I went to the Tim Burton exhibition in Shanghai and for those of you who are based in this city, please go and visit it. It's one of my top three all-time favourite exhibitions together with Yayoi Kusama and Cai Guo Qiang. The amount of work that he's created throughout his years is incredible and so inspirational. A smorgasbord of whimsy, creepy and magnificent - all in one place. One of . . .
Mystery Boxes & Hand-Drawn Names
When you say "sustainability", normally one of these three things pop to mind: Buzzword. A word thrown around without any real backing, just to be a part of the "green trend". Tree Hugger. We've all come across these people. The hippies that no one can really relate to. Guilt/Deflection. The problem's too big to fix to make a difference. Someone else will do it. As a result of this, it . . .
Blur of Lights & Colour
I do enjoy living Shanghai. Well, for the most part at least... Just the other week, I tried to catch a taxi on a Friday night (quite a feat) - finally flagged one down and an elderly lady rushed ahead of me. I politely told her that I was actually standing there first, and she looked at me and yelled "but I have children!" and proceeded to slam the door in my face. Just note that her children . . .
The Nail House
Being in Shanghai, you see things that you never thought you would. You hear about stories that are way too close for comfort. I mean...we recently had a food scandal where they found that people were distributing millions of dollars worth of meat from the 1970s. Read here if you don't believe me. They can fake eggs, watermelons explode, and we have dead pigs floating down the river - but all . . .
A Trip to Almost Paris
I have a confession. I have been a terrible blogger. Disappearing for months without a word - shock horror. If I ever go missing again and you miss me a little (I think too highly of myself), do check out my Instagram for some art, design and fashion pictures I spot around the place. So where have I been for the last couple of months? My roles and responsibilities at work got bumped up . . .
Hot Dogs
It's a cold day (just like every other day) - but this warms the heart a little. Adorable. This group of dogs and puppies are definitely feeling the winter despite their thick fur - some restaurant staff allow them to huddle round a staff canteen stove in Jiulongjiang Forest Park, Rucheng County in China. On really cold days, the puppies bark non-stop until the stove is lit. They then stand . . .
The Real Toy Story
"Made in China" - words that we're all too familiar with. Most of the time, the only reason that detracts us from purchase after seeing that label is worrying about the poor quality, and that our shiny new purchase will fall apart after three uses. Perhaps there is another (much better) reason to consider... Hong Kong-based photographer Michael Wolf's photo series “The Real Toy Story” is a photo . . .
Coke Plays Cupid
Coca-Cola filled a vending machine in "the most romantic park" in Shanghai with bottles that have extremely tightened caps. The goal? Some sneaky match-making. http://vimeo.com/64116043#at=14 Some employee of ad agency Leo Burnett must've been in a cheeky cupid mood when coming up with this campaign. The purpose is for unexpecting females to have trouble opening the soft drink bottle by . . .
Overload
TOTEMS. A photo series by France-based photographer, Alain Dalorme, that captures the massive loads that Chinese porters carry. It's a sight that I see here on a regular basis, and am still amazed by every time I do. Tyres, boxes, plastic tubes, chairs, flowers, whatever you want - they'll just tie it up with some rope and cycle away. I am honestly amazed by their strength and . . .
Worldly Possessions
There's something about this series of photos that is strangely touching... For nearly a decade, Chinese photographer Hang Qingjun went around rural China and asked families to empty all their belongings in front of their house to pose with a picture of everything they owned. Nearly all of them agreed. With this, he embarked on a photo project named Jiadang (Family Stuff). "They realized what I . . .