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Championing creativity

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New Originals: introducing the London Rollergirls

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Work / Miscellaneous KesselsKramer scoff at the upcoming royal wedding with a series of satirical souvenirs

KesselsKramer has created a monarchy-focused farce in light of the upcoming royal wedding in May. Poking fun at the extravaganza in a medium the royals would want us to commemorate the event themselves, KesselsKramer are offering you the chance to bag alternative memorabilia in the form of plates and a football scarf.

Lucy Bourton — 11 April 2018
Regulars / Miscellaneous It's Nice That's Easter Break

We’ve got four days off! It’s the Easter Bank Holiday so we’ll be out of the studio, having a bit of rest and probably sheltering from the rain rather than walking around in the spring sunshine we’d hoped for. Even though we won’t be around to update you over the next few days, to keep you entertained we’ve chosen not only the most read articles from 2018 so far, but some of our personal favourites. From discipline-spanning long-reads to the finest graphic design, photography, illustration and animation, the team have hand-picked the articles we’re still thinking about months later for you to enjoy again.

It's Nice That — 29 March 2018
Sponsored / Miscellaneous A/D/O's Water Futures Design Challenge asks creatives to solve our global water crisis

Humankind’s relationship to drinking water has developed into what can only be described as a toxic one. This is particularly true in our cities where tensions surrounding water have resulted in many calling for a ban on single-use, disposable plastic bottles. In what is the beginning of a year-long programme, A/D/O has launched the Water Futures Design Challenge. An incentivised contest, it “challenges designers and creators to conceptualise and imagine innovative new ways to solve this global crisis.”

Sponsored Content — 26 March 2018
Work / International Women's Day The Front is the all-female media platform at the forefront of gender activism

The vast majority of media companies are regulated by men. Dazed Media is run by Jefferson Hack; Condé Nast by Bob Sauerberg; Vice Media by Shane Smith; Time Warner by Jeff Bewkes; Netflix by Reed Hastings; 21st Century Fox by James Murdoch. The list is endless.

Daphne Milner — 08 March 2018
Sponsored / Miscellaneous From playful animated characters to powerful portraiture, we introduce three talents at JSR

London-based creative management agency JSR represents artists in the fields of photography, illustration, CGI and moving image. Launched in 2005 by Jamie Stephen the agency now represents more than 40 artists, comprising a mix of established and emerging talent. It’s Nice That has selected three of the represented creatives for you to check out.

It's Nice That — 06 March 2018
Work / Miscellaneous Stamps of a Revolution: Ali Mobasser's Iranian stamp collection and incredible family story

When artist Ali Mobasser was a child he began collecting stamps. The act of building a collection of ephemera, carefully placing postal gems into a book, is a common hobby for children across the world. But for Ali, his Iranian stamp collection “acted as a security blanket during a turbulent period in my childhood when I was sent away by mother in Southern California to live with my father in London,” the artist begins to tell It’s Nice That.

Lucy Bourton — 28 February 2018

Work / Publication National Geographic’s creative director Emmet Smith on the publication’s redesign

A long-established and highly respected staple of the newsstands, National Geographic, has been redesigned for its May issue. Released on 24 April, the rethink of the magazine and “the most significant overhaul of content and design since 2000,” builds upon the magazine’s successes, creating even more exploratory visual storytelling. Debuting new paper stock, design, updated sections and specially created typefaces, the redesign is revealed at a time when the publication has a particularly strong reputation and readership.

Lucy Bourton — 20 April 2018
Work / Photograhy Leon Mark’s refined and infinitely stylish photography

Leon Mark’s photographs are refined, graceful and infinitely stylish. The London-based photographer has worked with the likes Vogue Italia and Chanel, cementing his name across the fashion industry. This is partly due to Leon’s ability to capture the distinct personalities of his sitters, extracting their idiosyncrasies with his lens. “I got into photography by studying film and cinema. I’ve always been interested in fashion and art so I started to focus more on the mise en scène of cinema which pushed me towards photography. That, in turn, let me to fashion photography,” Leon tells It’s Nice That. Working mainly across Europe and the US, Leon shoots both film and digital, and is currently working on short fashion films.

Daphne Milner — 20 April 2018
Regulars / Nicer Tuesdays Sophie Harris-Taylor shares anecdotes and insights from her photo series, Sisters

In her portraiture, photographer Sophie Harris-Taylor has a knack for capturing personality and dynamics in a beautifully natural way. This is exemplified in her series Sisters, which saw her shooting 80 pairs and groups of sisters over two years, and in turn depicting their unique and intimate relationships.

