ Sommerfeld (she/her) is a Vancouver-based freelance writer with a particular interest in the convergence of language, art and society. When she is not writing, you can find her experimenting with harmonic minor progressions on her keyboard.

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Artist Spotlight: Jen O'Connor (Part I)

Jen O’Connor. Photo courtesy of CJ Sommerfeld

Jen O’Connor loves garbage. Confronting it as something other than society’s discarded materials, she merges this sourced waste with oil paints to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Once coalesced on canvas, her foraged pieces are preserved and a new narrative around their existence is constructed. In questioning the perceived lack of utility that surrounds garbage, O’Connor rejects consumerist culture and its intersection with creation, and instead finds use in these rejected objects. 

After graduating with a BFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design in 2020, O’Connor continues to create out of her space in Vancouver’s Chinatown. Anticipate a constellation’s worth of beer cans, debris and other seemingly prosaic items metamorphosed into plausible art-making materials in O’Connor’s works. Don’t expect blatant trash attached to canvas, but instead waste transfigured. By exposing her scavenged cans to high temperatures—a process known as smelting—the cans anodize, extinguishing their silvery colour and transforming to one that’s golden and, at times, iridescent.

Also Cool recently sat down with O’Connor to jump inside her world of beer cans and oil paints. In this first-half of our conversation, we dove into her critiques of consumption in the art world, her TV show titled Trash Talk, and sourcing debris from an off-grid island for one of her most recent works — “Smelt Series”.

The Smelt Series, created on Lasqueti Island B.C. Photo courtesy of CJ Sommerfeld

CJ Sommerfeld for Also Cool: Hey Jen, thanks for taking the time to chat with Also Cool! To get things started: you very cleverly integrate waste into your painting works, how did this practice first come about?  

Jen O’Connor: While completing my BFA at Emily Carr, I had some profound realizations about the necessity of consuming products for the making of art. I rejected shopping as the basis for art-making, resolving instead to produce works while buying nothing. This led me away from painting and towards garbage sculpture. I scavenged, found, and borrowed materials, all while also using bodies (mine and others’) through performance. I wanted to know how much I could create without consuming.

This led me to construct an entire theatre in the Easy Park parking lot adjacent to Emily Carr. I then hosted a performance entitled Trash Talk, which was a TV show-formatted performance about waste. I was the host,  and would ask participants to join me onstage to discuss issues related to waste. This became an incubator of ideas for sustainable practices; a forum where ideas, jokes and even a think tank emerged in response to the changes that we wanted to see. This series is available to see on my Garbage Conglomerate YouTube channel. 

Since this work, I have developed two parallel practices. I’ve resumed my painting practice, and have most recently produced a body of work called “The Smelt Series”. This is an effort to combine post-consumer materials with the traditional materials of art-making, such as paint and canvas. I have also continued my work with video, where I document and animate sculptures and sets through reusing, borrowing materials while incorporating collaborators to create moving paintings. 

Also Cool: Your painting practice is self-described as an "analogy to alchemy", one that seeks to derive its redemptive substance from “base matter”. Can you further demystify your work's comparison to medieval chemistry?  To clarify for our readers, can you elaborate on the term base matter with regards to your works?  

Jen: Alchemists thought that at the root of all matter was the supreme substance of gold, and if they could refine them enough, they could transmute all metals into gold. Each alchemist would have a different definition of what would be considered “base matter”, depending on their practice. Some considered ocean water to be “base matter” because it is the largest ratio of substance on earth. Other alchemists would refer to a “base matter” simply as the material they worked with the most.  Personally, I consider my base matter to be garbage or waste — anything that can be acquired for free. When I work with my materials, I seek to transform unwanted garbage into art that has value.  

As we know, iron cannot become gold except for perhaps in a particle accelerator. Many other alchemists encountered the difficulty of what it was they had set out to do, and began their work instead on the metaphysical level. If one could tune into the creativity of God and the universe, this transformation could happen at the level of spiritual realization, and it would give them control over all matter. 

I also work with the spiritual element of creation in my work by developing my intuition. When working with my materials, I leave a lot of room for the matter to express itself through the processes. I like to think that my process is reflected in the work, and hope that viewers  see my paintings as matter expressing itself.

AC: What are some examples of waste materials that we can see in your works? Where do you typically source them? 

JO: My definition of waste is broad. I would argue that materials used in the pursuit of reaching certain standards in painting, for example, also create a lot of waste. During my time as a painter, I created dozens of paintings that weren’t any good; they later became building materials for the awning on my Garbage Conglomerate Theatre.  

Emily Carr was an excellent place to source materials, and their dumpster became a horn of plenty to an artist like me. However, with increasing bureaucracy and legislation, these free rides became  short-lived. ECUAD has since made a great effort to contain their waste under lock and key, so I am no longer able to access it.  

Since graduation, I’ve resumed painting practice. Today, my work blends traditional materials such as canvas and paint with what one might consider “waste”. My favourite material to use is beer cans, since they are light and they can be affixed to either canvas or panel. Not only do I use beer cans, I prefer to have them undergo a process of smelting to allow them to reveal their more interesting properties and express themselves as matter before they are incorporated. The smelting process is where I expose the cans to flames and high temperatures, so that they begin to melt and anodize. Since aluminium has such a low melting point, the cans are promptly removed and often have interesting effects. Oftentimes, the anodizing causes the cans to take on golden properties that are reminiscent of alchemy.  

I also source a lot of debris from an off-grid island where I like to spend a lot of my time. It is difficult to dispose of waste in this environment, so there are a lot of materials for me to use. I curate the most interesting pieces and what would be easily incorporated into my painting practice and find a lot of visually interesting waste to use. 

Check back in to read part 2 of our conversation with Jen O’Connor!

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Jen O’Connor

Website | Sacred Projections YouTube | Garbage Conglomerate YouTube

CJ Sommerfeld (she/her) is a Vancouver-based freelance writer with a particular interest in the convergence of language, art and society. When she is not writing, you can find her experimenting with harmonic minor progressions on her keyboard.

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Artist Spotlight: Nora Kelly

Nora Kelly Band press photo via Nora Kelly

If anything, Nora Kelly is multi-faceted. She's done everything from painting murals in Mexico City to creating editorial work for the NY Times, not to mention playing rock shows in Montreal as Nora Kelly Band and Dish Pit.

We spoke to Nora about her creative practice, advice for other artists, and more.

via Nora Kelly

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: How did you first get into visual arts? 

Nora Kelly: I was a reclusive teenager, and drawing was something I had control over, could pick up and put down whenever I wanted. I think my continued dedication to art is for similar reasons. I need a lot of alone time, and paintings and drawing are great ways to spend one's time.

Also Cool: Have you always practiced with the same mediums, or has that changed over the years?

Nora: First, I was into drawing. I didn't start painting until I was in university. I was probably the worst painter in my class when I started at Concordia. Now I can't get enough of it. 

via Nora Kelly

AC: When did you first start doing murals? What was your experience with the creative scene in Mexico City?

NK: I had always dreamed of being a muralist, but it's kind of a catch-22 getting your foot in the door. No one wants you to paint their wall if you have never done it before, but without any murals to show on your resume, you aren't going to get that first wall. 

When I moved to Mexico City in 2017 and a mural company called Street Art Chilango hired me, I was so excited. At first, I was handing spray paint cans to more experienced artists, but eventually, they gave me my first wall. They are a very prestigious company, working with clients like Vans and Ray-Ban, but after 6 months, I quit because I had always been into the democratic quality of street art. I like that it's accessible to anyone walking by, and I didn't want to be involved in painting glorified ads for large corporations. I went door to door, asking smaller businesses in Mexico City if they wanted a mural and have gotten all my work that way since, even in Canada. 

AC: Do you have any advice for anyone looking to do more professional / commissioned work as a visual artist but doesn't know where to start?

NK: I'm kind of type-A, but my advice would be to get into spreadsheets. Email 20 people or businesses a day and keep a log of who you're spamming. Eventually, you'll get a hit, I guarantee, and it then it only gets easier from there.  

via Nora Kelly

AC: Do you find there's a difference between your commissioned work and the work you make purely for yourself? How do you balance the two?

NK: Definitely. My commissioned work is usually based on pictures and comes out more realistic. When I'm doing something for myself, I tend to work from my imagination and take risks, which keeps the whole process exciting. 

AC: What's your creative process like? 

NK: I like to walk my dog and come up with ideas. Usually, I paint at night because I stay up late, and it gives me something to do while my roommates are asleep. 

via Nora Kelly

AC: Who are some other creatives who inspire you?

NK: The most inspirational people are usually the people closest to me. I have a kind of friendly competition with myself, and seeing the people around me giving it their all makes me want to work harder. In terms of favourite acclaimed painters, I've always been fond of Rousseau, Peter Doig, Hilma af Klint and, of course, Francis Bacon. 

Watch Nora Kelly Band's latest music video for their song "Hymn for Agnostics" below.

Nora Kelly

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Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.

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Artist Spotlight: James Collier

Art by James Collier

Enter the world of James Collier, one filled with birds in suits on their ways to work, night time walks and industrial environments slowly becoming overtaken by nature.

We chatted with James over email to learn more about his creative practice and inspirations. If you find yourself wanting some work of his for your own, you can DM him on Instagram.

Art by James Collier

Also Cool Mag: How did you get into making visual art? What mediums do you use most often?

James Collier: Drawing and cartooning have almost always been part of my life. I learned how to read from Carl Barks' Donald Duck comics and grew up drawing all the time. My dad is a great cartoonist, and there were always comic books around which I would consume voraciously. I never really questioned art-making as a kid and thought making comics and drawing was just an intrinsic part of life, a way of making sense of the world. I stopped drawing altogether for a while though, and it wasn't until age 18 or 19, after a particularly bad mental health episode, that I picked it up again.

Mediums are pencil, ink, paper. Most of it is done in various notebooks with cheap pens or graphite on Stonehenge paper when at home. Though drawing is the most accessible, both cost and space-wise right now, I'd like to explore printmaking more in the near future.

Art by James Collier

Also Cool: What kind of work and aesthetics were you interested in early in your creative practice? What inspires you now?

JC: Again, Carl Barks was a big one. There are a lot of people like Milt Gross and E.C. Segar who were/are big influences. Julie Doucet is continually inspiring – I can't wait for her new book, coming out in the spring.

I'm looking at the printmaking work of people like K the Kollwitz and James Ensor a lot these days. Herge, Joost Swarte, E.S. Glenn. The comics and drawings of Walker Tate as well. The comics and zines of U.K.-based artist Michael Kennedy are very inspiring. I've started looking at Walt Kelly again. I really like Charles Burchfield's paintings. I've also been looking at photographers such as André Kertész and Alfred Stieglitz.

Art by James Collier

AC: Where did you grow up? How did your upbringing shape your ideas about art and design?

JC: I grew up in Hamilton, Ontario. Hamilton is a city known for steel manufacturing. It's pretty grey, generally. Plenty of abandoned vacant lots, which I've gone back and drawn. There were also hidden bits of nature that you could get away to. There was an overgrown area known to my family as the "secret spot" that you could get to by canoe, as it was across the Hamilton Bay. I spent a lot of time reading and drawing there. There were also people around that you could collaborate with. My first printed work was with a local kid on my block, where we created a small photocopied zine entitled "The Guy who Never Returned" at age six. I don't remember what was in it, but we went around selling it on the street.

Art by James Collier

AC: How has your personal style developed over time? Can you tell us a bit about your bird characters?

JC: It's just the result of continually drawing in sketchbooks. It's a subconscious development, so it just changes incrementally over time. It's hard to track development. 

As for the bird characters, while working as a window washer, I would be very tired at the end of the day and barely have time to make a few doodles and scribbles before bed. The birds emerged in my sketchbook one night while fatigued, and I've kept drawing them since. Related to this, I'm working on a comic right now about a duck with insomnia.

AC: Tell us a bit about the creative communities you've connected with and any artists/projects within them who inspire you.

JC: I'm lucky that I currently live around many talented artists. Being able to show things to people around you helps with not becoming disillusioned. I've found creative communities even in the world of minimum-wage work. When I was working at Metro Food Inc., as a greeter during the height of the pandemic, I had many discussions with the security guard about old animation and art history. Right now, I work at an art supply store with nice people who are very encouraging when I show them drawings.

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James Collier is a cartoonist and visual artist originally from Hamilton, Ontario and currently living in Montréal, Quebec.

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Artist Spotlight: Sophie El Assaad

Hello, and welcome to a small walk-through of the world of Sophie El Assaad.

Sophie is an award-winning designer, director, and theatre-maker, and she cannot help but ooze her lovely sweet creative aura. I would describe her energy as a light fluffy mist that may crack with a low rumble or quick flash of lightning. 

With her company, Theatre Nuaj, she has developed the project Black Balloon in many iterations: live outdoors in Centaur Theatre’s Portico Project late 2020, as Leila, a short film presented at Centaur Theatre’s 2021 Wildside Festival, and through multiple residencies.

This interview was held over two sessions with the intent to give a non-linear progression and experience of Sophie’s thoughts and world through visuals, direct quotes, as well as some snippets of her work or inspiration.

Sophie has curated a playlist here, that I would encourage you to listen to as you read through.

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Segment from experimental video ( Sophie El Assaad, circa 2014)

I thought about this word yesterday.
[ Underbelly ]

Maybe I should have used it when describing themes I like to work with artistically; the hidden violent side that exists in people.

“For my birthday, my dad got me a cake, my mum got me a cake, and my sister got me a cake. It was perfect.”

On working in residency on Black Balloon:

In the past, I approached work via building a very solid core and working my way out of it, but what my last creation residency has done (working with dancers and movement actors) was it allowed me to be use impulse and intuition, working from the outside in, and discovering what that means afterward — the whole process of trusting the work and the process has been super interesting — very scary and always kept me on my toes, but, in the end, amounted to something reliant on body and emotions rather than intellectuality.

I really like involving artists that don’t necessarily specialize in the medium, who can contribute to the piece in unexpected ways and teach me. I just love surprises. The actor who played Leila (Maria Marsli) was not an actor before we worked together, for example.

Segment from Sophie El Assaad’s video Leila, shown at the Centaur Theatre’s Wildside Festival in 2021 ( This process is made possible by the support from the Government of Québec and the City of Montréal as part of l’Entente sur le développement culturel de Montréal, and from the Canada Council for the Arts)

Sometimes in film, I think that theatricality is lost because you have the liberty to take many takes to get it exactly how you want and perfect it. Filming a mistake rather than having to start again could be a form of theatricality in video that I am interested in exploring. Those moments really drive me - those moments of live, unpredictable human behaviour, mistakes.

