iseen blog

Japan, The Strange Country

2010-03-30T14:45:00.003+01:00

In a mere 12 minutes, this video about Japan covers everything from its strange cultural mores to its equally strange economy. Before you get hung up on the ugly caricatures of Japan people and exclaim racism, consider: The creator, Kenichi Tanaka, says, "By the way, please don't call me racist, because I am one of short, small eyes Japanese." Apparently, his motivation in creating the piece--which was his graduate thesis--was to show a Japanese audience how strange they are to foreigners. (This idea of "Foreign people think you're freaks"--with its implied blend of xenophobia and self-criticism--is a uniquely Japanese sentiment.)

Via Fast Company.

Global Day For HAITI

2010-02-19T01:00:00.006Z

Global PechaKucha Day For Haiti is a charity event, with the aim to raise $1,000,000 for rebuilding Haiti.

It will take place on Saturday 20th of February from 6pm to 9pm at the Round Foundry Media Centre in Leeds. It's a global event with over 200 cities participating & each city is going to broadcast live around the world.

We have really great speakers, including Phil Khorassandjian (Architect, currently in Haiti - live link), Rommi Smith (Parliamentary Writer in Residence) & Simon Wallis (director of Hepworth Gallery, Wakefield). Other presenters include musicians, artists & architects.

Please try and come if live in Leeds or close by. Free entry, lots of beer & orange juice!

It's for a really good cause and 100% of the donations are going directly to Architecture For Humanity for construction work.

Willow

2010-02-02T15:34:00.001Z

Graphic design studio Willow, based in Belfast, got in touch about their updated work. Check it out!

Veronique Pecheux

2010-01-29T13:43:00.001Z

Véronique Pêcheux is a photographer based in Paris. Very interesting work.

BBC Winter Olympics Film

2010-01-25T12:28:00.002Z

To advertise its coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the BBC has commissioned this dramatic animated film from director Marc Craste at Studio AKA.

FMK7

2009-12-31T11:53:00.005Z

Paris based graphic designer Vincent Viriot got in touch to let me know about his new site FMK7. There is some really brilliant motion work.

Alberto Hernández

2009-12-28T16:01:00.000Z

Alberto Hernández is a graphic designer and just finished the London College of Communication.

Turning Dunes Into Architecture

2009-11-25T14:11:00.006Z

Architecture student Magnus Larsson details his bold plan to transform the harsh Sahara desert using bacteria and a surprising construction material: the sand itself.

Adam Rix

2009-11-21T13:48:00.002Z

Very talented Adam Rix presents his portfolio. His based in Manchester.

Gilles Peterson Presents Havana Cultura

2009-11-18T16:02:00.002Z

I was at the Wardrobe in Leeds last Friday for the launch party of Gilles Peterson's new album Gilles Peterson Presents Havana Cultura, inspired by his visit to Cuba. He was on the decks and it was pretty lively.

Thanks to our friends at Neon.

Sam Hessamian

2009-11-04T21:22:00.002Z

Outstanding photography and film by Sam Hessamian.

Havana Cultura

2009-10-20T12:29:00.002+01:00

Brilliant site by Havana Cultura. Also follow the Treasure Hunt on Twitter.

Mike Giesser

2009-10-06T13:02:00.002+01:00

Mike Giesser, based in Amsterdam, presents his portfolio with a simple approach to graphic design.

Nirrimi Joy Hakanson

2009-09-25T16:04:00.000+01:00

At only 16 Nirrimi has a very impressive portfolio. More at flickr.

Kristian Hammerstad

2009-09-16T08:37:00.000+01:00

Illustrations by Kristian Hammerstad based in Sagene, Oslo, Norway, Europe, Earth, Sol system, Milkyway, Universe.

Lauren Ward

2009-09-10T21:03:00.002+01:00

Photography by Lauren Ward.

Termite Pavilion

2009-09-06T13:14:00.005+01:00

If you’re in London this weekend, don’t miss the Termite Pavilion at Pestival.

The piece is in part based on the pioneering work of Dr Rupert Soar and the TERMES project, a team of international experts based in Namibia who have created the first ever 3D scans of termite mounds. Their findings have been a embraced by entomologists and architects alike, and have featured in Sir David Attenborough’s ‘Life in the Undergrowth’ series.

A team of architects and engineers selected a central section of the termite mound scan and scaled it up to a size which would allow humans to move through it. The structure arrived in kit form and was put together on site. It is made of cross laminated timber, sourced from Austrian spruce, for reasons of sustainability, durability and cost.