It's Nice That — 20 April 2018
Work / Graphic Design Designer Anatole Couteau's technical approach lets him communicate simply and precisely

For Anatole Couteau, communication always manifests itself in the simplest and most precise forms. With a portfolio spanning graphic and type design, his work is satisfyingly direct, combining monochrome elements with a variety of custom typefaces in a precise and astute manner.

Ruby Boddington — 20 April 2018
Work / Illustration A peek inside Hicham Amrani's trippy new comic Svend & Xanax

“I have been drawing since I was little. I wasn’t very attentive in class – like most creatives I know – so I would spend the time drawing in my notebooks instead. My parents ended up enrolling me in drawing classes to calm me down,” Strasbourg-based illustrator Hicham Amrani tells It’s Nice That. This instinctive creative energy Hicham describes clearly manifests itself in his busy, dynamic drawings. His latest project Svend & Xanax tells the humorous tale of Svend, the protagonist, who takes a strong Xanax only to be transported to a surreal, at times disorientating, world. Hicham even compares Svend to “the Joker in Batman” saying, “the more I drew, the darker the story became.”

Daphne Milner — 20 April 2018
Regulars / Friday Mixtape Friday Mixtape: The Orielles mix for "good times with good people"

Arguably releasing one of the most joyful records of 2018 so far, The Orielles are this week’s Friday Mixtape! Halifax-based trio Sid, Esme and Henry have made use of a mix of songs perfect for if you need a pick me up and ideal as the days are getting warmer.

Lucy Bourton — 20 April 2018

Work / Film Rod puppets in intricate felt sets profess The Need to Be Alone for Alain de Botton

Not long out of Kingston’s Illustration and Animation course, Tom Fisher and Catherine Prowse have directed a charming and impressively detailed short film for The School of Life, made entirely from hand-stitched felt. Featuring a cast of rod puppets shot in a live action format, The Need to Be Alone stars a red-spectacled, introverted protagonist called Alan – a tribute to its writer and narrator Alain de Botton. Throughout the film, Alan navigates a series of potentially awkward social scenarios as Alain professes the importance of having time alone to process these interactions.

Jenny Brewer — 20 April 2018
Work / Animation The Art of Shinkansen animated gif series celebrates the Japanese bullet train

The Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) has launched a series of 15 short gif animations by various Japanese and international artists to celebrate the bullet train or Shinkansen. The Art of Shinkansen project heralds the iconic trains’ perpetual movement, innovative technology and impeccable service, specifically the original line joining Tokyo and Osaka, in an eclectic range of animated artworks spanning illustration styles and subject matter.

Jenny Brewer — 20 April 2018
Work / Illustration Furniture obsessions and oranges with acid rainbows: new personal work from Julian Glander

Julian Glander is no stranger to It’s Nice That. We’ve written about his gifs, his 360-degree videos, and even his favourite books. Despite all this great stuff, we’re still managing to find new bits and bobs to bang on about.

Ruby Boddington — 20 April 2018
Work / Photography Jocelyn Lee's first UK solo exhibition surveys The Appearance of Things (NSFW)

Jocelyn Lee has a very certain way of looking at people. Her work is often driven by themes of “sexuality, family, death and ageing,” and in turn, there is an eeriness to her photographs that viewers just can’t help looking at.

Lucy Bourton — 19 April 2018
Work / Photography Okobo is photographer William Ukoh's mesmerising tribute to his grandparents

William Ukoh, also known as Willyverse, is a Toronto-based photographer whose style spans genres. From still lifes to fashion shoots, categorising William as a specific type of photographer would be reductive. Instead, he uses his skills as a means of self-exploration and communication. “My sincere interest in photography developed about nine years ago. I was introduced to the DSLR, decided to acquire one for myself, and began exploring all the possibilities it allowed for self-expression,” the photographer tells It’s Nice That. William is undeniably a visual thinker, his photographs seeped in mesmerising colours and satisfying textures. His series Okobo is no different and sees William look back to his Nigerian grandparents and their culture as a source of inspiration.

Daphne Milner — 19 April 2018
Regulars / Nicer Tuesdays Alex Norris tells the story of his "Oh No" comics and its “badly drawn blob” star

If you’ve not seen Alex Norris’ hilariously relatable panel comics then where have you been? Readers of It’s Nice That will recognise the “badly drawn blob” character of his series Webcomic Name for his punchline “oh no”, and the inevitably disappointing situations it gets itself into. At Nicer Tuesdays, Alex took us back to the beginning of his comic work, and the ideas and inspirations that led him to where he is now.

