Category: Photography

Having a strong interest in the relationship between humans and nature, the Slovenian photographer Anze Østerman, searches for almost forgotten places and stories that make you want to go out and explore the world.

After taking us around the ‘Arctic Circle‘ Osterman invites us to follow him on a not less exciting adventure deep into the Southeast of Alaska. Surrounded by whales and bears, lies a remote island known as the Marble island. It is a place where nature can be your best friend who loves and nourishes you, but it can also take you to the depths of the ocean in a second…

“He lives in a cabin on the island together with a family of oyster farmers and fishermen.”“The story is a poetic journey through life of a young man who lives on the island. His name is Zach. Born and raised in Japan, the road took him to Alaska, to the wilderness, with no roads or signal, where he found a completely new world. He lives in a cabin on the island together with a family of oyster farmers and fishermen. Zach spends all of his days in the arms of the cold ocean, working on a floating oyster farm, fishing and exploring the area. Sometimes half a year goes by without him seeing a town or other people besides the family on the island. The ocean presents the biggest danger to him, but also the doorway to this beautiful world which he explores on a small skiff together with his dog Kahli.”

When folding chairs are often relegated to musty closets and temporary positions, the design of ‘Ollie Chair‘ celebrates its ability to be stored in a creative and fun way.

“Just because a chair can be stored, doesn’t mean it should be hidden or take a second seat.”
Created by design studio Rock Paper Robot, the project was presented as a kickstarter campaign, where it’s already gained twice as much as the initial budget. Handsome and available to customize, the chair unfolds with the pull of a string, making a functional seat for homes and businesses, inside and outdoors. Its slatted wood seat, called ‘tambour’, allows the chair to smoothly transform between ergonomic and flat profiles. Traditionally used in roll-top desks, ‘tambour’ is a flexible surface made up of wood slats adhered to a textile canvas that gives the ‘Ollie Chair’ its unique movement and shape-shifting abilities. “Here at RPR, we think versatility is queen…and just because a chair can be stored, doesn’t mean it should be hidden or take a second seat,” say the designers from RPR. In the future, they aim at making the chairs in various materials and finishes, including custom graphic designs for bigger orders.

Kubota Architect Atelier designed a L-shaped concrete and glass residence named the ‘FU House’ in Shunan, Japan, not far from the Seto Inland Sea.

The client’s requirement for peace and privacy was met with insulated outer walls as well as a long terrace with a shallow pool surrounded by solid white walls. Floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors provide for optimized indoor-outdoor flow.  Inside, the multi-storeyed living space was constructed around adaptability and flexibility. “Light and shadow are restlessly ambiguous and abstract;as are wind and water,” explain the architects. “Three pieces of white slab, each folded into an L-shape, are inserted three dimensionally into this ever-changing environment.”

Although Montreal-based photographer Francois Ollivier went to Cuba with no particular plan what to shoot, soon he decided to focus on colors, symmetry and the portraits of strangers.

“My approach is based on wandering and accepting the impromptu.”
Born in the south of France, Ollivier moved to work and live in Montreal, Canada in 2011. Before turning to professional photography, he used to be “a creative ad guy”, as he recalls himself. Today, he focuses on making images – his work is based on observation and magnifying the simplest things. “My approach is based on wandering and accepting the impromptu. I use photography to make simple factual observations and also to gather people, places, lines or lights in a setup that will exist only once,” says the photographer. In his series from Cuba, Ollivier turns his lens to captivating color compositions, interesting strangers and the symmetry of the place, creating vibrant and diverse portrait of Cuba’s capital Havana.

Architect Cristián Izquierdo created a pine wooden multifunctional holiday home opening up to a long beach, on top of a dune in the middle of nowhere in Chile.

The house can host up to three couples. The architectural concept derives from two accommodation types: motel and cabin. Motels are commonly associated with a possibility of anonymous stay, while cabins are mostly used as places of communion. Izquierdo’s ‘Casa en Morillos’ wants to combine both worlds.

The kitchen is situated in the center of the vacation home, accessible for all inhabitants. Next to the kitchen are a common area and three bedrooms, axially arranged. Each unit opens into the patio which connects the rooms. As a unique feature of the building is the facade that consists of 72 doors made of wood panels. They offer different possibilities of use depending on their position. When the panels are opened, the rooms and the courtyard can be transformed to an overall space. Tenants can also enjoy a magnificent view of the sea. In contrast, when the panels are closed, guests find themselves in private rooms.

A self-taught photographer, Kristina Podobed breaks the taboos of the nakedness and pushes away the restrictions towards female body.

“I learnt to get inspired by everything that surrounds me.”
Having started by documenting herself and people around her, Podobed gradually became more aware of what she wanted to achieve as an artist and started to work on personal projects. She says: “I learnt to get inspired by everything that surrounds me, that’s why I always carry my camera and shoot everything I see, all sides of life in Ukraine: from good-looking girls and models to homeless people who sleep in the streets.” The work of Ukrainian photographer combines social documentary with snapshots from her diary. By capturing the free expression of her female friends and the authentic image of their bodies, Podobed has dealt with her own insecurity about the nakedness and the social taboos around it.