I really love paying attention to the little details that happen in the in between space — the micro moments before going into action. Observing that – it’s so beautiful when you can see it and take the time to watch the brain processing and how it translates through the body.

It’s been amazing to shift my process upside down and give more control to other artists involved in my process- it’s liberating and collaborative! It leaves a lot of room for surprise and the unpredictable.

The photo was taken by Sophie El Assaad of Chadia Kikondjo for the project Black Balloon: Portico Project. 2020

An important image for Black Balloon was the moon. There’s a theory that the moon was created by a collision that happened between the earth and another planet and all the debris that was created from the collision that was floating around the orbit of the earth came together through gravity to form the moon. So it was through destruction that this essential part of our world was created.

“I’ve always wanted to be the kind of person to memorize poetry and say it to someone in the right moment.”

On decolonizing work and family history:

I am trying to decolonize my work by doing a lot more research into my own culture and bringing that into the process. I’m Lebanese, and I grew up in Bahrain, but I find I am very Western in how I was brought up; my mum is British, and I went to Western schools. So everything I learned in terms of history and art is from a Western perspective. So I’m going through this process right now — it’s kind of like an identity crisis or rebirth — of rediscovering my father, his culture and baggage, through my art. In a way, it feels like the longer I am physically away from my Middle Eastern roots, the more I try to get closer to it through my work. There is an invisible thread tying me to the sea, the sounds of street cats and the call to prayers, the salt in the air, the sand and the rocky desert. It’s like a past life that I constantly mourn. Even though I love my current life and probably wouldn’t move back, there is a certain void.

Image of my paternal ancestors. My grandmother is the young girl between the man and woman.

My dad shows his love through cooking. Every Sunday, my dad cooks and my sister and I go and spend time with the family (as much as we can). He actively plans his weekend around what he is going to cook for us. It’s a great way to bring me back to my past living in Bahrain, or summers spent in Beirut with family, because he mostly cooks Lebanese food (even though my mum’s British palette doesn’t always leap for joy at it). He’s a very silent man and there's a lot about him that I find very mysterious. Sometimes it’s hard to connect. That’s kind of why I feel driven to researching and creating through my ancestral culture. It’s also a way for me to connect with and rediscover my dad.

Image of a broken mirror (photo by Sophie El Assaad)

Something that has been inspiring me lately are the traces of life that you can find in dead material. I am obsessed! An example would be a shattered mirror – it holds the traces of the action in its appearance. It has so much energy locked into its absolute stillness.

Flayed Man Holding a Dagger and His Skin, From Juan Valverde de Amusco, Anatomia del corpo humano, 1560

Some of my favourite ways of working costumes are when I can put a lot of energy or emotion into a fabric – new fabric (especially when it is machine made) is “dead”, but the more you manipulate it, the more it absorbs your energy and holds traces of that love or hate – like human skin. You can often tell the kind of life a person has had from their skin and it’s the same with material. If you give love to material, you can see it. And I try to put that into consideration as much as possible when I’m thinking of design and how I treat my materials. They’ll share their life story with anyone who’ll pay attention, using their own unique language.

I love the body. That’s why I love theatre, performance and dance. There is something I am really drawn to in certain art – it’s this primal connection that, as humans, we tend to neglect or actively conceal in our daily lives. I love to see the body do things that I don’t get to see in my daily life because it’s a part of my being that I don’t really get to explore. Witnessing our primal side, or the animal within us, is cathartic for me. There is a violence inside all of us that I think is dormant but easily awoken. We see it in times of war, or political hysteria.

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“There is a secret part of me that I would really love to have more opportunity to explore – my clown.”

When I say clown, I mean a weird creepy out of control thing. I have this clown that I only present to some people. I don’t know what their name is yet, but she’s a troll. She comes out sometimes when I am in a special mood.

Self-portrait of one of my inner trolls. 2022

When I get into my clown, it just happens naturally and not very often – it’s funny, talking about it makes it sound as though it’s a real thing that is developed, but I have only recently discovered her. She comes out when I say something mean or that I consider unreasonable (or when I get exaggeratedly emotional/passionate) – “ah there she is! The troll is out”. It’s my way of coping with my inner animal.

I don’t know if stories belong to anybody – it’s not necessarily about where a person is from or what they have personally experienced, but how a story is told. I definitely think that if someone wants to talk about an experience or an identity that isn’t theirs, they need to make sure they work with people who have that experience or identity, to make sure the story is developed in an informed way. It is important to have that authentic perspective.

I think artists need to be accountable for how they represent people, especially if those people are marginalised in society and already have that weight to carry. There is an ethical question to ask about whether you are profiting from a situation that misrepresents others. I think there is great responsibility that comes with the privilege of being an artist who is given a public platform.

Unfinished painting of a horse by Sophie El Assaad

Image from a workshop of a creation piece by Sophie El Assaad ,2022. Lighting designed by Zoe Roux and modeled by Nasim Lootij.

Image from Sophie El Assaad’s video Leila, shown at the Centaur Theatre’s Wildside Festival in 2021 (Chadia Kikondjo as Mother Moon; This process is made possible by the support from the Government of Québec and the City of Montréal as part of l’Entente sur le développement culturel de Montréal, and from the Canada Council for the Arts)

On process:

I saw a lot of my early work as internships – there wouldn’t be a lot of budget or pay, but what I did get was experience and a platform, so I saw those as my opportunities to go all out and take risks (I also chose projects that really inspired me, so it fueled me in other ways than just financial). For me, the extra time put into the work was worth it. I don’t know if it’s what I would recommend to others, but it’s what I did to get my career started.

Costumes designed by Sophie El Assaad for the show Jonathan Livingston: A Seagull Parable, (Surreal SoReal/ Geordie Theatre, photo by Marie Andrée Lemire)

“If I have an idea I think, ‘Can I do it? Maybe not, but why not try and see what happens?’”

Mask created by Sophie El Assaad for the band Fleece for album Stunning and Atrocious in 2021. Photograph by Cameron Mitchell, Styling by Kayleigh Choiniere, Clothes by Lucas Stowe and modeled by Owen.

“I would also love to make a play about pigeons. Write a play, or ask someone to write a play and just have giant pigeons having a conversation.”

My pigeon friends Pin Pin and Smithy (the ones that live on my building, that I feed) – they’ve started this repetitive occurrence. Every morning they have a choir session. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard pigeons but they gather so close to my windows and it’s a cacophony of chirps and bubbles. It is so beautiful.

I have a fascination with birds. I love seeing little sparrows in the winter when they’re in the bushes — because they look like leaves but then they move around — so it becomes a sort of like, magical and alive bush.

I think recording rehearsals can be useful in my future projects – seeing how accidents can become pieces in themselves. But I also see it as a way of approaching the process. For example, what would happen if you filmed something, like a small gesture, edited it on video to slow down or twitch it, then brought it back into rehearsal. Being influenced by the technology and what that offers and finding how it can bring meaning is something I want to experiment with. I think it could bring unexpected approaches to movement and performance. Video is like a second pair of eyes, noticing the little details you can’t capture during a rehearsal. 

“There is something about the early rehearsal process, the magic that comes during improv. Because it’s live and in the moment — it’s so raw and unrehearsed, completely reliant on intuition — it’s truly magic.”

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Sophie El Assaad

Holly Hilts is a core member of Also Cool. She is a maker of things: theatre sets, jewelry and websites, currently based in Montreal.

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Montreal Designer Kate Turner Talks Launching a Brand, Montreal's Fashion Scene & Sustainability

Kate Turner modelled by Emily Lê, photographed by Bea Scharf-Pierzchala

When I moved to Montreal, one of the first things I noticed was how uniquely well-dressed everyone is, nonchalantly making the city their runway. It seemed like no one cared to judge each other too harshly for wearing something other than big box stores and name brands, with many people wearing their friend's clothing lines or merch. 

As the world opens up again and I've started going out more, I can't help but feel the same way I did all those years ago: Totally enamoured with the creativity I see in the way people dress. The combination of having so much time to ourselves, without having to dress for others, and now the celebratory ability to go out again has made for an explosion of personal expression and unique style. 

What's even better is seeing friends' brands or creative projects being worn out in the world. It feels special to bond with a stranger because you're both wearing a garment that your friend made or to recognize the coolest pants you've ever seen on Instagram worn by someone casually doing groceries.

Kate Turner is one of those brands that makes you stop and say, "Wait, I think I've seen those before!" I've been a long-time admirer of her designs, and it's been exciting to see the brand grow and collaborate with mutual friends, fostering the fashion scene in Montreal. Her iconic green and black checkered pieces have been worn by the likes of Lil Miquela and just about every cool Montrealer out there.

I caught up with Kate over email about her latest collection, how she got started, sustainability, and a lot more.

Kate Turner modelled by Emily Lê, photographed by Bea Scharf-Pierzchala

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool Mag: Let's start with a bit about who you are and what you do.

Kate Turner: I'm Kate - I make clothes under the name Kate Turner.

Also Cool: How did you first get into fashion? Has this creative practice always been in your life, or is it something that came later?

KT: I liked to sew in high school, and I thought I was a cool dresser back then. My family is full of creative people, specifically my mom and aunts; they heavily influence me. 

After high school, I pursued other things but came back to sewing in my mid 20's. I started making really basic baggy dresses, and shirts and people loved them. Then a store sent me a message saying they would like to sell my clothes and I was so excited I didn't sleep. I was up all night thinking about how it was even possible to make clothes for a living. I wanted to study some more before starting my own brand, so I did a textile design studio program in a mountain town in BC. I consider myself self-taught as far as fashion design with a background in textile art. 

Kate Turner modelled by Emily Lê, photographed by Bea Scharf-Pierzchala

Also Cool: How has your brand evolved over time, and what have you learned about yourself and your creative practice in the process?

KT: My brand evolves with my personal growth, the skills I learn and the connections I make. It is all on display. 

I had a studio in Chabanel for a year and made a lot of connections with small factories there. I found somewhere that makes ribbons out of whatever fabric you choose, so everything I made (like the Maya suits) had ribbons all over them. I am now into elastic shirring and making everything stretchy and texturized. I bought a specialized twelve-needle machine that took me more than a month to get working, so expect a lot more shirred items in the future! 

My creative process is all about making samples. That can be the scariest and hardest part, but it's really great to get ideas out of your head and see them in the physical world. 

AC: How do you incorporate sustainable practices into your brand? 

KT: That's a tricky question; I'm very wary of greenwashing and using "eco-friendly" as a way to sell clothes. I think the only way to be truly sustainable is to not make any new clothes at all. I think brands are misguided by marketing their things as such. 

All that being said, the things I do as a small brand are source secondhand first, deadstock next and high-end virgin fabrics like silk and linen. I save all of my scraps and either reuse them or give them away to hobby sewers. I've recently introduced hemp into my studio this year; it takes the least amount of water to grow each fibre and lasts for hundreds of years. 

Kate Turner modelled by Emily Lê, photographed by Bea Scharf-Pierzchala

AC: It seems like often people don't understand the amount of time, energy, and resources it takes to run a small brand. Could you break down this process for us and explain a bit about what goes on behind the scenes?

KT: I think a lot of people don't realize that behind the scenes, there are so many samples made before a garment is released. Even if it is a simple piece, there are usually a few prototypes/samples made and tested. And then you have to make one of each size and get those fitted. I always make my first prototypes out of secondhand bedsheets and then go from there. I make everything myself along with one seamstress, but I do get things like buttonholes, grommets, trims and spaghetti straps made in Chabanel. 

Kate Turner modelled by Emily Lê, photographed by Bea Scharf-Pierzchala

AC: What has your experience with Montreal's fashion scene/community been like?

KT:  I love making clothes in Montreal. I'm like a sponge; I get so inspired by what my friends and people on the street are wearing. It's quite impressive how creative people are at dressing in this city. It feels like you can wear the wildest outfits, and no one will even notice, which is not the case for most of Canada. It's a beautiful thing to witness Montrealers showing up and accepting expressions of our true selves through fashion, art and music.

AC: Last but not least, how can we best support you and your brand?

KT: The best way to support my brand is to show up to events that I have and engage in any way you can. You don't have to buy anything, but just showing up to support goes a long way. I'm grateful for the support I receive from my community.

Kate Turner modelled by Emily Lê, photographed by Bea Scharf-Pierzchala

Kate Turner

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Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.

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Artist Spotlight: Henry Hu

whitesink by Henry Hu (inkjet print on cotton rag 24 x 16 cm) from passing parade, 2019 (10/10)

How do you decide to go from civil engineering to making a career for yourself as a visual artist? How do you know when it’s the right time to trust your intuition, and make that major life change that you need? For Henry Hu, these kinds of decisions have shaped his journey to becoming a full-time visual artist.

Exercising through various mediums, Henry Hu's (born 1995 Hong Kong) emerging practice commits to an infusion. An exchange. An immediacy. A link between the interior and the exterior — of a self, a being, an identity, a consciousness. 

Each individual series offers an overarching narrative, steps away from the present for a spell: tasked with casting new perspectives, fresh air to breathe, a spiritual relief. Often juxtaposing the past with the future, differing forms of surrealistic fantasies unfold across his works; along with a recurring structure, the heart of all series rests in harmony.

To be presented in dialogue with one another, all proposing works speak to the different natures of human existence, the quiet, the chaotic, those hushed periods, and at times the buzzing bangs.

Earlier this summer, we spoke to Henry about his work, travels, and how he decided to switch from civil engineering to visual art.

airydust by Henry Hu (inkjet print on cotton rag 24 x 16 cm) from passing parade, 2019 (4/10)

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: Let's start at the beginning. Has your creative practice always been a part of your life? How has it changed over time?

Henry Hu: No, not at all -- growing up, on no occasion was I engaged in anything creative, I suppose I just didn't particularly care for it. Looking back, I was nonchalant. My younger self was rather indifferent; nothing at school piqued my interest, and I never really paid much attention or even had the ambition to achieve anything. Quite honestly, I was just sort of present, unoccupied, existing really, that's all. Not once did it cross my mind, the desire to devote myself. But I did enjoy movies; that was the one childhood obsession that persisted over the years. 

It wasn't until at university, shortly after I started a degree in civil engineering that it didn't seem worthwhile. Still, I didn't dare to picture a future in a creative line of work. Then, it all came about ... a realization. I acted on an impulse, and from there, my inclination to pursue arts and film quickly hardened into determination. 