It's Nice That — 19 April 2018

Work / Photography Seung-Gu Kim creates Lowry-style photographs of South Korean holidays

In the past 40 years, South Korea has experienced rapid changes in both its society and culture. Since the beginning of the 1980s, there has been a significant shift towards high-tech and computer industries, impacting how the nation’s people work, where they live but also how they spend their free time. For South Korean photographer, Seung-Gu Kim, these changes have provided him with a subject to focus his lens on.

Ruby Boddington — 19 April 2018
Work / Graphic Design Baptiste Bernazeau draws on a degenerating building complex for his latest typeface

Orgues de Flandre is a group of residential buildings in Paris’ 19th arrondissement built in the 1970s by architect Martin van Treeck, which sharply contrast the romantic, uniform architecture we usually associate with the capital. The building complex may not be conventionally poetic, but it is nonetheless the unlikely inspiration for graphic designer Baptiste Bernazeau’s latest typeface Ogres.

Daphne Milner — 19 April 2018
Work / Photography Fish by Osma Harvilahti is a romantic interpretation of the Japanese fishing industry

Finnish photographer, Osma Harvilahti has a knack for encapsulating the aura of a place within his photographs. Having previously documented Morocco and Kenya, it’s Japan that caught his eye in his most recent series, Fish.

Ruby Boddington — 19 April 2018
Work / Publication DR.ME release the latest issue of Fin? filled with killed projects and ideas that never made it

We can only imagine the downtrodden feeling that comes with losing a pitch or some of your favourite work being cut out of a brief by a client. Feeling excited about a concept and seeing it shift is just a part of creative working, and more often than not it works out for the best. But to tackle this feeling DR.ME, the Manchester-based creative studio who consistently create projects with heart, take hold of the pieces and ideas they’re fond and publish them in their own zine, Fin?

Lucy Bourton — 19 April 2018
Work / Publication “Collaborate or die”: Adrian Shaughnessy and Astrid Stavro’s RCA MA students launch a new publication

“Collaborate or die” command graphic designers Adrian Shaughnessy and Astrid Stavro. In recent months, the pair have been busy teaching a group of Royal College of Art students of MA Visual Communication and Digital Direction to “think big in order to find alternative solutions to social issues”. The result? A new publication titled Podium, which launched at the RCA this week.

Bryony Stone — 18 April 2018
Regulars / Nicer Tuesdays Veronica Ditting on The Gentlewoman and her editorially driven design process

Creative director Veronica Ditting is best known for her landmark work in the publishing industry, including the design of The Gentlewoman, and her art direction of Fantastic Man and Cos Magazine. At Nicer Tuesdays she spoke about her London-based studio, which is surprisingly compact for its impressive output, at just six people.

It's Nice That — 18 April 2018

Work / Illustration “Broader representation in illustration is important": artist Tara Booth (NSFW)

“It’s important for women and non-binary people to share their desires and sexual experiences since representations of eroticism in comics and illustration are dominated by the cis-male perspective,” comic book artist and illustrator Tara Booth tells It’s Nice That. “The moment I start to feel embarrassed or afraid to share an illustration, the clearer it becomes to me that I need to get it out there.” Tara, who has been based in Chicago but is set to move back to her hometown of Philadelphia, has been creating her signature bold and brave drawings over the past three years. In her upcoming book, Nocturne, Tara challenges conventional depictions of women’s erotic fantasies through her distinct style and relatable characters.

Daphne Milner — 18 April 2018
Work / Photograhy Sam Rock's series Watching the French reimagines sports photography

London-based photographer Sam Rock’s series Watching the French is a tribute to the warm, indulgent days of family outings and tennis-watching. After graduating with a degree in industrial design and engineering, Sam found himself unsure of his next steps and started toying with the possibility of photography. “They say boredom breeds creativity. I was essentially bored and started experimenting with a skill that was immediately accessible. I would lock myself in the attic of my parents’ house and ingest photo books and magazines. That, and a chance opportunity to move to New York, embedded me in the world of assisting, which is essentially an apprenticeship in photography. I’ve found something which took over my life, all day, every day, and I’m so grateful for that,” the photographer tells It’s Nice That.

Daphne Milner — 18 April 2018
Work / Photography From cows drinking to Maison Margiela bags full of eggs: Julia et Vincent's dreamlike photography

“80s French erotic movies, Julia’s mum’s addiction to the colour purple, Gianni Versace, Gérard Depardieu, Showgirl by Paul Verhoeven and, especially, our everyday life,” respond creative duo Julia et Vincent when asked what it is that inspires their pastel, dreamlike aesthetic. Based in Paris, the pair’s practice spans photography, art direction and moving image.

