James Reqk

There’s two reasons why I’m keen to revisit Dublin. 1. Creamy Pints 2. Doom Slice Naturally the assumption most will make Is that I had the good fortune of enjoying both and want to relive the experience. However the honest truth is that I was refused entry to Doom Slice for being slightly worse for wear having enjoyed a few too many of the former… Ever since then they’ve been living in my head rent free. Partly because of how good the ‘Detroit Style’ pizza looks.., partly because I wasn’t allowed in 😂.., but primarily because of the unbelievably clean branding / marketing. (They were also blasting Kendrick which is worth a few bonus points in my books) Either way, a return trip will have to be organised for me to fan boy over the packaging and eat some good food. Top marks to Doom Slice for being cool as f%$&!

Nasty Vandal ‘A raw and authentic celebration of graffiti culture.’ Whilst I’ve never progressed past the odd sticker slap, I’ve always been interested and admired the graffiti scene. Growing up, I was obsessed with stories like Shepard Fairey’s journey with Obey and the like. Watching hours of shaky camera footage on YouTube and counting ‘10 Foot’ throws / tags on the train into London. Nasty Vandal celebrates and showcases murals, iconic tags, blackbook sketches, and exclusive interviews from artists around the world who champion the culture. With a fresh lineup featured in every addition of their premium mag. ‘NV’ is a treasure trove of unique stories and inspo you don’t want to sleep on.

I know we touched on Pokemon quite recently but this showcase from Ken Sugimori popped up and deserves a re-up. Ken was the primary illustrator for the 151 1st Generation Pokemon and if you’re anything like me, you probably had one of these iconic pieces or similar stuck to your bedroom wall! Now from memory (and I could be way off the mark) I had a couple just like these which rotated around the walls whilst growing up and eventually wound up in the bin. The result no doubt of ripped corners from too many moves and the desire as a kid to seem more ‘grown up’. The funny thing is they’d be framed high on the wall if I still had them now and I frequently check the local comic book store which sells vintage posters. Crispy ones exist on eBay I’m sure and it wouldn’t take long to hunt down what I’m after. But for one reason or another it feels like that’s missing the point.., so I’ll carry on admiring Ken’s incredible work and keep up the hunt for a beater instead.

lights are on but nobody’s home

I discovered Bakeneko purely by chance at his pop up gallery titled ‘Nowhere’ in Harajuku earlier this year. Struck by the character design and the quality / range of his work, I purchased an oversize Tee and left with a feeling I can’t shake off. For a large portion of my early 20’s I had the pleasure of running a small batch clothing brand with a close friend of mine and although It was the right choice at the time to sunset the label. I’ve always believed that I’d one day, when the time was right, have another stab at clothing and the rail at Bakeneko’s pop up reminded me of that promise. In conjunction with this I also pursued photography quite aggressively when I was younger and had the pleasure of displaying a few pieces in small exhibitions. One shot in particular taken at London Fashion week found its way into the papers and I was reminded of that moment / the feeling of having your work on a wall somewhere whilst admiring Bakeneko’s instillation. The point I’ve been taking the scenic route to get to, is that you can’t escape what you know will make you happy. Some times you just need the universe to give you a kick up the ass with a blunt reminder. Which in my case, was seeing someone else actively chasing what I know I should be. Paying the bills and the usual line up of interference isn’t going anywhere.., but neither is the sensation that’s stuck since that day in Harajuku. Perhaps this will resonate with a few that read it. But If you have a creative itch, don’t stall and wait for a blunt reminder, just go and scratch it!