I began doing small series of digital arts, both static and motion works. It made sense for me spatially, didn't cost a lot, only a computer was needed. Meanwhile, I buried myself in films, day in, day out, revisiting different eras of past cinema. Eventually, the works from directors like Antonioni, Éric Rohmer, Víctor Erice, Edward Yang, Kieślowski, Woody Allen stood out and entirely broadened, reshaped my perception of films. It was then when I started to write. Straightway I recognized the familiarity; it was comfortable. I was at ease and was confident that films would be my primary outlet. I also registered that it would be a long road ahead before I could actualize my screenplays. 

Anyhow, I kept on with the visual works, trying out various mediums. Graphics, art books, photographs, and a little later, mixed media initiated the urge to coexist physical and digital arts. Until then, I had been utilizing solely digital tools, so it was essentially the desire to do something concrete, dynamic, and perhaps on a larger scale. With that in mind, I made new sets of digital artworks, specifically for print, onto numerous fabrics, surfaces -- eager to see how they would interact with raw materials: acrylics, spray paints, threads, modelling doughs. Trials and errors charted the progress, noting the little details. The end result was a plunge into maximalism, a playful flux of colour. But still, traces of everything pre-existed. 

It is merely fortuitous that this new direction, quite the polar opposite, from the films I have envisioned, which are all very hushed and quiet, muted tones. Nonetheless, it is a nice balance, separating the two mediums.

Selected work from night dot surrender by Henry Hu (2020)

Also Cool: You've lived in so many incredible cultural hubs. Can you tell us a bit about each one and what your experience was like there?

Henry: I was raised in Hong Kong, up north. I had a pleasant childhood and had many uneventful years of growth. I wouldn't have appreciated it then, but it is a time now I feel very fond of. My parents took us hiking quite often, surprisingly. For such a small city, Hong Kong has a wide-ranging of walking trails and mountains. Nature, I think, the fields, the woods, spring, winter, the clouds overhead, the streams beneath, they are gifts for a child. 

At fourteen, I started attending a boarding school in Queensland, Australia. There was a drastic shift in environment, to say the least, but frankly, there wasn't much to take away; they were good years. And the changes were all surface level, however significant they might seem first. 

Following high school, I moved to Sydney for university, and, well, that's that. To be fair, I never did feel deeply rooted in any particular place, culture -- but I am awfully glad for the experiences. It is what it is.

Selected work from night dot surrender by Henry Hu (2020)

AC: You switched out of a degree in civil engineering and instead developed your passion for art and film. What was that process like? How did you learn to trust your intuition in that way?

H: It was months of dissonance and dread. A turbulent time for me, so to speak. The loss of a dear friend. Riddled with unrest, unsettled. I turned inward. It wasn't very dramatic, and it didn't happen overnight. But once I went forward with the visual works and writings, I realized that I belonged. That was it. 

Strangely enough, it was then that I saw myself coming into being for the first time. I suppose you have to narrow yourself to a point, for better or worse. Staying truthful, being mindful, what to do, what not to do, within reason. The ring of authenticity. It is difficult to hold the line, and it is difficult to stay true, but it is very fulfilling to the spirit. Having reached an understanding, of sorts, to yourself. 

Now I tend to believe there wasn't actually any underlying cause -- obviously, the events that occurred factored in. Everything factored in. And yet, sometimes, it's just meant to be. When I discontinued the degree, it was liberating. I never gave it a thought other than to be sort of pleased. I wasn't at all seeking validation; I just got on with it. So it was, more or less, the willingness to accept, to really heed your own thoughts and feelings. They can be very telling. All things considered, I am grateful, at that very moment, the external circumstances allowed me to proceed, to an extent. I was granted the privilege to move forward, so it was fortunate for me, I guess. 

In the end, it also just boils down, instead of letting the decisions be governed by fear -- simply, a leap of faith. Not necessarily any grand expectations. More so, a belief, the self-assurance that it was the right path -- I, myself, made the conscious decision to commit, with that, whatever happens, happens … and, that's okay.

motor by Henry Hu (inkjet print on cotton rag 24 x 16 cm) from passing parade, 2019 (5/10)

AC: What's the creative scene like where you are right now? What do you like about it, and what do you wish there was more of?

H: Earlier in the year, I had the opportunity to assist with indie films around Sydney. It was educative to spend time on set, to be observant. All around, it was delightful. As far as visual arts, well, in truth, I don't really know … Everybody does it differently. There are no rules. I had always intended to make some things on my own before branching out, connecting, and sharing. And so I did; I stayed underground, gave myself the time and space to work. But I am sure it's a very interesting scene out there, and now I look forward to getting more involved.

it hangs by Henry Hu (inkjet print on cotton rag 24 x 16 cm) from passing parade, 2019 (8/10)

AC: I'm interested in how you incorporate sequencing into your work. Can you expand on this?

H: From the beginning, my approach was to develop full bodies of work, no matter the medium. For the most part, especially with the photographs and digital stuff, once I feel I have enough materials. I take a few days, occasionally a few weeks off, a clearing. Afterwards, I come back, work on the sequencing, and finish off. This was a process that emerged incidentally. Now I do it on purpose. 

With the mixed media works, it was somewhat different. I had all the pieces visualized, sketched out before getting hands-on with the paints. I was attentive, more meticulous, and deliberate with the materials and structures -- how this particular piece should close out the series or how this colour won't work unless applied to that specific texture. I did put in extra precision and clarity -- constructing, rearranging, bits here, pieces there. It was a new thing for me; I had no prior knowledge of paints. I thought if I were to do this, I might as well do it the way that felt most organic. I listen to music when I work. My mind would have been filled with second-hand rhythms and tempos, ingrained with a given flow, pacing of things. After all, it is instinctive. Now and then, things naturally align. They seem genuine and sincere. I will just leave it at that. It would be very unwise to fight against it.

let in by Henry Hu (inkjet print on cotton rag 24 x 16 cm) from passing parade, 2019 (6/10)

AC: Who are some artists/creatives that are really inspiring you right now? (feel free to shout out friends)

H: I have been reading, re-reading a bunch lately. Sylvia Plath, her journals are something I return to regularly. Anne Truitt, who was known for her sculptures, but her writings are very stimulating to me. They are well worth the read. 

With films, this young Chinese writer-director Bi Gan, his works are precious, I highly await whatever he does next. 

Current music excites me a great deal. Mount Eerie, Julia Holter, Beach House, Weyes Blood, Florist, Perfume Genius, Car Seat Headrest, Let's Eat Grandma, James Blake, Tomberlin, Jockstrap, Laura Marling, Snail Mail. This year only, new records from Dry Cleaning, Vince Staples, Wolf Alice, Black Country New Road, Julien Baker. It's just joyful to have so much I could anticipate all the time. It's a good feeling. And also, Helena Deland, I came across her debut last year, been playing it ever since. (A nice surprise to see there's an interview piece with her on Also Cool!)

AC: What are you hoping to do more of in 2021, both creatively and career-wise?

H: Sydney is in lockdown at the moment. A chance to entertain new ideas. It's been productive. Did some digital art stuff. Continuing with the screenplays, visual references and research, all that. Just getting on, really -- I don't know how it's all going to pan out, but I am satisfied, the journey so far, I guess we will see.

Henry Hu

Website I Instagram I Twitter

Malaika Astorga is the co-founder of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.

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Miles Away Perfectly Captures Our Lustful, Summer Nostalgia

Still from Miles Away. Photos provided by the filmmakers

Nostalgia, heartbreak, toxicity, growing up, losing yourself… “Miles Away” portrays the deep nuances and contradictions of existence, the difficulty of navigating love when you lose yourself too deeply in its web, and when the last rays of the summer sun hit you with a wave of regret. Miles Away was the summer anti-love story we all needed.

I met with the film’s executive producer and production designer, Naomi Berezowsky, on a hot and humid Tuesday afternoon in Montreal. We sat down on the window ledge of her wood-paneled industrial loft she shared with other creatives throughout the pandemic, a space of art and collectivity. The late afternoon sun gave the room a warm summer atmosphere as we talked about Miles Away and her involvement with the film.

Still from Miles Away. Photos provided by the filmmakers

Losing Yourself and Finding Your Way Back with Miles Away

“At its core, the film is an anti-love story, set between the worlds of jazz and skateboarding. It serves as a time capsule for pre-pandemic 20-somethings evading the responsibilities of adulthood for the dream of an endless party, with no consequence.”

The story-less story follows Miles and Lulu as their worlds melt together when they fall in love, and the disintegration of that world. From drugs to skateboarding to making art in morning sun after a night of sex, the film touches upon the most intimate, seemingly insignificant moments of life which are what make us all too human. It is like a bird’s-eye view into those situations where we find ourselves feeling powerful, and yet are at our most vulnerable.

Shot in black and white, the nostalgia of the film is not just captured by the complex relationships, dialogues, and interactions between the characters, but by the beautiful Vancouver locations chosen by the team. From rollercoasters and urban parks to make-shift jazz clubs, the shooting was truly what Berezowsky calls “a love letter to Vancouver.”

The film does not follow the classic “lead in - climax - lead out” structure most Hollywood films do. The film is more nuanced than that, embodying the sense of fluidity and lust in the very way it was shot. It brings you closer to the raw experience of life – that hard-hitting reality that your actions will always affect others, no matter how much you try to escape it.

Watching the film, you are confronted with the most simple yet beautiful exposition of a human paradox: how freeing it feels to lose control, yet how destructive it can become when you strive to take control of the uncontrollable. I recommend Miles Away for anyone who has felt that inescapable, existential emptiness that hits when endless summer nights are just a bit too long.

Berezowsky sums it up best when she said, “it’s about when you lose yourself in a substance, you lose yourself in a relationship, you lose yourself in a lust for something... That lust for the endless party.” The cycle of neglecting external issues in youth and learning to take responsibility for oneself in adulthood – Miles Away forces us close to what we seek to push away and hide the most.

Still from Miles Away. Photos provided by the filmmakers

The Making of Miles Away

“As soon as we started filming, we threw away the script.” 

With a low budget of $25,000, Miles Away was shot over 12 days throughout the summer of 2019 after two years of development and prep. The crew committed to a summer schedule of four days a week, divided between filming and additional prep. Miles Away was shot all around the Vancouver area, with a couple of shots taken in Sydney, Australia. Berezowsky describes it as her “saving grace” from the other work she was doing for Hallmark holiday shows.

The film went a little – well, actually, completely – off script. With guidance from the director, who also plays the protagonist Miles, the actors “knew where the scene needed to go, [and] where it needed to end up for the story to be told.” Perhaps this is what gave the film its edge and relatability, what Berezowsky describes as its “organic” quality.

“What’s so interesting about it is that it exists in a semi-crafted reality,” explained Berezowsky. “It sits between truth and fiction, which is just really rare….it’s hard to [compare it] to anything else.” 

Not only did the actors’ instincts guide the film to its result, but the team itself was fluid in its roles. “We all wore a lot of hats because we were such a skeleton crew,” explains Berezowsky, emphasizing the fact that the film was pulled with only about ten people on the production team and thirty on cast. “There were moments when we all had to act as the assistant director,” she continues, especially in moments where the director was in character.

Blurring the lines between fact and fiction may be best illustrated when Berezowky gave a description of her impromptu and unexpected acting role in the film. It happened during the night when one of the most emotionally intense scenes was shot. “It was pushing midnight,” explains Berezowsky, “and everybody was kind of restless.

“I’m a musician and I’m a poet, and to fill this space where everyone was getting a bit restless, I went on the microphone and started reciting any of my slam poetry that I could think of on the spot... Then I sang this song that I actually wrote, [so] my own song is at the very end of the film which is pretty sweet.”

This kind of situation was not uncommon for the production of Miles Away. As she describes it, “I was the production designer and I ended up being in the film substantially… and that was unexpected but that’s just a testament to how organic [everything was] and how everything just unfolded really naturally.

“It was the team’s first time working together, and the first time creating a film for several of them. Receiving proper funding and support has been a difficult part of the process: a lot of people kind of wrote us off and were like ‘these are a bunch of kids with a video camera, good luck,’ and we’re still getting that today.

“[It’s] just about the power of the collective... we push each other, we inspire each other, we champion each other, and that’s why we’re still doing this.”

Behind-the-scenes of Miles Away. Photos provided by the filmmakers

Communicating the Language of the Film: Berezovsky's Story

“Sometimes it’s difficult to ask questions, sometimes it’s difficult to be like… ‘I don’t understand this form of trauma, I don’t understand this form of mental illness.’ But if given the chance to see it played out for you on film, you’re able to experience it vicariously through the character.”

This kind of experience is what Berezovsky,  on the set of Miles Away, helped to bring. “The production designer is responsible for the decorating, they’re responsible for the props, they’re responsible for any art that you see,” she explains. When production design is done well, explains Berezowsky, it is that “ ...you are learning about the character through it.”

Berezowsky began her career in film at twenty-four when she moved to Vancouver from her home state of Washington to study film. She began working on holiday shows, which helped her realize what she didn’t want to do with films: tell laughable and depthless stories “which served no purpose.”

As production designer, her role was to create “the visual language of the film” – the unspoken associations we create in our minds when we look at the environment of a scene. A hole in the wall may communicate anger, empty beer and wine bottles could communicate loneliness.“When you are creating the visual language of a film, it’s about the subtext… When you’re reading the script, and you’re reading the dialogue, and you’re reading these actions, there’s always a subtext to these actions.” 

Filmmaking, what she believes to be “the most powerful medium,” can give people “the chance to see the world through other people’s eyes.” After pausing and thinking, she continues to say that what film provides is the opportunity for people to “be confronted with… a human experience that they wouldn’t necessarily understand – or be able to – and definitely not be able to identify with themselves.”

Aside from her busy filmmaking life, Berezowsky is also part of a band SRFISNOYS, whose upcoming demo you can soon stream on their Soundcloud.

Naomi Berezovsky, the executive producer and production designer of Miles Away. Photo credits to

Miles Away

by Size 8 Studio

written and directed by Samuel Campbell Wilson

produced by Alexandra Francis and Eric Medcalf

Instagram | Support the film on Indie GoGo

Soline Van de Moortele is a Philosophy student at Concordia/insatiable feminist, raver, and writer.

Wordpress

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Artist Spotlight: Camila Gaza Manly / @lysvonasta

Camila Gaza Manly. Photo courtesy of Kitty Evans, styling by Céline Blais.

Looking for an extra touch of magic to brighten up your home – literally? Montreal-based lighting designer Camila Gaza Manly has made it her mission to blend artistry with functionality through her lighting collection known as Lys von Asta. Her craftsmanship maintains a strong sense of curiosity, producing ethereal light sculptures that truly shine.