Ruby Boddington — 18 April 2018
Sponsored / Opinion What's the point of an MA in design anyway?

Dr. Robyn Cook is the course coordinator for the MA Communication Design at Falmouth University. After almost ten years of working in the creative industries as a designer and art director (TBH Disturbance, Ogilvy, Ogilvy Action) she moved into academia, teaching at both postgraduate and undergraduate levels at the University of Johannesburg and now Falmouth University. Here, Robyn discusses why students should (or potentially shouldn’t) study a master’s in design.

Robyn Cook — 18 April 2018
Work / Graphic Design GT Super: the typeface inspired by the lowercase "a" in a newspaper clipping

When Swiss designer and founder of Rollo Press, Urs Lehni showed fellow designer Noël Leu a newspaper clipping, it kickstarted an extensive investigation into display typefaces from the 1970s and 80s, resulting in Grilli Type’s latest release: GT Super.

Ruby Boddington — 18 April 2018
Features / Publication Design to improve the general quality of life: exploring Paul Rand's IBM Graphic Standards Manual

In a televised interview with Paul Rand in 1991 the designer was asked, “What does the world need with graphic design, what does it do for us? To the average person it may seem a kind of… fussy little concern with moving words around, pictures around, what good does it do us?” Paul responds that he’s been thinking about this for many years: “Up to rather recently, I sort of concluded that we were not very important. Or you can put it another way – there used to be a guy in my agency days, he would say, ‘how is it possible to make so much and do so little?’”

Lucy Bourton — 18 April 2018

Work / Film Mother London produces the latest TED film - with a wild and wonderful projection of the future of A.I.

TED of TED Talks fame has launched a series of original films, commissioned to help bring TED’s theme of 2018, The Age of Amazement to life. Mother London, naturally, rose to the theme-exploring challenge, with an exceptionally created, laugh-out-loud short film, AI Therapy.

Laura Isabella — 17 April 2018
Regulars / Nicer Tuesdays Steve Warne reveals some of the stop motion tricks used in Pombo Loves You

Animator Steve Warne has an impressive list of credits to his name, having worked on Isle of Dogs, Kubo and the Two Strings, My Life as a Courgette, and Frankenweenie. However it’s his own film, Pombo Loves You which Steve spoke about at Nicer Tuesdays – an incredible feat of stop-motion animation that uses a live-action approach to create its cinematic feel.

It's Nice That — 17 April 2018
Work / Illustration Piano-playing rabbits and miniature tigers: the bold illustrations of Cristina Daura

“I had no idea illustration could be a full-time profession,” Barcelona-based artist Cristina Daura tells It’s Nice That. “I just knew that I wanted to draw for a living. My parents pushed me towards Fine Arts because they wanted me to have a proper job title. I ended up leaving after the first year because I found it too pretentious and stupid.” It was at that point when Cristina turned her attention to illustration, enrolling in a course at La Escola Massana in downtown Barcelona. Over the past few years, Cristina has developed a bold and distinctive style. Her illustrations are charming, carefully considered depictions of unpredictable narratives that include chillies, jockeys, piano-playing rabbits and miniature tigers.

Daphne Milner — 17 April 2018
Work / Publication Meet the graphic designer who officially renamed a university and its labs after influential women

“Margaret van Eyck began during the first weeks of my time as an artist-in-residence at post-academic institution Jan van Eyck Acamedie, in Maastricht, the Netherlands,” Berlin-based graphic designer Hagen Verleger tell It’s Nice That. “Upon arriving there, I realised that the academy and all its labs and workshops were named after historic figures – all of them male.” As a result, out of “wonderment and annoyance,” Hagen set out to create alternative names, eventually leading to the actual renaming of the institution.

Ruby Boddington — 17 April 2018
Work / Photography Moscow-based Masha Demionova’s portraits capture the multi-faceted personalities of women

Masha Demionova’s work has a strong focus on women; her works portray her subjects with strength, sensitivity and a sense of freedom, weaving her own understanding of womanhood into her work. “It’s impossible to [capture these women] in any other way,” she tells It’s Nice That. “Photography, being an art form of expression, brings your personality right to the viewers’ eyes. They are there but so is all of you.”

Laura Isabella — 17 April 2018
Work / Publication Walking Through Palermo: a relaxed cultural, architectural and historical walk through the Italian city

The first book by London-based publishers Lolli Editions takes the reader on a cultural, historical and architectural walk through Palermo, Sicily. Despite being photographically led on the inside, the book’s cover is an illustrated mock-up of a tiled floor, the type you’d hope to have in an AirBnb of dreams if visiting the city yourself.

Lucy Bourton — 17 April 2018

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