The Termite Pavilion is an art and science collaboration between Softroom Architects, Freeform Engineering, Atelier One, Chris Watson, Haberdasherylondon, KLH, and Pestival.

Visiting info.

Via Bustler.

Skratch

2009-09-04T11:21:00.004+01:00

Skratch is a design studio, based in Glasgow’s Merchant City.
Lots of excellent work.

Rankin Live

2009-08-27T19:37:00.001+01:00

Rankin's most ambitious exhibition to date takes place from 31st July 2009 for 7 weeks - this will be his first ever UK retrospective, set in the unique environment of the Truman Brewery, Brick Lane. This museum-scale exhibition will cover 22,000 square foot, and will showcase over 600 diverse images taken from his archives.

Anders Linden

2009-08-17T13:34:00.001+01:00

Photography by Anders Linden from Sweden.

ODOS Architects

2009-07-24T15:01:00.003+01:00

Grangegorman Residence by ODOS Architects from Dublin.

Via ArchDaily.

What is Architecture?

2009-07-24T14:52:00.003+01:00

Laura Sciacovelli

2009-07-23T14:28:00.003+01:00

Photography by Laura Sciacovelli. See more photographers at REP.

DixonBaxi

2009-07-22T07:14:00.003+01:00

DixonBaxi have relaunched their site, which was designed Kleber.

Driftwood

2009-07-15T21:51:00.004+01:00

I was in London last weekend and went to see this year's AA summer pavilion at Bedford Square. It was perfect weather, raining all day, which made Driftwood feel much more authentic. The pavilion was designed by 3rd year student Danecia Sibingo.

Ofis Architects

2009-06-24T09:48:00.002+01:00

Farewell chapel by Ofis Architects based in Slovenia.

Anna Wolf

2009-06-19T02:35:00.000+01:00

Born and raised in southern California, Anna Wolf loves the sun and warm weather.

Venturethree

2009-06-17T07:23:00.003+01:00

Very strong identity design by Venturethree.

Airside / Wallpaper

2009-06-14T23:37:00.003+01:00

For their July issue, Sex Special, Wallpaper* has commissioned Airside's Malika Favre to rework her Alphabunnies typeface into a new, sexy typeface specially for the issue.

Airside are also selling individual letter prints, each in a limited edition of 10, at the Airside Shop.

You

2009-06-10T19:12:00.000+01:00

You graphic studio from Modena, Italy.

Goodbye Galaxy

2009-06-05T02:46:00.001+01:00

Khristian Mendoza, aka Goodbye Galaxy, is a 21 year old graphic designer from Melbourne.

Paper Scissor Stone

2009-05-22T22:23:00.000+01:00

Paper Scissor Stone a shop and gallery here in Leeds just launched their new website. The shop is set up by clothing label Electronic Poet, graphic designer Si Scott and art curator Jules Balchin.

Alan Clarke

2009-05-20T12:17:00.001+01:00

London 2012 Olympics poster proposals by Alan Clarke.

Andre Wolff

2009-05-19T17:12:00.000+01:00

Andre Wolff is a photographer based in Paris, born is Sweden.

Andrew Archer

2009-05-06T20:21:00.002+01:00

Andrew Archer is a twenty three year old illustrator from Auckland, New Zealand.

Via Ventilate.

Alto Works

2009-04-30T20:33:00.002+01:00

Alto Works is the online portfolio of the Barcelona based graphic designer Alvaro Torrents.

Via TypeNeu

Cover Lover

2009-04-24T23:23:00.002+01:00

John Paul Thurlow (Cover Lover) illustrates a covering cover to pay homage for every great magazine he owns. Very nice work.

Mezzetty

2009-04-22T23:02:00.000+01:00

Martin Donnelly at Mezzetty updates!

King Roselli

2009-04-07T17:03:00.000+01:00

The Lateran University library by King Roselli Architects is simply brilliant.

Nam

2009-04-04T13:55:00.000+01:00

Nam is a Japanese graphic collective.

Laura Oldfield Ford

2009-04-02T19:36:00.001+01:00

Amazing drawings from Laura Oldfield Ford, documenting part of east London currently being cleared for the 2012 Olympic site.

Tomal Kral

2009-04-01T19:46:00.003+01:00

Beautiful and innovative products from Tomas Kral.

Nina Jua Klein

2009-03-28T19:53:00.000Z

Typography and graphic design portfolio of Nina Jua Klein.