Through comforting clouds of meringue and cheeky expressions of novelty, Camila’s work proves that it is possible to add whimsy to everyday needs and spaces. In exploring her work, I realize the deep symbolism of lamps in the home. Our spaces can be a reflection of ourselves, offering representations of our tastes and values. While lighting may be broadly used to reveal other decor, lamps themselves can – and should – be works of art.

Scroll on to read my delightful conversation with Camila, peppered with creative influences and reflections on her artistic growth. Take a look around your space, and imagine what more it could be.

The lamps of Lys von Asta. Photo courtesy of Kitty Evans.

Rebecca L. Judd for Also Cool: Hi there Camila, thank you for taking the time to speak with me! I’m so curious about you and your art, and I know our readers are too.

To get started, I would love to know more about your creative background. How did you first emerge as an artist, and as a lighting designer more specifically?

Camila Gaza Manly: I would say both go back pretty far in my life. I grew up on Vancouver Island in BC, so I had a very rural upbringing – surrounded by nature, going to the ocean and camping…  I also went to Waldorf school, which was a big early influence on my development artistically. So when it comes to my artistic style and early background, [those things] are a strong foundation that I still draw from a lot now. 

Both sides of my family are very artistic – my mom’s side is German, and she’s an artist. Both her parents were artists. My whole family [were] painters and sculptors, it’s probably in my blood or something (laughs). My dad's side is half Danish with lots of wood workers, and he's a musician. [His family] had farms and were always working with their hands and being artistic.

I came up with the name for my project during lockdown when I was thinking about my family a lot. ‘Lys’ is the general word for ‘light’ in Danish. It can also be used to mean ‘lamp’ and ‘candle’. ‘von’ means ‘from’ in German, and is part of my mother’s maiden name that I didn’t receive. And ‘Asta’ was my great grandmother's name on my Danish side. I never met her, but have always felt very connected to her. We share petite stature and certain characteristics. She raised twelve children on a farm and lived until the age of 96. She has always been a great source of strength for me. ‘Light from Asta’ is where my heritage and aspirations meet.

When it comes to [transitioning into] lamps, that also started around the same time [in life]. At Waldorf school, my teacher really didn’t like the overhead fluorescent lighting in our classroom. She would turn them off and bring in her own lamps – I think we had about 12 different lamps in the classroom instead of the overhead lighting. I got used to that softer light work environment – I think it might make a lot of people feel less motivated, but I work well in comforting lighting. [Our class] would also do lantern walks, which were outside in the autumn, and we would make our own lanterns. That would be my earliest lamp-making experience. 

I was also lucky enough to work on large-scale lantern festivals with my mom's sister, which is something she did regularly during her illustrious career. My favourite [festival] was the Dark Sky Festival in Jasper. It was an astronomy-based festival, as [Jasper] does not have a lot of light pollution. They had Chris Hadfield talk, and kids could come and see the night sky from cool places. We did a nature walk and we had giant mushroom lamps and little dioramas with space scene backgrounds. It was so magical to create that little walk through the forest.

Also Cool: That's such a tender memory to hold close. [Lamp making] becomes a testament to your growth as a person. It [must be] a really nice constant to have in your life. 

Camila Gaza Manly: I think that’s a good way to put it! It has felt a lot like a constant. My family always had nice lamps, my school always had nice lamps, [and then] transitioning to high school and university was quite different – partly just because of the lighting. 

AC: Right, there are so many reasons why you’d want to create art that’s not only beautiful to look at, but very livable. 
What does it mean to you to produce art through this specific medium? Why does lamp artistry feel like the right outlet for you?

CGM: It kind of feels like it’s my own canvas. I’ve always painted and drawn and worked in wood and sculpted a little bit, but creating something that’s more of a functional sculpture… somehow, it feels more true to who I am. If I just have a canvas or a piece of paper… it’s two-dimensional. I would say the three-dimensional aspect is very big for me right now. 

I finished my degree last year, during the pandemic, in linguistics and philosophy. So [another] part of it too is just that I have been burnt out since finishing school, [but] returning to earlier influences and inspirations has been really inspiring. [These influences] keep feeding off of each other – when I was doing my [100 Days of Creative Prototyping] project, I had all these ideas to begin with, but the more that I would do them, the more they would come, tenfold, all the time. I think it was that daily practice, where even when I didn’t want to do it, I forced myself to do it.

AC: You briefly mentioned your background in linguistics and philosophy. To be in the arts community and not enter it by way of [formal university] training … I’m curious to know how you think that affects or enhances your art.

CGM: On the business side, it gives me a strong foundation to organize things. I was really involved in the linguistics community, so I got a lot of experience managing and organizing events. 

I feel really happy that I did the degree I did, even though right now I’m pursuing something totally different. Before I studied linguistics, I was studying French – just to live in [Montreal] – and that’s how I found out about the linguistics program. [Even] before that, my plan was to go to school and study industrial design, because I wanted to make lamps.

But had I done that, I wouldn’t be making the lamps I’m making now. I'm sure I would be making cool stuff, but I feel glad that it happened the way it did – now I'm making things that are completely out of my own head and sometimes they're pretty funky and weird.

I’ve had friends who’ve gone to art school and sometimes I was envious of the ability to just go to a studio and take that time off of thinking and writing papers. I wanted to take some elective classes but it’s hard to do that. But seeing my friends go through formal art training, I feel like it’s really limiting in a lot of ways. You learn a lot, but I think some people lose their personal creative [touch]. 

AC: You need to think about it, too, through a lens of “transferable skills” and thinking about what it is you bring to the table. It's intimidating to consider the inaccessibility of certain resources, by virtue of not studying [your craft]. But it's also really exciting to think about “okay, how can I turn it around?”

CGM: I think it also created a necessity for me to return to making things with my hands. I love academics, but I’ve always needed that balance. It’s so refreshing to engross myself in a project where I don’t need to go “X, Y, Z…”

The lamps of Lys von Asta. Photo courtesy of Kitty Evans, styling by Céline Blais.

AC: Looking at lamp artistry as its own specific field within fine arts and design, what does the arts community for this kind of creativity look like, and how have you participated or interacted with it?

CGM: [I interact] definitely through inspiration and influences… like Isamu Noguchi, who made the Akari light sculptures in the same timeline as mid-century modern furniture. He modernized a traditional approach – he [used] a lot of traditional Japanese craftsmanship to make them. I think I love [his designs] because they are such a beautiful mix between the old and the new. I am attracted to where those [styles] meet – there’s a lot of lighting nowadays that is very cold and corporate-feeling, so I have a desire to see more soft and organic lighting on the market.

Besides Noguchi, I am also inspired by Danish mid-century style... Mads Caprani and Le Klint. There’s a traditional blend of a wood frame within a pleated paper lampshade. Those are also influences.

When I first started making [my lamps] during my project, I kept feeling like I needed to search out other small lighting companies. It is great to connect with them – I have found some cool accounts on Instagram and Pinterest or different places on the Internet. But I think it’s also just been refreshing to connect with artists from all different disciplines who are taking their craftsmanship and putting a personal twist on it. It feels really welcoming to connect with people like that, even if we are not making the same thing.

AC: That’s awesome – and going back to what we were talking about with versatility, it’s this thought of “perhaps I specialize in this one thing, but that doesn't mean I can't connect with other fields and other ways of doing and thinking”. It’s also good to get in touch with nostalgia and connect with fundamental creators.

CGM: I think, because I'm making the prototypes completely by hand, I feel more inspired by other people who are also making everything by hand… whereas a lot of lighting nowadays is industrial and mass-produced, and I feel that there are some pretty cool designs, but there’s something lost between creating a prototype and getting a factory to make it.

AC: Are there any creative influences that you have held close over time?

CGM: Yes! There’s a hat designer based in Berlin – Maryam Keyhani. Her Instagram, her whole website and business just looks like a dream.  I feel like there’s this connection between hats and lamps – there’s a similarity in shape and form. I love seeing how [Keyhani] creates, it’s so influenced by play and experimentation and feels very free.

I am also inspired by architects and sculptors from the mid-century era, like Charles and Ray Eames. I actually made a little model of the [Eames house] during my project and put a light inside. And [Alexander] Calder – I made quite a few lamps that were inspired by his mobile sculptures, where there’s wire connectors and parts that hang and turn.

With [the artist] Yayoi Kusama and her polka dots, I love the idea of getting wrapped up in something you love and it consumes your life in a good way. Lastly, there’s Masha Reva who lives in Ukraine – she does these cool sculptures made out of vegetables, and does large-scale drawings and paintings as well. With artists like that, working in several different mediums, I’m always really inspired.

Camila Gaza Manly surrounded by Lys von Asta lamps. Photo courtesy of Kitty Evans, styling by Céline Blais.

AC: Congratulations on completing your 100 Days of Creative Prototyping project! It seems like the process was rather fruitful for you, and there were so many goodies to come out of it (I’m partial to the open-faced lamp with the pearl, so divine.) Could you elaborate on your intentions for this project, and how it served your creative growth to finish it?

CGM: The intentions of this project were to create a practice for what I wanted to commit to. At the beginning, it literally was practice – I was practicing folding, putting different shapes together and working with different kinds of papers and materials. 

In early January, I was just making paper lampshades because I wanted to start learning how to make them. Then I heard about the 100 Day Project as a thing that anyone can do, at any time. I think [the challenge] was more popular in the winter, we were still in the middle of lockdown and curfew in Montreal. When I heard about the 100 Day Project, I was also terrified, because most people do a little drawing or a little dance, and I'm going to make a hundred lamps (laughs).

I was partially inspired to do something so ambitious by this ceramic artist in the States, Lolly Lolly Ceramics. She previously did this project and had 100 black mugs with a different kind of handle on each one. That had me thinking what a challenge it would be, but also how creative it forces you to be. 

I was also able to work on my tendencies towards perfectionism. I always wanted everything to be perfect, and that’s quite hindering when you want to move forward and get new ideas. I thought this project was a good way to move away from that. Every night, whether I loved it or hated it, I forced myself to post it on Instagram – which was really hard because sometimes I wasn’t happy with them. Now, as I’m on the other end of it, and I’m taking all the inspiration from the project, it’s really great to look back [at] that time and remember all the ups and downs experienced, and to have a controlled view of that.  I can pick and choose which parts I want to take and which parts I want to leave behind, because as much as I was prototyping designs, I was also prototyping techniques – and I think that’s the biggest takeaway for me going forward. There are still some designs that I am tweaking to make and sell, and others where I just made them purely for fun and to experiment.

AC: At the end of the day, if you’re completing the assignment then you’re completing the assignment. That exercise in self-accountability must have been so rewarding.

CGM: Yes! The process also made me analyze it in different ways. At one point in the project, I thought “Oh, I should be alternating… so one day, I’ll make a hanging lamp, and one day I’ll make a standing lamp”. But some days I wasn’t inspired to make a hanging lamp, I wanted to do something else. I had to find that balance of what’s actually important here and then move forward with that. 

Camila Gaza Manly surrounded by Lys von Asta lamps. Photo courtesy of Kitty Evans, styling by Céline Blais.

AC: Are there any major lessons that your creative journey has taught you? What do you feel that you have yet to learn?

CGM: Something that I felt I learned through the [100 Days of Creative Prototyping] process was what can be done in a certain amount of time and what can’t. As much as [the project] fed my inspiration and kept me going – the medium I was working in, paper, was really accessible for that process – I was still really curious to add other materials. With the project, I kept feeling the limit of the time constraint and how I couldn’t go further. I want to work with wood eventually, like a wooden base with a paper lampshade. I’m also interested in clay, and ways to make a stronger structure for some of them, especially the standing ones – I didn’t make any floor lamps because of that reason, but I would love to in the future.

There’s also a lesson I’ve learned from the artists in my life. When you think you make a mistake, it's often the best part of what comes out of it, even if it’s really frustrating in the moment. I definitely had a lot of those moments during the project where something went wrong and I was like “This is not what I wanted!”, but at the end of it, it was better than I could have imagined. So I think when you plan something, you can only plan it so far until you actually do it. With the project, what was really cool is I didn’t have time to plan. I didn’t have time to get these perfect images in my head and then try to execute them. I was taking this lesson and putting it into action.

In terms of what I have yet to learn, I definitely want to explore different folding techniques moving forward, because I learned quite a few in the beginning, but I would then keep using the same ones in different ways with patterns or colours or a picture depicted on [the folding]. I want to practice more with creating sculptural shapes. There are a million possibilities. For me, it's partly a challenge because I was never good at math, and there's quite a bit of math involved with the types of folding that I've been doing. It can be quite technical. 

AC: Thank you so much for your time, Camila. What can we expect from you next, and how can we support your work?

CGM: Right now, I’m working on my website. I will be offering an online web shop, and I’m going to have a drop of lamps when I launch. I’m still tweaking some things, but I want to have some made-to-order lamps available as well as [opportunities for] commissions. [Note: Camila’s site is now live - check it out here!]

I also want to have [my lamps] accessible for other opportunities – months ago, I was part of a music video for a local musician. [Félix Dyotte]. I brought my lamps there to be part of the set. It would be great, moving forward, to offer [my lamps] if someone wanted them for wedding photographs or something else. I would love to collaborate with people in the future, because I feel like it’s such a special opportunity to create warm, intimate environments.

[Finally], I will be joining a Chicago-based online platform called Bird & Tale. It's run by husband-and-wife duo Brad Stumpf and Jeffly Gabriela Molina. He is a painter and works at a lighting company, and she is primarily a painter. They feature incredible emerging artists and designers through their online platform and their physical showroom in Chicago. My lamps will be showcased both online and in the showroom. I’m really looking forward to being in such wonderful artistic company!

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Camila Gaza Manly / Lys Von Asta

Instagram | Website

Rebecca L. Judd (she/they) is the features editor of Also Cool Mag. She writes and creates out of a studio apartment in Ottawa, kept company by vivid dreams and a cuddly grey kitty named Dora.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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Anna Rudzit / @sugaronyoursouls Takes Preconceptions of Beauty Into Her Own Hands

Makeup, photography and retouching by Anna Rudzit

The work of Moscow’s makeup aficionado Anna Rudzit – better known as @sugaronyoursouls – is not for the faint of heart. While most makeup artists concern themselves with the perfect wing or smoothest blend, Rudzit exists in a world of her own. Held together by macaroni noodles, clementine peels and clouds of pigmented goop; the term “experimental” serves her craft a limited justice.

