Nomadic Light

Nomadic Light

What is most captivating about this cordless light is the mix of traditional materials like concrete and boiled leather used in the early 20^th century, combined with a contemporary design. The boiled leather technique is used to create the shape of the handle and mould with the traveller.

Many homes in Africa don’t have electricity and this light reminded me of the kerosene gas lamps they use and the times when most people used candle light to light their lives. Both modern light and kerosene lamp offer a unique homely comfort and connection with the user.

Take a look at some of Eisenkoeck’s other work: http://www.katharinaeisenkoeck.com

Saving Kenya's street children

Unreported world

Aidan Hartley reports from his home town in Kenya on an extraordinary project to rescue the children who live on its streets.

Together with director Wael Dabbous, Hartley highlights the inspiring work of the Restart Centre in Gilgil, which is providing a safe shelter for children at risk. The Centre is run on a shoestring budget raised from private donations.

Conditions are basic, but crucially, it represents safety for the 70 children who live there. Many of them ended up living rough as result of the bloody chaos which engulfed Kenya following disputed elections five years ago. More than a thousand people were killed, many families were broken up and thousands were made homeless.

Hartley and Dabbous follow Restart worker Dan Nderitu, who spends his nights seeking out Gilgil's street children. The first time they meet him, he's in a race against time to rescue two small boys: Ken, seven, and his 10-year-old brother Julius. Ken and Julius' family have sunk into extreme poverty. 

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/unreported-world/4od#3534067

Design Network Africa

Design Network Africa links respected designers from East,West and Southern Africa, selected for their originality and unique global identities. The programme has created opportunities for truly talented artists in Africa to grow and encourage design and creativity in areas of the world where poverty and grief are the most recognized feature. 

Images courtesy of: http://designnetworkafrica.org/gallery/

VELECO Fair Trade Cyclewear

“VELECO the world's first Fair Trade and eco-friendly cyclewear company.

Our aim is provide sweatshop free cyclewear that is stylish and affordable.

VELECO is different to other cyclewear brands as we use natural and recycled materials in our clothing wherever possible, we pay our workers a fair wage and our new range of organic and Fairtrade certified cotton t-shirts and hoodies will be carbon neutral, as they are going to be produced in a factory that uses wind turbines.

Plus we pay a Fair Trade premium on every cap, short and jacket made that goes into a health and welfare fund for our workers.”

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1379401843/veleco-changing-the-way-you-cycle-forever

Also look at this for cyclewear:

A sequined high vis Ashish vest

http://drapersonline.tumblr.com/

Yinka Shonibare FABRIC-ATION

Part Nigerian part British artist Yinka Shonibare was born in London and grew up in Nigeria until his teenage years. He came back to England to study art and contracted an illness making him severely disabled. He now creates his artwork with the people around him to interpret his ideas to create his wonderful works.

In his exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park he exhibits a collection of fabric sculptures narrating climate change, politics, current affairs and migration in a tragic but comedic way. He describes his work as “serious and silly.” A particularly beautiful work by Shonibare is the video for Addidio del Passato, where he recreates a piece of history exposing his own characters in the place of notable historical figures. All dressed in extravagant African wax prints and fabrics to contrast from their environment.

The Sculpture Park was a perfect contrast to the lively and exuberant works by Shonibare. His work really stood out from the calm and scenic landscape and countryside that is the Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Little Rich Girls

Fake death

video: Addio del Passato

http://www.ysp.co.uk/exhibitions/yinka-shonibare-mbe-fabric-ation

Images courtesy of google images

Love Great British Wild Flowers

Our Great British Wild Flowers are apparently dissapearing. The raw and organic look and feel of these plants are being taken for granted. Admittedly I hadn't thought about them this way before, but they add a lot of colour and a beautiful wildness to the landscape. 

As a response to this tragedy gardening networks and the like are encouraging us Brits to grow wild flowers in our gardens and communities to encourage biodiversity in plants and make sure we don't lose what's right on our doorstep.

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/apr/27/british-wildflowers

 http://www.british-wild-flowers.co.uk

Inspiration- Whitby

A bit of inspiration. I picked up a postcard of Whitby earlier today with a colorful scene of a boat sailing by the town. When I came home I found an image I had taken from last years holiday at the seaside, which had the same boat in the image. I hope it will inspire a new drawing.

Own images

Luxury home in the woodland

In this episode of Kevin Mcclouds' Man Made Home he creates a hot tub made from a reclaimed jet engine and a drop down veranda made with vintage scrap metal to create a medieval drawbridge effect mechanism. In his project he has built up a magical luxury home in the woods made from only recycled and reclaimed materials from the area around him. With a little help from his friends and the community, he discovers that out of making relationships are built. A connection is created through materials, place, building and people making everyone involved a bit happier. 

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/kevin-mcclouds-man-made-home/episode-guide/series-1/episode-4

Wonderbag

In the theme of Fairtrade Fortnight this wonderfully innovative product is perfect for inspiring new ways in cooking and thinking about food. The WONDERBAG is a non electric heat retention cooker that allows food that has been brought to the boil to continue cooking hours after it has been removed from the heat source. Cooking in this way saves the energy that would be used to cook food traditionally; you can leave your meal cooking while you go and there is no need to reheat food from the wonderbag. 

The Wonderbag was originally created in Africa for Africans. For every bag bought in the UK a Wonderbag is given to a family in need in the developing world. The Wonderbags are distributed in South Africa with established projects who demonstrate the bags to help those who benefit the most.

nb-wonderbag.com

Slow Food

This Fairtrade Fortnight the theme is food. Celebrating farmers across the world for their harvesting methods, organic produce, nutritional knowledge and community values. Supporting fairtrade farmers allows more money to be put back into their communities and support their families. The theme encouraged me to research into how we farm our food here in the UK and look at the forgotten foods that we are in danger of losing. Slow food UK have this to say about food production:

Fast Life, Intensive Production Methods and Excessive Legislation are the main reasons that we are losing so many of our traditional foods and drinks. With their demise we also lose centuries of expert knowledge and cultural traditions. We lose choice, flavour and the varied landscape and wildlife associated with traditional farming. In short we lose biodiversity.

Those artisan producers who opt to swim against the tide of Fast Life need our help in explaining to the public why their products are special and, usually, cost more to make than mass-produced counterparts.
The British have been described as gastronomic magpies, owing to our eagerness to embrace other food cultures. It is often easier to find food from half way across the world than that produced on our doorstep and we have lost our sense of the link between our food, the land, and the people who produce it. However a growing awareness of the environmental implications of this has led to a renewed interest in our own food culture, and a fascinating journey of discovery awaits us as we re-learn to connect with the soil.

 http://www.slowfood.org.uk/ark-info/why-we-exist