Chris Killeen

2009-03-27T23:20:00.002Z

Chris Killeen.

Felix Lobelius

2009-03-22T23:19:00.004Z

Felix Lobelius is addicted to graphic design, and we love his work.

Mikhael Subotzky

2009-03-17T00:05:00.002Z

Amazing shots of life in South Africa by Mikhael Subotzky. He was born in 1981 in Cape Town and is currently based in Johannesburg. Be sure to look through Beaufort West series.

Vidya Gastaldon

2009-03-15T23:38:00.002Z

Brilliantly surreal, yet intriguingly familiar worlds and characters created in the drawings of Vidya Gastaldon.

Wallzo

2009-03-11T18:18:00.004Z

Not a big portfolio, for now, but very impressive work by Wallzo from London.

HSH Architects

2009-03-04T16:28:00.003Z

Some nice work by HSH Architects from Czech Republic.

El Studio

2009-02-23T23:23:00.002Z

El Studio from Scotland. Very fine work.

Kobi Benezri Studio

2009-02-23T20:15:00.000Z

Born in Jerusalem, Kobi Benezri, among other things is responsible for the redesign of the ID magazine in New York. In 2008 he moved to Zürich, Switzerland and has opened his studio.

Jaime Martinez

2009-02-22T14:03:00.003Z

Jaime Martinez is a photographer from Mexico City. There is a lot of great work to see in his portfolio.

Willow

2009-02-17T20:56:00.002Z

Based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Willow is a graphic design practice with a nice portfolio of work.

Via FFF.

Alex Prager

2009-02-16T01:19:00.000Z

Alex Prager is a Los Angeles based photographer.

A Friend Of Mine

2009-02-15T00:19:00.000Z

A Friend Of Mine is a small, Melbourne based design practice run by Suzy Tuxen.

Alan Clarke

2009-02-10T20:57:00.003Z

Alan Clarke photography.

Thomas Williams

2009-02-04T11:32:00.002Z

Thomas Williams is a Melbourne based graphic designer, with an exiting portfolio.

Eduardo Hernandez

2009-01-27T19:51:00.002Z

Graphic design and photography by Eduardo Hernandez. Thanks for getting in touch.

Jean-Francois Carly

2009-01-26T22:54:00.002Z

Photography by Jean-Francois Carly from Paris.

Thomas Brown

2009-01-15T23:21:00.004Z

Simple and carefully crafted photography by Thomas Brown.

Via FFF.

Kyu Che

2009-01-11T11:36:00.000Z

Kyu Che is an Architect/Artist based in San Francisco where he has received international recognition for his projects, which range from high-end interiors to experimental art projects.

Jonathan Zawada

2009-01-07T23:38:00.004Z

Interesting illustrations and art direction by Jonathan Zawada.

Experimental Jetset

2009-01-01T12:51:00.002Z

An update from the lovely Experimental Jetset.

...oh and Happy New Year everyone!

Alphaville

2008-12-27T12:33:00.002Z

Alphaville architects from Japan.

Jesse Hora

2008-12-25T21:37:00.001Z

Delicious illustrations by Jesse Hora from Chicago.

Cornwell

2008-12-22T20:23:00.002Z

Cornwell design from Australia.

Chris Ashworth

2008-12-18T22:09:00.001Z

Chris Ashworth, must see work.

Magdalena Czarnecki

2008-12-11T11:55:00.000Z

Originally from Stockholm, Magdalena Czarnecki recently graduated the Billy Blue College of Design in Sydney.

Peter & Paul

2008-11-30T14:33:00.002Z

A lot of interesting and very engaging work by Peter & Paul from Sheffield.

Erik Wahlstrom

2008-11-29T16:49:00.002Z

Photographer Erik Wahlstrom from Sweden.

Jonathan Leder

2008-11-23T14:52:00.002Z

Jonathan Leder is a photographer based in Brooklyn.

Cubic

2008-11-21T17:06:00.002Z

Cubic is a graphic design studio based in Nottingham, UK.

Popel Coumou

2008-11-14T14:04:00.002Z

Popel Coumou is a Dutch photographer. Her two dimensional constructions transform with the use of light and colour.

Jensen & Skodvin

2008-11-08T17:22:00.005Z

Jensen & Skodvin Architecture from Norway. Great attention to detail and the surrounding environment.