When I first came across Rudzit’s creations, I was not sure whether to feel startled or exhilarated. I consider myself to be a devoted follower of the makeup industry, one that is – unfortunately – rather occupied with chasing perfection. Since confronting Rudzit’s work, something has awoken. Her marks of expression are a gift to this industry, a sign to shake up notions of “creativity” and embrace the uncomfortable as a portal to something beautiful. 

I had the pleasure of chatting with Rudzit about her creative philosophies and her variety of influences, among other subjects. Read away!

Rebecca L. Judd for Also Cool: Hi there Anna! Thank you for taking the time to speak with Also Cool – I am a recent fan, but your looks have already taken over my 'Saved' tab on Instagram. For those unfamiliar with your work, can you explain what it is you do?

Anna Rudzit: Hey Also Cool Mag! Thank you for this opportunity, I appreciate it. I am [an artist] doing experimental and avant-garde makeup. It's something between makeup and art. If we [were to] dig deeper, [this comes] from our ancestors, who decorated themselves with various objects and painted on their faces to show their place in their society. In my opinion, the closest thing to avant-garde makeup today is high fashion. Experimental makeup gives great opportunities for creativity, and there are practically no boundaries. At the same time, you can create in the moment and allow yourself to make mistakes.

Makeup, photography and retouching by Anna Rudzit

Also Cool: Your work fascinates me because it validates that any form of facial experimentation is capable of being recognized as 'art'. Your work strays away from the polish or precision that we assume of makeup artists – you have proven that random tools like Post-its, balloons and scotch tape can also create a unique and intriguing makeup look. How did you decide to move in this direction with your art as a makeup artist? 

Anna: [Ever] since childhood I was interested in makeup, and I also had access to my mother's cosmetics and the absence of prohibitions in creativity from my parents. In adulthood, I [gained] skills in photography, retouching, and I [completed] makeup artistry courses. In the end, I united all this and decided that I didn't want to create something simple and understandable. I was interested in experiments – images on the verge of beautiful and ugly. I wanted to share my own perception of beauty, [and] to tell a story. I like to create images on my face and photograph them as if it were a one-man theater.

AC: Together with Russian artist Anna Meder, you co-founded Messymakeupcommunity, an artistic community dedicated to "unusual and experimental makeup". Tell me more about this project, and what you hope to achieve with it!

A: [Mine and Anna’s] creative paths began almost at the same time, that's how we got to know each other. At the beginning of [our] journey, we faced the fact that it is very difficult to get [exposure through] the magazines and the communities so that people can see your work. Most often, popular [outlets] choose a picture without noticing [the] real person behind it. Just a beautiful image and that's it. Our approach is completely different – we show artists who want to be seen. It doesn't matter what [kind of style of] photo was taken and how high quality it is. It's important to catch on to the idea.Our community exists as a platform to support all artists – famous and beginners – who are interested in this kind of creativity. We believe that creativity makes our world a better place.

Makeup, photography and retouching by Anna Rudzit

AC: Who is it that influences your artistic approach? Do your influences include fellow makeup artists, or people outside of makeup altogether?

A: I am not inspired by [anyone] in particular. On the contrary, I try to turn off what I [have seen] in order to focus on my experience. I've always been passionate about psychology, surrealism and David Lynch. This is what has always interested me. When I started my blog, a kind of alma mater [for developing my makeup] was #uglymakeuprevolution. 

I am often asked about inspiration, but I think we are inspired by the same things. Nature, people, art, architecture, cinema, fashion, personal experiences and so on. The main trick is how you put it through your mind and imagination. 

AC: What has been the biggest challenge for you as a makeup artist, and how have you overcome it?

A: The biggest challenge [has been] non-constructive criticism. I understand perfectly well that the world will never be neutral, and social networks are a toxic place. But sometimes it still affects me. In such cases, I try to focus on love and support.

One of the very first and [most] difficult, from an ethical point of view, was the work [I did] based on the Xavier Dolan film "Matthias and Maxim". The main character (Dolan) had a birthmark all over his cheek. I was deeply impressed by the director's reception. It was powerful. And I did not hesitate to draw exactly the same on my cheek and took a photo. 

I was not going to publish the photo, [as] I did it for myself in a creative burst. Later, I told my friend about this and showed the photo. She persuaded me to publish it for her sake, arguing that she has a large birthmark and she was embarrassed all her life, and my work [gave] her confidence that it is unique and beautiful. As a result, I conducted a mini research [sample] among my friends and came to the conclusion that there can be no definite answer, but my friend's words influenced me and I made up my mind. This idea was soon stolen from me without any twinges of conscience. Since then, I have tried not to touch on [controversial] topics, because I don't want to offend anyone.

Makeup, photography and retouching by Anna Rudzit

AC: Although the variety of your looks is captivating, I imagine that some of them must be hard to wear... What is your go-to look in the day-to-day? Do you ever leave the house wearing your unconventional looks, or are those reserved for Instagram?

A: In everyday life, I don't wear bright or extravagant makeup, but once I painted my face at an online party. And my model [has previously] spent the whole day with chains glued to her eyes. She was excited, because she didn't think that it would be comfortable and beautiful at the same time.

AC: Thank you for your time, Anna. We here at Also Cool can't wait to see what you do next! As a parting question, do you have any next steps to share with us? What do you hope to achieve in the rest of 2021?

A: I plan to [collaborate] with several brands, I think it will be interesting. I have an idea to make some material objects, not just photos with makeup. Of course, I will continue to experiment in the field of beauty. I also dream of participating in an exhibition with my works.

Makeup, photography and retouching by Anna Rudzit

Anna Rudzit

Instagram | Messy Makeup Community

Rebecca L. Judd (she/they) is the features editor of Also Cool Mag. She writes and creates out of a studio apartment in Ottawa, kept company by vivid dreams and a cuddly grey kitty named Dora.

This interview was conducted over email, and has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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Louise Campion Challenges Corporate Power Dynamics With Her Colourful Paintings

Painting by Louise Campion

We’re all for artists who challenge the patriarchal structures of the corporate world, and Louise Campion is doing just that. She’s a Montreal-based French painter, who’s series "Wondering if men in suits turn me on or piss me off" really struck a chord.

If you’re frustrated with your 9-5, and love bright, bold, colours, you’ll love Louise’s work. We got to chat over email about the series, allyship, and more.

Painting by Louise Campion

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: When did you get into painting? Has your creative practice always been centred in painting, or has it evolved over time?

Louise Campion: I started painting classes at six years old. Around 15, I got more and more into art history and contemporary art. Eventually, I started learning about conceptual art and would choose my mediums depending on the idea I wanted to focus on. But as stimulating as this journey was, I came to realize that I am, first and foremost, a painter. Centring my practice around painting is the most natural way for me to research and create. I am still open to other mediums, but I just know that painting makes the most sense when it comes to my own sensibility.

Also Cool: I love any art form that plays with the absurdity of office culture. What do you think you've learned about yourself by existing in relation to these men in suits and also through making paintings about them?

Louise: To clarify, I am not currently working in an office environment. My dad has worked in an office all of his life and growing up, I was surrounded by a lot of people who did or were aspiring to. I found ways to avoid office jobs, except for that one summer, which was very alienating for me. My observations of the corporate world are made through personal experience, discussions, readings, and research. I keep learning and adjusting my views every day.

I am trying to create an environment for myself that is as free as possible from the corporate mindset, which is, consciously or not, based on an oppressive system. However, I do think we always exist in relation to these "men in suits," whether we admit it or not. In a capitalist society, anything you do or buy would have been in some way regulated by someone behind a desk taking decisions based on a profit. The very mere fact that this is the social structure we've been raised in makes it very difficult to completely detached oneself from it. My sense of safety, comfort, pleasure were programmed to find themselves in the idea that money is central. 

Thus, my answer is that I am on a journey to deconstruct these presets, but it takes time and as important as it is, it is not very comfortable.

Painting by Louise Campion

AC: You often speak of how success and hard work only matter if they are free of oppression and yet are fascinated with white male office culture. Can you break down some of the ways that someone in an office environment can fight against the barriers of oppression that often exist in these spaces?

LC: This is the million-dollar question, right?!

When I talk about contemporary western oppression, I refer to the different systemic issues standing in the way of climate and social justice. It includes white supremacy, patriarchy, classism, heteronormativity, ecocide & pollution, among others… Obviously, most of those issues are deeply engraved in our system. They're tough to counter since they are extremely beneficial to the 1% who are economically governing us right now. How do you stand in the way of the wealthiest people on the planet when said planet functions under capitalism? All the more when you happen to work for these people?

Realize that it is a lot of work: Current systems are profiting from current oppression and won't show you how to fight it. They actually make it very easy to ignore it, even as an oppressed person. You have to go out of your way to teach yourself and make changes happen. I know you and your colleagues are comfortable right now, but others aren't, and you can help with that. This will be a never-ending journey. We're in it for the long run.

Educate yourself to educate others: Through the infinity of resources available out there for free! Books, videos, podcasts, articles, illustrations, graphics, Instagram accounts, TV shows, blogs… Whatever speaks best to your learning mechanisms: it is already there; just look for it and share the knowledge!

Get trained: Attend anti-oppression training. Organize one in your workplace. Professionals will give you and your coworkers concrete tools to implement in your work environment. Ideas to discuss. Changes to make. In Montreal, I know that CoCO (the Centre for Community Organization) offers various workshops on anti-oppression and conflict resolution, and they're very good. I am sure you can find other similar resources.

Implement anti-oppression policies: Make it mandatory to be inclusive. Make it punishable to be oppressive. On the professional level. (CoCO can help to write the policies).

Pay attention to who you give your money, time and energy to (which are all the same things under capitalism): Who do you work for? What do you buy? Where do you spend your weekends? What do you watch on YouTube and Netflix? Where do you get your nails done? Who do you play basketball with? Where do you volunteer?

The corporations that are oppressing people and killing the planet gain their power from money. Money that you can decide not to automatically give them, as a first step towards not condoning oppression. In many instances, your money could go to people and things that are undermined by the current system, hence encouraging a more ethical, kinder economy. Slowly but surely, start paying attention to things like who you buy from, what it's made of, who the money is going to, and more.

Although there is no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism, there are multiple ways to get closer. Do some research. Make it exciting. Love spending the money you gave your time and energy for in the right places.

Learn to differentiate performative allyship from genuine effort: Whatever you do, make sure you're actually helping and not just making yourself feel better. Check yourself. Google things instead of taking an underprivileged person's time to answer your questions. See if you can help an initiative that is already there, instead of creating your own. Question your reflexes because they're based on entitlements and privileges, and it takes time to deconstruct them.

Vote for someone who cares: This one seems a bit obvious, but voting for people (at any scale) who will work towards fighting for those issues might be an idea to consider, haha.

It doesn't have to be perfect, and it doesn't have to be all at once: I once read that it takes around three months for a new habit to become automatic to the human brain. I have started tackling my "bad" habits half a decade ago. I didn't change everything in one day. I implemented a small change, and when it became normal to me, I started tackling another. Five years later, my lifestyle has drastically changed, and I'm excited about improving more and seeing where I'm at in another five years. Improving gradually is better than changing everything and then giving up. One small change is better than none.

Last but not least, you're gonna fuck up: As established earlier, this is a long learning process, and we're all making mistakes. There is so much material to integrate into the journey of inclusivity: Don't give up. When you fuck up, don't beat yourself up forever. Don't apologize endlessly. Just learn your lesson, research a bit more, and move on.

Painting by Louise Campion

AC: How do you balance your practice IRL with your online presence? Does social media affect your creative practice at all?

LC: I am still figuring it out, evolving, adjusting the way I present myself online, as well as the way I use the platform to learn about my peers and field.

On one side, social media (especially Instagram) shows me a lot of art, news from galleries, museums, collectives, artists I follow, critics etc. It keeps me on track with what's happening in the art world and gives me clues on where to look for more. It also allows me to display my practice easily, to reach an audience from my own bed! So it's a very useful tool. Sometimes this idea that I need to stay active online to show that I am productive and professional to my "following" forces me to go to the studio and paint on days that I had trouble finding the motivation.

On the other hand, it can be overwhelming and anxiety-provoking. Seeing what everyone is doing (/only seeing their success) can be very tough because I tend to compare myself a lot. But when I mainly produce from home and rarely have IRL contact with my art community, it's easy to fall into a vicious circle of insecurity towards my own practice.

Ultimately, I am getting better at finding the balance. I have started to see Instagram only as an optional tool that I can use, or not, depending on my energy level and needs. My mindset is now to see others' successes as inspiration instead of paralyzing competition. I've stopped following accounts that bring me down. If it makes me nervous instead of motivated, I'll unfollow or hide their content. It's nothing personal. Art memes pages also help a lot in keeping things real, bring a lot of fun and comfort to the artistic Instagram experience.

Painting by Louise Campion

AC: This is the mandatory quarantine question, but I am actually really interested in how your creative practice has been affected throughout the pandemic.

LC: The beginning of quarantine last year was very beneficial to me. Fall 2019 was right after my graduation. When you've spent the first 20 years of your life in school, it is quite an adjustment to find purpose without academic demands. March to June 2020 gave me space, lowered the pressure. Everyone was stuck at home, so suddenly, it was okay if I was too. I was so lucky I had a studio at home, a close friend as a roommate and an adorable cat. I rested, cleaned, thought about a lot of things, and started producing and applying to things again.

After last summer, my mental and physical health started deteriorating. Lots of projects got cancelled or postponed again. Lockdown got stricter. All of this free time stuck at home became somehow exhausting. Yes, I was still lucky, but expectations were back. I am expected to produce because I am an artist and have nothing else to do, right? But my bubble is so small. I don't see anyone, I don't talk to anyone, galleries were closed again, curfew happened. I miss human contact, miss the energy of a crowd, miss my family, my friends from home, and miss Montreal even though I haven't left it in a year.

It all comes in waves; I see this whole situation as an ocean. Sometimes I feel like I am drowning, but other times I keep myself afloat. Museums reopening was truly the highlight of my winter. I am not as productive as I'd like to be, but still, we are in a global pandemic, so I try to be kind to myself. I always have projects ongoing. Nowadays, I am trying to achieve at least three "productive" things a day so I don't get stuck in a depressive episode but don't overwhelm myself with pressure.

What I'm saying is that it varies a lot, and I'm just trying to keep swimming, haha.

AC: Switching gears, who are some people or artists who have inspired you this year?

LC: My art partner, ex-quarantine mate, and very close friend Tatianna has been huge support this year in various ways. She is a great artist who inspires me daily. My friends Joyce, Akira, and Francois are also strong sources of growth, purpose or just by being themselves. They constantly challenge my views and keep me in check. Chloë and Nina have been important parts of my Montreal support system through COVID. I'm thinking about my friends Chris and Devon, who have been going through challenging situations this past year and are still fighting to become the best version of themselves.

