PLASTIK 26

A momentary qualm in the belly. Not even the racy nightlife of Bangkok could stuff it. I was about to strip down the past seven years of my life in one place, and bring Plastik to Bangkok! Having grown up in the middle of war-torn Lebanon, I was surrounded by the apathy of women who turned a blind eye towards the country’s turbulent social-political situation. Today, I find myself capturing these very women, who, in denial, found a way to escape reality and recreate their own. Pristinely alluring, yet stoic and empty, my  subjects are paralyzed souls lost in a most imaginary world. “Life in Plastik” was an invitation from the Adler Subhashok Gallery in Bangkok, Thailand, to feature my collaborative work, as founder of PLASTIK, with all the creative talents from all around the globe since 2008 and my collaboration from 2010 till 2014 with my creative partner Ryan Houssari, with whom I was lucky enough to share my most memorable and enjoyable projects. This exhibition came to life after being scouted during the Beirut Art Fair, last year, by the  Adler Subhashok Gallery curators who cultivate my work now. It makes me ecstatic to prove that in today's world, no matter where you come from, if you work hard enough, you can make your way to places beyond* your expectations!

— Eli Rezkallah

malika favre

Interview

Born in Paris, Malika Favre has been living in London for over a decade. Having worked for the illustrious airside design studio until 2011, she is today one of Britain’s most
sought-after graphic artists and illustrators. Her distinct, minimal style has been described as “pop art meets opart” and clearly betrays a love for the classy 50s, paris and graphic novels. Malika’s clients include the New Yorker, Vogue, Bafta, Gucci and Penguin books. Malika talked to Plastik about the art of illustrating, her career and inspirations, London vs. Paris, and much more.

juno calypso 

Interview

Juno Calypso loves to dress up. She always loved to take self-portraits, but recently gave her work a different swing. By creating Joyce, a deadpan blond looking pretty in pink. In many ways, the young British photographer is more than merely a photographer, Juno looks for locations, builds sets and designs scenes for “her” Joyce to shine. Imaginary bedrooms and office spaces. in which Joyce honeymoons and works, allows Juno to explore concepts of beauty and femininity, often with the aid of such strange objects as an electric anti-wrinkle mask and vibratory face massager : consumerist symbols of progress used as tokens of Nihilism and oppression. Juno talks to Plastik about her first camera, acting, the honeymoon hotel, Cindy Sherman and of course, Joyce… 

nico therin

Interview

Born in a tiny village in the southwest of France, Nico Therin followed his heart to be with his beloved Mel in California’s city of angels. Naturally, America’s “golden state” being a surfer's paradise helped Lure Nico, a wave rider since childhood, to head west. However, let us be clear about this: his love for  Mel came first, his board second, and that should tell you something about Mel! Meanwhile, Nico become a professional photographer who is quickly carving out a name for himself. He does so with commercial work, still lifes high on pop art, as well as street photography. He most recently visited the Tokyo fish market, which is the world’s largest, and flew to Bali to capture Calungan, a Hindu feast in honor of the world’s creator. “I grew up in France, then grew out of France, and flew to la to follow the sun, surf, and Mel, Nico wrote on his website. “happy with the now, but always ready for the next, we’d rather be surfing, skating, creating, and planning tomorrow’s adventure. Professional people watcher, amateur botanist, and a dedicated father to two imaginary pets. I believe in simplicity and I have fun because it’s always worth it.”

EDADURUST

Interview

My works derive from the notion that  “everything is not what it seems”. In my works I try to prove that there is more than the tip of the iceberg. Firstly is that I want the viewers focus to be on the object rather than the background.  The object itself is very complex so I believe that having a dynamic background fades out the main subject. This is why I use vivid colours for my backgrounds.  I think my work can be described as minimal, classic and all in all simple. 

WALID RAAD

Feature

With likeminded artists as Akram Zaatari and Rabih Mroueh, Walid Raad has been a frontrunner in putting Lebanon’s contemporary art scene on the world cultural map. Born in 1967, Raad grew up during the Lebanese CivilWar, which greatly influenced his work. Exploring the many narratives thathave emerged from this dreadful chapter in Lebanon’s history, he deals with notions of (de)constructing history and (selective) memory.

NCOUR

Interview

I describe it formally as compilation aesthetics. It is inspired compositionally by geometry with a heavy dose of art history and recently contemporary design elements and photography.

CHOERTE

Interview

As a designer and 3D artist I get to do very differentthings, which always brings new challenges. My work ranges from designing all kinds of graphicstuff and branding projects to photorealisticrendering of products and environments.