Thobias Faldt

2008-11-07T15:17:00.002Z

Surreal photography from Thobias Faldt. Lives and works in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Studio Newwork

2008-11-06T20:51:00.001Z

Brilliant work from Studio Newwork.

Barack Obama

2008-11-05T03:30:00.001Z

Finally there. Change begins...

Behind the scenes with Family / Celebrations in Chicago

Design For Obama

2008-10-23T17:07:00.001+01:00

I've mentioned Design For Obama before, but since then a lot of great new work has been submitted and it definitely deserves another look. It's amazing to see so much involvement and contribution by the design community to the Barack Obama campaign.

Kim Holtermand

2008-10-22T14:25:00.000+01:00

Kim Holtermand is a photographer from Denmark.

Vote For Hope

2008-10-16T23:59:00.001+01:00

Scirocco Studios

2008-10-15T20:35:00.005+01:00

Using furniture and light design, Scirocco Studios takes the car on a conceptual journey, launching a series of static spaces into motion. Five talented designers showcase their work inspired by the new VW Scirocco.

Philipp Schaerer

2008-10-06T11:55:00.002+01:00

Philipp Schaerer.

Luis Sanchis

2008-10-03T13:56:00.000+01:00

Fashion photography from Luis Sanchis.

Heart Obama

2008-10-02T13:55:00.006+01:00

Heart Obama is the creation of Brooklyn-based designer Mark A. Reigelman II and artist Angelo LaMarca who created a mural for the riverside residence of enthusiastic Barack Obama supporters Rafi and Liz Magnes.

Also have a look at Design For Obama.

Via Surfstation.

Mezzetty

2008-10-01T20:08:00.003+01:00

A mix of photography and graphic design showcase by Mezzetty, established in 1999 by Martin Donnelly.

Esther Stocker

2008-09-27T15:56:00.002+01:00

Esther Stocker.

Neighbour

2008-09-26T15:39:00.002+01:00

Brilliant posters by Neighbour, a graphic design studio based in London.

Design and Design

2008-09-24T12:23:00.006+01:00

Design and Design has updated with a new version and the 2009 selection for submissions has already started. Brilliant showcase for graphic and product design from a large community of designers.

Design and Design is non-profit project unsponsored and totally independent all year round. With no dead-lines, each day the homepage is entirely dedicated to two new designs from two separate communities of designers from more than 140 countries.

Studio Volk

2008-09-23T23:23:00.000+01:00

Established in 2003 by Enrico Bonafede, Volk is an independent design studio based in Rome.

Design Project

2008-09-22T11:37:00.001+01:00

Design Project updates.

Heatherwick Studio

2008-09-18T10:30:00.000+01:00

The always inspiring work by Heatherwick Studio. I seem to have missed the completed shots of the East Beach Cafe, so I thought I'd share.

Commercial Art

2008-09-17T14:16:00.001+01:00

Commercial Art is a graphic design agency based in Southwark, London.

Mudchicken

2008-09-16T18:10:00.001+01:00

Vincent Pacheco is Mudchicken.

Via Surfstation.

Atelier Aquarium

2008-09-11T16:46:00.003+01:00

Atelier Aquarium from Lyon, France.

Marco Muller

2008-09-09T12:41:00.000+01:00

Marco Muller set up his homestudio in Zurich, 2008. He just updated his portfolio with great new work. Thanks for getting in touch Marco.

Cherry Green

2008-09-08T13:01:00.000+01:00

Alessandra Genualdo presents her wonderful portfolio at Cherry Green. Lots of diverse work to look at, eat and wear!

Commonwealth

2008-09-04T13:34:00.006+01:00

Founded in 2005 by Architects Zoe Boira Coombes and F. David Boira, Commonwealth is an art and design studio based in New York City. Harnessing a new fluidity enabled by machine languages, Commonwealth's interests are as material and emotional as they are technical. Simply stunning concepts and visual work.

Cinematypography

2008-09-01T01:01:00.001+01:00

David Corti at SeptemberIndustry presents the Cinematypography poster. It features a combination of 70 film titles and 70 typefaces under the creative input of Build, KentLyons, Neue, SampsonMay, This Studio, Un.titled and more.

Best of all, you can get your hands on one for just £15. A total of 50 posters have been printed.

James Mahon

2008-08-31T18:10:00.000+01:00

Photography by James Mahon.

Michael Wandelmaier

2008-08-27T20:04:00.004+01:00

Toronto based illustrator Michael Wandelmaier has launched his online portfolio. Very nice.

Via Surfstation.