Otherwise, Inès Longevial and Chloe Wise are two women figurative painters I look up to a lot and am inspired by.

Louise in her studio

AC: What are you looking forward to developing with your art this year?

LC: I am excited to change the scale in my paintings. I'll make a bunch of smaller ones and lower the figures' scale simultaneously, which is a challenge to me. I would like to start using more white and skin tones colours in my compositions, but we'll see how I feel when it's actually time to choose the pigments!

I also want to draw more. I am excited about this series finally growing because I started it knowing it would gain its power through numbers. 

AC: Finally, do you have any upcoming projects we can look forward to? If not, is there anything/anyone you want to shout out?

LC: I've been selected for a solo show at the CCGV for the 2021/2022 programming, so I'm looking forward to that. We still don't know about the exact dates since it depends a lot on how the government measures will evolve but keep your eyes on my socials, and I'll let you know as soon as possible!

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Louise Campion

Website I Instagram

Malaika Astorga is the co-founder of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media specialist, currently based in Montreal.

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Artist Spotlight: Rommy Kuperus of ROMMYDEBOMMY

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The ROMMYDEBOMMY Ikea Food Purse. Photo by ROMMYDEBOMMY

The sunshine is near, as are pastel hues, friendly faces … and lots of tasty treats! It’s true, spring hasn’t even sprung and we’ve already got picnics on the brain. Whether you’re dressing to impress for your bubble or just really hungry right now, we have one proposition – indulge in the decadence that is ROMMYDEBOMMY, the creative concoction of Rommy Kuperus. 

Rommy Kuperus is a 29-year-old artist and designer based in Harlingen, the Netherlands. The essence of ROMMYDEBOMMY is breaking from the mainstream and taking camp to the dinner table. Also Cool was recently able to connect with Rommy via email, where she dished on her growth as an artist and all the goodies yet to come.

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Rommy Kuperus of ROMMYDEBOMMY modelling one of her creations. Photo by ROMMYDEBOMMY

After spending some time as a student in product design, Rommy decided to forge her own path. Food has always been a passion and inspiration for the artist, and making it into permanent art was Rommy’s dream come true. “I like the shapes and colours even more than the taste of it,” she explains to me. “Every time I go to the grocery store, I am amazed by all those beautiful textures. A lot of people don’t realize that [the] grocery store is a museum itself.” 

This fascination shows across her wide array of designs and creations. Farfalle bow ties, Popsicle purses and a wearable tray of airplane food are just some of the options to snack on. There are also Bundt cakes and chicken nuggets to put up as home decor. Her work covers pieces of childhood nostalgia and touches on so many cultural staples. If you can eat it, Rommy can probably design it.

How do these treats get made, you ask? Rommy herself is behind every step of the process, from the concept to the cherry on top. She gathers inspiration from food bloggers and pastry chefs all around the world, and handcrafts her designs with various forms of clay and foam. They are made-to-order, and Rommy takes her time to ensure that a unique vision is reflected in all her products.

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Rommy Kuperus of ROMMYDEBOMMY posing with her Bundt Cake Home Decor. Photo by ROMMYDEBOMMY

This range of products reflects her customers and admirers from every pocket of the world, and Rommy is proud to work with all kinds of taste buds. “The Classic Pancake Purse with butter and syrup is one of my best-sellers,” she notes. “The Eaten Birthday Cake Purse is really popular at the moment. I have a lot of customers from the USA and I figure that they like the cakes the most.” Rommy also works with many British customers, a group that she describes as “more outgoing,” and she says that they tend to request the Potato and Supermarket Chicken Purses. Drool!

Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, Rommy’s business has boomed. “To be honest, it was the best year I have ever had,” she shares. “People couldn't go to their favourite restaurants, cafes, or the movies, so they [spent their money and time] on different things. I have never received so many orders as when the COVID-19 [pandemic] started.” Although the Netherlands is still under lockdown, she has been able to continue the ROMMYDEBOMMY business from home – where she makes her treats, styles and directs the product shoots, and ships each order out in a perfect pink box.

Part of this growth can be attributed to Rommy’s clever usage of social media. She advertises her products every day through creative shoots and immersive videos of her artistic process. The ROMMYDEBOMMY Instagram page boasts over 65,000 followers – this is how I discovered Rommy, after a friend sent me some of her delicious content. But her biggest audience can be found – where else? – on TikTok, the ultimate platform of the pandemic. She has garnered over 2.5 million likes and nearly 200,000 followers after starting her TikTok account just 9 months ago.

@rommydebommy

Croissant purse 🥐🇫🇷✨ SHOP: www.rommydebommy.com ##rommydebommy ##handmade ##croissant ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##foryourpage

♬ Hit Sale (feat. Roméo Elvis) - Therapie TAXI

When I ask her to elaborate on this growth, she confesses that it almost didn’t happen: “My 15-year old cousin pushed me to go on TikTok, [and] I didn’t want to. But when I finally uploaded my first video, I realized it could be huge for my brand. After a month, I already had more followers on TikTok [than] on my Instagram. I completely underestimated TikTok in the beginning, [and am] pleasantly surprised!”

Running the ROMMYDEBOMMY shop sounds like peaches and cream, but it can be hard work for just one person. Translating an artistic vision to reality can also be hard work, and I was curious if there were any foods that Rommy struggled with designing. “It doesn’t happen often,” she remarks, “but last year in January I started with an Oyster Purse and I wasn’t feeling [the design] at that moment. I put it away, and last month I decided to finish the purse – it became one of my most liked pictures on Instagram.” Take a look at her final product – we’d be shellfish to keep it to ourselves.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ✨R O M M Y D E B O M M Y✨ (@rommydebommy)

Perhaps you’re interested in shopping ROMMYDEBOMMY, but want to make a bolder statement. Or, maybe you just can’t pick a favourite food (okay, relatable). Rommy also makes some groovy creations outside of the world of food. You can carry around an ear, some TP or a bar of soap if that’s what suits your fancy. My personal favourite was the purse I least expected – the sanitary pad. When I asked Rommy about this design, she was proud to reflect on its place in her shop: “The sanitary pad [design] was to make a statement. We need to normalize menstrual hygiene. Some people still call it gross and disgusting, [but] it’s nature. I think the end result of the sanitary pad looks really elegant and chic.”

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The ROMMYDEBOMMY Sanitary Pad Purse. Photo by ROMMYDEBOMMY

In getting to know more about ROMMYDEBOMMY and the woman behind the brand, I was left inspired by Rommy’s commitment to mixing fashion with fun. Our conversation reminded me of all the whimsy and magic that can be found in everyday life, and how holding onto that is so very important.

Looking ahead at what’s to come, Rommy has a few tricks up her sleeve. “There are a lot of exciting things coming this year,” she shares. “More collections, more giveaways and more next-level food purses!” Needless to say, we’ll be hungry.

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The ROMMYDEBOMMY Avocado Egg Toast Purse. Photo by ROMMYDEBOMMY

ROMMYDEBOMMY

Website | Instagram | TikTok | Etsy

Facebook | YouTube

Rebecca L. Judd (she/they) is a writer and student currently based in Ottawa. When not stuck in a daydream, she can be found writing, collaging, and talking about The Sopranos to anyone who will listen. Instagram | Twitter

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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I’m For No One’s Consumption But My Own: Meet NYC Treasure Kitty

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Kitty, edited by peachy_kai

In our era of “the everyday celebrity,” where creators’ means of gaining a reputation and fanbases are (sometimes) dictated by social media savviness and a viral appeal, one roadblock remains: authenticity. Across all forms of creative expression, the timeless questions of “Why do artists do what they do?” and by extension “Who are they, really?” are always on the table, especially now that creators willingly let us peer into their everyday lives online. A few odd years ago seeing artists “just being themselves” could majorly stain their image. Now, the advent of “get ready with me” and “day in the life” style social media segments humanize, and even glamourize, the day-in and day-out of lived experiences. In other words, the exposé has retired and vulnerability has been readily embraced. Relatability is in, and can even be your ticket to widely received recognition via innovative corners of the Internet. At the same time, the idea of online availability trickling down into how success is born and raised also threatens how people are treated by their audiences.

With little barriers between creators and consumers, the pressing question becomes “How do creatives preserve and care for their sense of self when so much of it has to be on display in order to stand out?” This theme was at the core of my conversation with Kitty, a multidisciplinary visual and makeup artist, fashion designer and model, who uses social media to showcase their creative portfolio and network within the fashion industry and beauty community. 

On the surface, Kitty and I actually have a lot in common. We’re both 23 years old, earth signs, and are living with our parents after graduating post-secondary during the pandemic. Though we share a “just figuring it out” mentality, there is, of course, one key difference between us: their 35.9K following on Instagram. Through chatting with Kitty, I learned that the upkeep of their artistic passions, in tandem with their social media presence, is made entirely possible by staying true to their biggest source of inspiration, themselves. 

“When it comes to my creativity, a lot of people ask, and are surprised, when I say that I’m mainly my own source of inspiration,” they say with a small smirk across their face. “I’m like, what do you mean who inspires me? Why does it have to be somebody else? To me, being a real artist and a real creative doesn’t mean you can’t find inspiration in others, but basing my drive off someone other than myself is something I’ve never experienced or felt,” they add. 

For Kitty, self-reliance is a must and comes naturally when conceptualizing new projects. From a young age, they’ve always been encouraged to pursue creative freedom, and continue to reject being boxed-in when it comes to self-expression. Their looks combine ethereal whimsy with the underground edge of their hometown of NYC, adorning them with a presence that exudes originality. Much of their determination is evidenced by the origin of their name and artistic outlook. 

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Self-portrait conceptualized, created, styled, shot and edited by the artist

“I’ve been in love with cats since I was a little kid. I remember I used to go to art school and they would get so upset with me because all I wanted to do was draw cats,” they laugh. “My instructors couldn’t understand why, but cats always represented much more to me than just my favourite animal,” they explain. “I’ve done a lot of research on their symbolism, and cats represent the concept of one’s inner-child and a sense of playfulness, and how to embrace that. My connection to cats brought my work to life… [It’s] just very magical, and also very safe. I feel like that’s my energy, and how I want people to feel when they see my work.” 

This story was made a little sweeter by the fact that they had a kitschy kitten poster behind them during our Zoom call. 

Kitty also expressed that their relationship with their inner, imaginative world has only come to life in a tangible way after learning to cultivate their distinctive sense of style.

“Since I graduated high school I’ve gone through so much shit. Back then, I didn’t really know who I was. Though I still added my own personal touch when it came to how I expressed myself, I still felt like I had to be a ‘certain type of girl.’ Back then, I didn’t even know I was non-binary, and I wasn’t surrounded with the right people who allowed me to feel more fluid in myself,” they articulate. “In terms of my evolution, I’ve really learned to free myself from norms that were pushed onto me, and there’s no going back.” 

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Self-portrait conceptualized, created, styled, shot and edited by the artist

Though much of Kitty’s growth was made possible by nurturing self-acceptance, sharing it with the world via social media unexpectedly lead to online admiration; much to their surprise considering their humble intentions. 

“As I always like to say, I don’t think people realized that I started from my fucking basement,” they giggle. “I didn’t have a tripod and I didn’t have a ring light. I just had some backdrops, and you know, I would do a fun makeup look here and there. That’s when people started reaching out to me, and I realized diving into the industries I was interested in was possible.” 

Kitty tells me that while the start of their online buzz brought professional opportunities in the world of beauty and fashion, the downside of broadcasting their personal brand on a public platform has made for a lot of challenges. Like a lot of online creators, Kitty struggles with maintaining boundaries and managing their followers’ expectations. 

“Personally, it feels like I’m never enough for some people, you know?” they begin. “I’m very grateful for all the love and support I get, but at the same time, I get overwhelmed because people feel very entitled to my time and personal life.”  

Just as they were about to make another point, Kitty noticed an Instagram DM notification pop up on their phone, and read it out-loud to me. 

“Hi, if you don’t mind me asking, how did you pay your bills when you were just starting to model, what were you doing?” 

They roll their eyes, sigh and smile. The timing is a little much for both of us. 

“Yeah, like you see?!” they exclaim. “I can only give you so much of me and my experience. I do joke a lot, saying that I’m not real… But, I am a real person. I have feelings and things I need to process… I don’t always want to be perceived. At the end of the day, I’m for no one’s consumption but my own.” 

Laughing off this note of frustration, Kitty and I got on the subject of how they’re learning to self-advocate on social media, and how much of it draws from protecting their art, as so much of it comes from a sentimental and intimate place. 

“People are so used to me being sweet and nice, but one thing I refuse to be silent about lately is the makeup community not understanding the difference between recreation and inspiration. Another part of people wanting too much from me is when they say they’re ‘inspired’ by me and use that as justification to recreate my look without properly crediting me, especially with my rhinestone looks,” they share. “People might label me as being a bully or being mean, but I’m tired of being accused of gatekeeping when I’m defending something that fully represents me.” 

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Self-portrait conceptualized, created, styled, shot and edited by the artist

I then asked Kitty how they keep up their momentum and stay grounded within these circumstances, realizing how exhausting they must be. 

“I feel like everything really comes full circle. Everything I have has really just started from myself, and I can’t lose sight of that because I want others to get there. For example, I’ve been working my way into the modelling industry since I was 19, and it’s very toxic. I realize now, after walking fashion week at 5’5, that I can break the mold and inspire people who have features like mine; models who are short and have weird noses, or like a nose bump… any kind of nose, and any body type. Even though I still deal with people who try to manipulate and undermine me, and who expect me to work for free… I want to always give back to others because I feel like when you give back, the universe will return it to you eventually, you know?” My friends remind me that not everyone is going to want to come with me on my journey, but that leaves room for new people and new energy.” 

In closing our conversation, Kitty tells me what they’re looking forward to in 2021 after undergoing so much self-discovery in the past year. 

“I feel like what I was missing before was the self-love that I started finding in 2020. I think a lot of that translates into my work now, and I hope people recognize that I am much happier. I’ve got some exciting collabs coming up in the future and my website is growing. Even though things are uncertain in the world right now, one thing I learned in the past year was to do all the things [I was] afraid to do. I want to carry that energy forward and continue to evolve.” 

