John Hodany

WE'RE SUPPORTING

Looking for the ultimately gift for your design conscious valentine? Look no further. You need Penguin’s new edition of the Karma Sutra, complete with a beautifully illustrated cover by Malika Favre. Read more

WE'RE THINKING

Question: when is a table not a table? Answer: when’s it’s a piece of art. Thank you Kyle Jay Jamison for creating this awesome table that could just as easily hang on a museum wall. We love. Read more

Heavy metal and hip-hop are perhaps the most popular forms of rebellion for kids the world over. In Malaysia, metal — particularly black metal — has taken such a strong hold that the Fatwa Council there banned it, fearing that the music would compel listeners to rebel against religion. Contrary to the council’s intentions, black metal is as popular as ever in Malaysia, and is a recognizable cultural touchstone there, as indicated by the above clip from the 2005 film Filem Rock.

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

Who says the Swedes have got a monopoly on seasonal ice hotels? This one in Kemi, northern Finland, is the world’s largest snow castle, standing seventeen metres high and with walls that are 1,100 metres long. It has restaurants, an art gallery, a hotel and a chapel. In fact, since opening in the early 1990s, it’s been quite a hit for tourists to get married at the snow chapel. Hmmm, now that would be a frosty start to any marriage. Read more

WE'RE READING

The duo of Brendan Monroe and Evah Fan are one of those creative, powerhouse couples. Though two entirely individual artists, the influence they exert upon one another is subtle yet undeniable. Both create the kind of art that that makes you giddy with pleasure, while the lack of pretension puts you completely at ease. You get the undeniable sense that these are two people who simply live and breathe creativity and love every moment of it. Two amazing artists with a wholly individual take on life and the world around them. I had the pleasure to grill them both. Read more

WE'RE LISTENING TO

Castevet are a promising new experimental black metal band out of New York. They have a much more complex and technical approach than other bands of this ilk, revealing post-hardcore and death metal influences as evidenced by guitarist Andrew Hock’s work in deathgrind outfit Biolich and Boston jazz/death/doom band Ehnahre.

WE'RE WEARING

They may be incredibly eccentric, but these ten inch platforms are physical proof that it is actually possible to create somewhat aesthetically pleasing heels out of elephant faeces. UK-based artist INSA designed the shoes as part of a recent art exhibit at Tate Britain which features the individual work of various artists responding to Chris Ofili’s controversial The Holy Mary elephant dung painting made fifteen years ago.