WE'RE SUPPORTING

Laurie Hogin takes a classical approach to painting mutant critters that snarl and menace through their cute, day-glo fur. If Victorian artists got in a time machine to the ’80s, watched Gremlins, bought some Hypercolor jam shorts, and went back to their home era, they might have generated images like these. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

While the Belizean Islands are some of the most beautiful and tranquil in the world, Belize City is one of those uninspiring places that most people travel in and out of very quickly. However, if you do find yourself stranded there, as I did, the city does have one redeeming attraction. Approximately twenty kilometres west of the centre, you’ll find the Belize Zoo — which the founders call the ‘best little zoo in the world’. It relies on charitable donations and has gained huge respect for housing native Belizean wildlife, such as jaguars, howler monkeys, tapirs, ocelots and toucans, in natural, tropical surroundings. If you’re there on the first Friday in April, you can even join hundreds of visitors in celebrating the birthday of the zoo’s resident tapir, April. The zoo has an awesome rasta-vibe, and the hand-written information posts are guaranteed to make you giggle.

WE'RE WEARING

Jules Kim is the designer behind the jewelery label Bijules, which is based out of New York. This entire accessory line including hairrings, using real and synthetic human hair. This collection called Haire allows you to clip on colored pieces and daring do’s without having to commit.

WE'RE THINKING

I love the colour and textures that permeate Brooklyn illustrator Ilana Kohn’s work. A Pratt graduate, Kohn ‘works mainly through combining traditional painting techniques with various manners of collage and occasional digital media’. Read more

WE'RE READING

This beautiful black and white art periodical Color Ink Book has been designed so that you can add splashes of color to any of the pages that catch your eye. This second issue features the work of more twenty five international artists, including Andy Smith, Formfieber, Marco Rached, Nathan Spoor, and Trystan Bates.

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 LISTENING TO

I got to check out Extra Golden the other night at the Floristree in the H & H Building in downtown Baltimore. Despite a bill of heady, contemplative, experimental music that preceded the DC-based band, the crowd was chomping at the bit to see them when they finally hit the stage well past 1am. It’s still cold and rainy here in Charm City, but these guys made it feel like summer with their sunny blend of Kenyan benga music and guitar-driven psych rock.