Kitty shot by estherfromnewyork for uzumakigallery

Kitty (They/Them)

Website | Instagram | TikTok | Youtube

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (She/Her) is the Co-Founder and Editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, radio host & DJ, and a musician.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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Artist Spotlight: Gabriella Scali

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Sorry Girls by Gabriella Scali

Get to know Montreal-based photographer Gabriella Scali, whose photos initially caught our eye with with their attention to texture and muted colour schemes. Read and experience Scali’s reflections on following the band Sorry Girls on their past North American tour in her photo essay below. Within, Scali shares the charming, intimate moments of touring with a band through a gentle lens, and discusses how her relationship with her work transformed through reminiscing these nostalgic moments a year later.

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One year ago, I left Montreal to follow Sorry Girls on their tour across North America. My boyfriend is one of the musicians in the group, and as a photographer sensing a great opportunity, I immediately bugged him to have me tag along. I knew I had to document the band and their adventures on the road, in motel rooms and behind stage curtains. 

Only packing a handful of film stock with me, I had to be very meticulous about what I wanted to capture. This is one of the reasons I always prepare my ideas in advance by sketching scenes and images: It calms my anxiety before the actual shoots. But on tour, it was creatively difficult. I couldn’t easily have control over the scenes and create images following my drafted ideas like I usually do. Being shy to approach the subjects fully and the quick pace of the tour schedule made it difficult for me to take pictures I enjoyed. 

At this point in time, I wasn't very well acquainted with the other musicians in the band, and the process of following and documenting people that I barely knew was unsettling. I feared that the results might be overly-reserved and inauthentic. When my photos came out of the lab, a sinking feeling of disappointment came over me. I realized I had kept a deliberate safe distance from the subjects, in order to disturb their experience as little as possible. I tossed my photos aside. It wasn't until later that I was able to find beauty in my polite, introverted approach. The artists’ faces were often obscured by flares and reflections, creating an effect as if they are in a different realm, like light peeking through a translucent curtain. I noticed, however, that in time this shy obfuscation, approached with a cautious veil towards the beginning of the journey, began to lift. The warmth of the California sunshine began to seep in, illuminating the subjects' faces and the shadows between us.

Now one year later, when I look at my photographs I am faced with nostalgia and a bittersweet sensation. I feel the desert wind on my legs, the yellow sun warming my arms, and I smell the sweet scent of gasoline as I picture the mountains swiftly passing by. I also recall the cramped 15 hour drives, the unhealthy road-meals and the poor sleeping habits. I see my personal transformation in these photos. I see the time it took me to reach my comfort level, and how I was eventually able to let go of my expectations and preconceived results and to instead embrace the music scene’s vibrant and spontaneous energy. Spirited, suddenly full of power and brightness. This trip was like a flare you had to quickly grasp, otherwise it is lost. I wonder if I will ever experience this feeling again.

- - -

Gabriella Scali is a Montreal-based photographer who started taking pictures as a young teenager, always dreaming of travelling to quiet places and capturing people by creating mood and settings around them. In 2016, she received her BFA in Photography at Concordia University. She also found inspiration in new surroundings, studying design at Bauhaus University in Germany, where she travelled across Europe and displayed her work in exhibitions. She now works as a graphic designer for a non-profit organization and works on her photography projects on the weekend.

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Gabriella Scali, photo courtesy of the artist

Gabriella Scali

Instagram | Website

Sorry Girls

Instagram | Website | Facebook | Spotify | Bandcamp

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Artist Spotlight: Caitlin Prince

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Caitlin Prince is a Vancouver-based artist and ceramicist making functional and sculptural work in clay. We had the chance to visit her studio this summer and get a glimpse of her instantly-recognizable, naturally-hued cups and vases. We also tested out those iconic dimple cups to see if they live up to all the Instagram hype - they do, and the morning coffee routine hasn’t been the same since. We caught up with Caitlin and her art school BFF, Liv, over Zoom to talk shop, the value of functional art during COVID, and getting ripped off by one of the Real Housewives of Vancouver.

Maya Hassa for Also Cool: What does your work look like and how do you approach your art practice versus making pieces for production? Does your attitude change for those different types of work?

Caitlin Prince: Because it's consistent work, it's a privilege to actually be producing art that you enjoy making - and have people be receptive to it and want to buy it. My vases are definitely my main creative outlet. Cups are just production work, but there's been a lot more interest in that lately, so my policy is to make everything one-of-a-kind. They're all uniquely marbled and the dimple or shape is always slightly different.

I don't ever want to be a production potter that's making a thousand of the exact same piece. I don't want to be a factory - you can have ceramics produced in a factory pretty easily. Even the stuff that I make could be manipulated [for mass production].

MH: That's part of the value of what you're making as well - that it's one-of-a-kind, that it's only been produced in small batches.

CP: With the vases, it's exciting to be able to make each one different, but then people are like, "Oh, I saw this one here - can you reproduce this for me?" I don't even think I have the skill to make something identical!

There's a lot of other stuff that I’d rather do. I've been really interested in collaborating with different artists - people who do painting or metal work, putting different crafts together.

I would actively like to do it, but I just feel like I don't have the time now during COVID. It's even harder to coordinate than usual - everyone's kind of scattered. Some people are hyper-productive, but most of the time , if you ask someone to do something, they'll get back to you in three months. I can't even respond to an email for work!

It has definitely affected my ceramics practice because I don't feel like I'm really making art anymore. I'm making consumable goods. Its weird because sometimes I feel like I'm compromising of my artistic integrity.

Olivia Meek: Do you find that there are other ways to make the production work more creative? What methods can you use as a creative outlet? I imagine you'd have different glazes and things, but is that the only way to spice it up?

CP: In terms of spicing things up, there are other objects that I want to make. I want to make really big pieces. I like pushing the limits when I'm making a big pot - like a powerhouse pot.

OM: What about miniatures?

CP: Miniatures are fun too - those are more when I'm trying to flex, or when I'm procrastinating, I like to make like really tiny things.

OM: You could could break into the dollhouse market…You could carve out a whole new market for influencers who are downsizing.

CP: The miniature scene is actually huge!

CP: There are actually a lot of people who have tiny [pottery] wheels the size of a dollar and throw on them. It's total TikTok content, but I'm here for it.

Going back to the topic of COVID, I don't know how it's affected me as far as production goes, but I feel less motivated than before. It's like that doom where you think, "What am I even doing? I'm just making things." Thankfully people get a lot of joy out of my work - and that recognition feels so amazing.

I've met so many kind and wonderful people throughout this, too. Meeting with my clients and hearing how much they appreciate not only supporting a small artist, but also the actual pieces themselves, I realized that maybe I'm not even looking at my work as much of an art practice right now. The people who receive it really seem to appreciate it as such, though.

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Credit: Briggs Ogloff

MH: Now especially, people are turning to art - consuming it almost as a coping mechanism.

OM: Living through COVID really opened people's eyes to the importance of supporting artists - realizing, "Oh, if we don't support artists, they can't actually do anything!" When people are spending so much time alone in their homes, having objects that bring them happiness and make their living space tolerable is important.

MH: How did you find the role of social media playing out in this time?

CP: Most of the traction I've received with my work has been through certain influencers posting it on social media. Also through stores within my community, like one in Gas Town that did a wonderful job of putting a spotlight on the work of local artisans.

Online sharing is super beneficial, but I think it's funny too, because I am such an "un-aesthetic" person. I'm not posing with my minimalist little cup of coffee in my sparse home. I definitely have an aesthetic, but there's this whole culture that my work really fits into that I'm just the polar opposite of.

A lot of people expect that I'm going to be this quaint, linen-wearing, flower-picking person - whereas I'm actually just sitting here in my gym clothes, sweating at the studio. It's interesting how I can curate my style of work to a certain audience. I don't think people would necessarily connect my lifestyle and the way I present myself with the pieces I produce - I think that's pretty funny.

Curating an online presence isn't natural for me. I'm 29 years old - if I were three years younger, I would have had that [self-marketing] ability. Living through so many weird Internet times - like Myspace and Tumblr - I have no shortage of an internet persona. I have a presence, but it's just not necessarily one that would be appealing to the demographic buying my work.

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Credit: Briggs Ogloff

MH: Tell us about "The Peasant" - your current online persona. Where does that come from?

CP: I think it was just the toil of life and being constantly just like, "Oh, like, I can't..."

MH: Life led you to feudalism?

CP: Yeah...

MH: Does "The Peasant" serve as a contrast to that influencer lifestyle of the people you mentioned before?

CP: Probably - the peasant persona is just representative of the shitty side of me where I acknowledge that this is life, we're doing it, we're working for the man.

OM: Maybe "The Peasant" is Caitlin Prince - in the context that you're making goods for a demographic that you don't feel like you personally fit into. I mean, you could fit in if you wanted...

CP: I'm fitting in more now - at least no longer being a broke art student. Literally being so broke and spending outside of my means constantly - and not even having a studio for so many years. I was just working whack jobs to support having a practice and not wanting to give up on it. I'm actually surprised that I didn't! That's something that I'm ultimately proud of. You have to f*cking love art as a hobby to put in your extra time and money, to stick with it, but I'm glad I did.

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Credit: Briggs Ogloff

OM: Tell us a bit about your work during art school.

CP: A lot of my early work in university - especially with ceramics - was just testing the limits of the medium. I was interested in learning what was possible - like when I was making ceramic Jesus toasts. That was a play on existing Jesus figures, but also [the infamous Jesus toast relics] that you can purchase on eBay. I literally dipped pieces of bread in clay slip and fired them in the kiln so the bread would fire out. With every Jesus toast made (until I made a mold of it) bread was sacrificed.

OM: The toasts had Jesus decals because at the time there was a whole thing on the internet about a lady seeing Jesus in her toast.

CP: I made that mostly because I thought it was funny, but also just wanted to put clay-covered bread in the kiln.

OM: When did you realize that ceramics was your thing?

CP: Probably in my second or third year of university - that was when I really fell in love with clay. There are so many ways to manipulate it, and so many materials you can use to beat it, mold it, and make it into weird stuff. The experimental aspect is really exciting - and it's also a kind of escape.

MH: Do you have a preferred style of working with clay?

CP: I really enjoy throwing on the wheel and then adding hand-built elements. A lot of my pots are partially thrown and partially done with coil building. I like mixing both. I could throw the entire pot, but it would be too perfect-looking. I like when it appears more organic, and less like it's just been made on a production line.

There are many cool ways that you can manipulate clay, but glazing has never been my thing. I'm more into the clay bodies themselves. I use a clear glaze for food safety and water retention, but all the color variations you get are through the natural clay bodies themselves. I like to mix different brown and black clays, whites, speckles, grays - all that.

Another thing I like about ceramics is that you can work with the chemistry behind it - you can add different elements when you're firing it to produce new textures, colors, or different effects on the body. Then there are all the options for structure - mold-making, hand-building, and wheel throwing - and the surface design elements. It's this limitless medium. It's also cool to be able to work on something and then just reset and be like, "Oh, I'll just recycle it, use it next time."

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Credit: Briggs Ogloff

OM: Tell us about the Lohan plates!

CP: That was back in art school when we learned a new technique called the decal technique. I thought it would be so funny if I made a set of commemorative plates. I think Lindsay Lohan's fifth mugshot had just been released.

A commemorative plate as an object is so bizarre to me. It's pretty useless, yet there are so many of them celebrating royalty or celebrities. I wanted to commemorate someone very controversial - a mess.

OM: Lindsay Lohan was one of the biggest celebrities of our generation and then was just in jail constantly.

CP: Maybe there was something comforting about it - the buildup and beat-down of a celebrity. Now they don't get torn down the same way. The Kardashian-Jenners are loved and hated, but they're still so influential. Our generation had Paris Hilton getting built up, torn to shit, and then built up and torn to shit again. Amanda Bynes, too. We witnessed really weird demises of people.

The Lohan plates were really well-received, and funnily enough, led me to the Real Housewives of Vancouver. They were entered in a show at school and this woman who runs a gallery in Vancouver really liked them - she was working for one of the Housewives whose husband was a big art collector in Vancouver. The Housewife decided she wanted me to make commemorative plates of her, so I ended up making some 50 plates with pictures of her and her cat on them.

MH: Did she end up selling them?

CP: Yeah, so it didn't go as well as she thought it would. I went to the show - I was mostly there for the free wine and to see who was actually going to buy these plates - and at the end of it, they didn't even pay me! She was like, "Oh, we'll be in contact with you about payment," and literally avoided paying me for months.

That was my first commission and first experience being screwed over as an artist. When she finally came around to paying the last $50, she met up with me downtown pulled out her big designer purse, and actually tried to give the plates back - she was like, "We have some left over, would you want to be paid with those? Do you want these back?"

It was definitely a wacky experience, but also an interesting first foray into life as an artist showing and selling my work. She works at a car dealership now.

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Credit: Briggs Ogloff

OM: Decorative arts and ceramics have always been pushed to the side, where it's like, "Oh no, that's not art, it's craft." That was one really annoying thing about going to art school - the idea that there are two types of people - the "crafts" people and the "artists". The fine art and design programs were so elevated, while ceramics fell through the cracks. Ceramicists were made fun of constantly - it was actually crazy.

CP: I have this internalized self-loathing for production pottery that is rooted in that schooling experience and having to put meaning to work . Not everything has to have a "concept" behind it. Some things can just purely be enjoyed.

MH: Do you think that what you're doing now, working with boutiques, is a result of being taught to make technically perfect pieces for commercial success? Or is it the other way around - do you attribute your popularity to the unique imperfections of your work?

CP: At Emily Carr, there was no emphasis on being commercially successful. We didn't learn how to market ourselves as a business. We didn't learn any of those skills. I would have probably benefited more from going to a business school and just pursuing ceramics as a hobby, if that was my goal, but I also like making work that people can afford and own. Work that isn't completely unattainable. I don't need to have my pottery on a pedestal.

I think that art should be accessible. Especially now, creating affordable art that you can get out to people - there's something to be said for that.

https://www.caitlinprinceceramics.com/

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Credit: Briggs Ogloff

Artist Spotlight: BestWorld

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“Dreamscapes” by BestWorld

BestWorld is the moniker Ottawa-based surrealist collage artist Sierra, who is the latest artist in our series of spotlights. We first came across her psychedelic collages on Instagram, and wanted to know more her creative process and how she creates such unique and dreamlike images.

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: Hi Sierra, tell us a bit about who you are and what you do.  

Sierra: Hey, I’m Sierra a surrealist artist. My days consist of drinking lots of coffee and hanging out with my baby kitten, Zephyr. I just recently turned 24 and I’m in that stage of recognizing that time is passing by super quickly and I’d rather be putting my energy to things I love doing. It’s kinda as if I’m in a quarter life crisis, but in the best way possible. Most of my days are honestly spent daydreaming and envisioning the future. Naturally being this way has given me an edge on creating, but has definitely stunted me in other aspects of my life. I created BestWorld a few months ago honestly out of sheer boredom, working back to back government contracts in Ottawa and [discovering] it wasn’t for me. On my lunch breaks, I started to create vision boards and took up multiple courses in graphic design. I was also heavily obsessed with 70s concert posters at the time and was like, “Oh hey… turning my work into something tangible would be cool.” I also have a background in business which has helped me out a lot. 

AC: How did you first get into art? Has collage always been your primary medium?

Sierra: I got into art at a very young age, in fact it was probably the only thing I was deemed “good” at up until my late-teens. I literally sucked at all sports and was terrible in school. I was a very stubborn child. My dad and I, when I was around 7 up until my late teens, would create these giant playlists and draw illustrations to the songs. I believe my love for art first started around this point because I was feeling things that I couldn’t really put into words for the first time. 

Sketching and painting were my primary mediums growing up. I still do draw a lot and paint sometimes. I do feel like the future of art is going to be very digitized with Procreate, so I’m starting to learn new mediums and formats as we speak.

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“Devyn’s Dream” by BestWorld

AC: What’s the creative scene like where you’re from? How do you think it’s influenced your work?

Sierra: The creative scene where I am from has definitely flourished in the last 5 years. I really do think Ottawa has a lot of potential and there are some extremely talented people here. A lot of my friends here are creatives and the community is pretty close knit, which is really warm and fuzzy. When you’re surrounded by talented individuals. it definitely pushes you to become the best version of yourself. This is my last year in Ottawa as I will be moving to Vancouver this summer, but I am extremely grateful for Ottawa’s creative collective. 

AC: Your work is super psychedelic and colourful, a nice break from the minimalist aesthetic we often see on Instagram. Where do you find your inspiration? Who are some other artists who have really influenced your work?

Sierra: Haha, thank you so much! I get my inspiration mostly from other surrealist artists and other visual artists, my own dreams and visions and of course, as well as music. My top three favourite artists are: Salvador Dali, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Victor Moscoso. Dali’s painting “The Elephants” is honestly probably where it all started for me. I saw the painting when I was around 10 and I was completely blown away by its otherworldliness. Basquiat was overall just such an interesting character, who was way ahead of his time. My favourite work of his is “Riding with Death,” which he painted right before he died. He was illustrating his opinions on the state of the world at the time and the racism he was experiencing. Victor Moscoso’s use of colour is what really intrigued me about him. It was just super unconventional; he made so many rock posters, advertisements and comics in the 60s and 70s. He was the first rock poster artist of the 60s and highlighted the entire psychedelic/hippie movement going on at the time. He also just seems like a super sweet lad. 

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“Kiss the Earth that Birthed You” by BestWorld

AC: Who do you usually listen to when you’re creating new work?

Sierra: I usually just put on a Spotify playlist I’ve created while making new designs. As of now I’m, really into 53 Thieves, Washed Out, Melody’s Echo Chamber, Japanese Breakfast, Frank Ocean, Weyes Blood, beabadoobee, Jay Som, Toro Y Moi, Litany, TENDER, The Strokes, RF Shannon, Crumb, Tame Impala, Jimi Hendrix, Andy Shauf, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Mazzy Star, Chloe x Halle… Honestly could add 10,000 more artists in there, I listen to music all day.

AC: You mentioned that you’re doing more commissioned work lately. How have you found the transition from making art for fun, to beginning to be able to monetize it? What are some tips/resources you could give to up and coming artists?

Sierra: As of now, I’ve been incredibly lucky. Everyone I’ve collaborated with has been amazing to work with and I’ve made some long lasting friends. My advice to up and coming artists is to honestly stick to your guns and don’t get pushed around by anyone. Believe in yourself, as scary as that sounds. You’re working for yourself and you can decide, pick and choose who you’re working with. Make sure they are good humans because your name and brand is on the line. Overall, you don’t want to be working with shitty people regardless, just know your worth. 

Especially when you’re first starting out, you might have imposter syndrome. Try to brush those feelings aside because it happens to the best of us and I believe every artist has these thoughts from time to time. Also, collaborate with other artists and learn from them. Don’t be afraid to direct message your favourite verified artist on Instagram; they may have some phenomenal advice for you. Don’t think you’re above or below anyone or anything and don’t be afraid to take risks. It’s only when we truly push ourselves out of our comfort zones… That’s when we grow as individuals and artists. 

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“Otherworldly Realms” by BestWorld

AC: What’s your creative process like? How do you usually find your images?

Sierra: My creative process can take up anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on the piece I am creating. It takes a lot more for commissioned work as I am working with someone else's visions, whereas I kinda have mine already known in my mind (if that even makes sense haha). When I’m working on album artwork or single artwork, I listen to the song over and over again to pick up on sonic motifs and lyrics, and then incorporate them into the cover art. I find most of my images on vintage archived libraries. For my hand cuts, I go to thrift stores and buy their clothes and ask if they have any mags from the 70s I can use. 

AC: Finally, is there anything that you want to promote or mention? How can we best support you and your work?           

Sierra: Support local businesses and your pals. Keep your artistic friends close because trust me, I can tell you they work hard. The best way to support me would honestly just be to have some conversations with me, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram at anytime. I love humans so much haha. I also have a second shop launching shortly where I will be selling t-shirts, bags and a lot of other things. My Etsy will still be available to purchase prints, canvases and custom artwork. Thanks so much for your time!

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“I’ll Change” by BestWorld

BestWorld

Instagram | Etsy

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Meet ONYX Bodywear: The Size-Inclusive, Vancouver-Based Lingerie Brand

Model is wearing the V harness, Garter belt, G-string (with lace) and Double Strap leg garters by ONYX Bodywear Model River Rusalka I Photographer Jamie Edgar Photography

For ONYX, the individual brings the product to life.  

Feeling sexy should not be constrained to body types portrayed in the media. Everyone deserves the opportunity to embrace their divinity and sexiness within. Founder Sandra Haney introduces ONYX Bodywear as a, “Proudly inclusive, accessible, body and sex-positive Canadian brand. Each product is a statement piece - whether that be edgy/alternative or sexy is up to the customer.” Haney spoke with me about the story behind ONYX and their mission for body-positive lingerie. 

When COVID-19 restrictions eased in B.C. this summer, I stumbled onto The Hive Home & Gifts, a boutique in Squamish with clothes and miscellaneous items from local designers. After noticing me gazing at the tantalizing strappy harness on display, a salesperson informed me that a woman-owned company crafted it in Vancouver. Sliding my fingers along the straps, I felt dedication in ONYX’s stitching. Compared to similar harnesses I had bought online, which held no grip and ripped after a night of dancing. The material was soft yet durable and also vegan as it was all elastic strapping. 

Haney says “We stand by the quality and the fact our products can change for when your body changes.” The customer can adjust key straps so they can wear the harness for hours comfortably and fit it perfectly for their body shape. ONYX’s approach is creating products as one-size-fits-most as they can adjust from XS to XXL (or more) depending on the style. 

Model is wearing Black choker, Criss-Cross cage bra, G-string (with mesh) and Cheeky harness by ONYX Bodywear Model River Rusalka I Photographer Jamie Edgar Photography

Haney’s story begins with a shopping trip for her 40th birthday. She ventured into various boutiques in Vancouver on the lookout for intimate fetish-inspired apparel - returning home with hundreds of dollars worth of lingerie. Unsatisfied with her haul because of inconsistency in fit and style- the customization process unfolded. “I looked at basically a pile of elastic, lace and mesh and thought I could make this myself!”  She believes that some boutiques fail to supply quality, affordable lingerie that adapts to different body shapes. Budget-friendly items seem to be mass-produced packaged in plastic film or the more luxurious brands come at an exorbitant price. There was a gap in finding something in between with the strappy style she was searching for

Shortly after Haney met up with a long-time friend and former colleague Alison Palmer for their semi-regular bitch and stitch session. Haney mentioned the idea to make some harnesses or cage wear and together, designs for ONYX Bodywear began. Haney says that “ [we] shared a creative synergy that extended beyond our professional relationship and friendship, and ONYX was born out of that.” 

ONYX’s humble beginnings as an Etsy shop producing sexy accessories for everybody. Haney never set out to create products for wholesale. However, that changed in 2018 when Palmer strolled into Your Open Closet,  the sister-shop of Womyn's Ware, known for its sex-positive values including toys and sexual health items for folks hoping to transform their self-care routine. “A big thing we represent is that feeling sexy and looking sexy is healthy and good - for themselves - or however they want to do it,” says Haney. 

Palmer was her business partner during the early stages - helping out with start-up, design and production up until 2018 when she left to concentrate on her full-time career. They remain close friends and ONYX still carries one of Palmer’s original designs:  the diamond cage bra that makes everyone feel like royalty. 

Needing a partner to help the business grow, Haney recruited her friend of almost 30 years, Marga Devam, to help. Devam is based in Edmonton and supports ONYX in design, manufacturing and sales

Model is wearing Black choker and the Criss-Cross cage bra by ONYX Bodywear Model River Rusalka I Photographer Jamie Edgar Photography

Despite the simplicity of their designs, the manufacturing process is time-consuming. “It takes a long time to assemble with a lot of attention to quality work and details - definitely not fast fashion and makes labour costs higher.” Before each harness reaches consumers, the ONYX team designs a prototype, adjusts, sews alterations and revises until they have a final product that meets their standard. ONYX’s website features a limited selection of cage bras, harnesses and garters - of several distinct designs that change once or twice a year.

 "We are a small operation, so compared to some other brands we operate lean and produce many of our orders on-demand, so there is no wastage," says Haney. Currently, in addition to Devam, she has two part-time seamstresses sewing their products. 

Pre-COVID, ONYX attended trade shows to help grow the brand and connect with consumers. Haney says people would commonly remark, “I love your stuff, but there is no way this will fit me!” She challenges them to try it anyway. After they try on one of our products they feel sexy, strong and empowered,  “it’s a rush every single time - it just makes you feel so good when you see something you’ve made make someone feel that way.” 

Haney recognizes that ONYX designs a niche product that will not fit everyone’s taste. The harness allure is more likely to interest a crowd looking for an alternative or edgy look. The stretch of the strapping does not work for those interested in exploring their kink for leather and bondage. However, strappy fashion is becoming more mainstream which also speaks for ONYX’s versatility beyond erotic fashion. Haney says, “you can wear [the harness] with your most utility, comfortable bra and daytime outfit, and it just takes it up a notch - so there is that versatility for boudoir and every day.” 

You can purchase ONYX’s products at various brick and mortar shops in the Pacific Northwest, Alberta, the Midwest of the USA and even Kenya. Haney says “We are a local brand and our growth has been careful baby steps, but we are moving in the right direction.” 

Model River Rusalka I Photographer Jamie Edgar Photography

ONYX

Website I Instagram 

Alexis Zygan

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Dutch Fashion Label Elzinga Talks Growing Up in the DIY Music Scene & Feminist Fashion Inspiration & More

Via Elzinga

Elzinga is an up-and-coming Dutch fashion label that recently took over Paradiso during Amsterdam Fashion Week. They debuted their latest collection on the all-girl punk band The Klittens, catching the attention of Forbes and many others. The collection speaks to and honours the nightlife scene while simultaneously reflecting the "silence" with this collection's simpler shapes.

We spoke to Lieselot Elzinga, Co-Founder & Creative Director of Elzinga, to get to know more about the brand.

Via Elzinga

Malaika for Also Cool: Tells us a bit about Elzinga. How did it start and how has it evolved over time?

Lieselot Elzinga: We started the brand Elzinga together back in 2018. Miro and I had just graduated from the Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. Following the great response to our graduation collection, we decided to start a brand together. We got in touch with Parrot Agency, a design sales agency based in Amsterdam. They coached us through translating our grad collection to a more sellable product with the same rock-’n-roll energy and spark.

Now after releasing a few collections on MatchesFashion I feel like we have learned to work and reach our clientele. Our designs are definitely influenced by our experiences with our buyers and our clients.

Via Elzinga

 Also Cool: What's the fashion and music scene like where Elzinga is based? How has that affected the label creatively?

Elzinga: Elzinga is based in Amsterdam. I was brought up in the middle of the music scene in Amsterdam. It's basically the core of the brand. The music scene in Amsterdam is small, but there is a lot of variety. Many bands are always sprouting from this tiny scene, and that is very inspiring to me as a designer. 

I used to play a lot around the Netherlands from a very early age with my teenage girl band Fuz . As a girl group, we really figured out how to use fashion as a tool to gain more confidence and power on stage. If you are on stage, you want to convey a very direct and clear message. You want the moment you walk on stage to be powerful and you want the audience to react. This is basically our brand ethos; we want our designs to be simple and direct in shape, but still extravagant and a little rough around the edges. 

Via Elzinga

 AC: How did Elzinga decide to pair up with The Klittens for this show?

Elzinga: With our last show, we wanted to highlight the importance of live music and individual expression in today's society. We did our presentation in the legendary music venue Paradiso in Amsterdam, a place where big bands and performers took the stage (pre corona). It is also a place that nurtures the local music scene, a scene that has been hit hard by the coronavirus. 

We choose The Klittens to play during our presentation first because we love their music, but second because they are a young all girl group that really needs to be supported in a man's world like the music industry. I have experienced first hand what it is like to be an outsider in the music industry and I really feel like we need to push for diversity as a brand. 

Via Elzinga

AC: What are some of the label's inspirations? Musically and visually?

Elzinga: As a brand we are extremely inspired by different influences. Early garage music like Suicide and bands like the Cramps and the Breeders are a huge inspiration to us. We really find the DIY element in our aesthetic extremely important in our visual identity. 

Visually I feel extremely inspired by artists such as Cleas Oldenburg, especially his early performance work he did in NYC called 'The Store' I also find inspiration in artists such as Keith Haring and Penck. 

I like simplicity and direct expression when it comes to visual art, which also shows in our use of simplistic prints and shapes.

Via Elzinga

 AC: What's something unexpected about the world of fashion that Elzinga had to learn along the way in order to succeed?

Elzinga: Something you definitely don't learn in art school is to think about your clients and the people who will buy your brand and will support you as a designer. We find it so interesting to listen to our clients feedback and in that way pin point what the Elzinga woman is about and how her life is and what she want to look like and radiate to the outside world. 

Via Elzinga

 AC: How can we best support Elzinga right now?

 Elzinga: It's so important to support small brand and labels at this time. Like any other small brand, follow what we are up to, check out our new collections and projects and maybe consider buying one of our products in the future :)

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