In conversation with .. 2!

In conversation with Aja, Kate Gottgens, Cinga Samson, Eli Gold, Wax Wings, Gurr, Minimal Violence and more

06.2019 5.00 € I UK £ 6.00 I US $ 8.00

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Berlin in English since 2002

HOWLING

WOLF

FESTIVAL FÜR FILM-MUSIK- PERFORMANCE 01.06. — 31.07.2019

AUFFÜHRUNGEN I VORTRÄGE I WORKSHOPS I DIGITALE BÜHNE

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Meet The Team

Editor-in-Chief

Fashion Editor

Art Director

Art Editor

Fashion Editors

Marcel Schlutt @marcel_schlutt

mschlutt@kaltblut-magazine.com

Nicolas Simoneau @nicolas_simoneau

nsimoneau@kaltblut-magazine.com

Nico Sutor @nicosutorfashion

kaltblut-magazine.com

Karl Slater @slaterkarl

kslater@kaltblut-magazine.com

Music Editor

Nicola Phillips @nicphilf

nphillips@kaltblut-magazine.com

Contributors

Maree J. Hamilton, Colette Pomerleau, Manuel Moncayo, Paul Schulz, Suzana Holtgrave,

Lewis Robert Cameron, Konstantinos Gkoumpetis, Bénédicte Lelong, Dehan Germishuys, Edda & Lotte,

Alison Sinkewicz, Jana Höft, Johan Lygrell, Sarah Müller, Claudia Fischer, Sasha Zacks

Copyediting, proofreading

Amy Heaton, Nicola Philipps, Lala Quail, Daniella Mckinley

On The Cover

Aja > p.16

Custom jacket - Very Grata

@ verygrata

Glasses - Gentle Monster

Trousers - Richert Beil

Shoes - Saint Laurent

Note From the Editors

How plain and height

With dewdrops are bright!

How pearls have crown'd

The plants all around!

How sighs the breeze

Thro' thicket and trees!

How loudly in the sun's clear rays

The sweet birds carol forth their lays!

But, ah! above,

Where saw I my love,

Within her room,

Small, mantled in gloom,

Enclosed around,

Where sunlight was drown'd,

How little there was earth to me,

With all its beauteous majesty!

*Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - In Summer 1881

Welcome to our summer issue!

Love Nicolas & Marcel

www.kaltblut-magazine.com

KALTBLUT Magazine is published by Marcel Schlutt and Nicolas Simoneau

KALTBLUT MAGAZINE I Anton-Saefkow-Strasse 2 I 10407 Berlin I Germany

All Copyright at KALTBLUT.

All of KALTBLUT´s contributors are responsible and retain the reproduction rights of their own words and images.

Reproductions of any kind are prohibited without the permission of the magazine, editor and each contributor.

Wax Wings > p.6

Cinga Samson > p.36

Materialistic > p.58

Gurr > p.44

Ceci n'est pas un poéme > p.70

This city is pink > p.24

Eli Gold > p.74

Kate Gottgens > p.50

The Young Royals > p.28

5

Wax Wings Owns the Night

Interview by Maree J. Hamilton @mareesea

Photos by Fiona Garden @fionagarden

Let’s be clear: Wax Wings isn’t interested in some

distant burning ball of fire. The artist, producer

and DJ (née Joseph Icaro) dedicatedly crafts

deep, faceted soundscapes meant to thrill us

mortals here on earth. Raised by artist parents

and forged in underground clubs across the

UK, he’s made a name for himself that stands

strong amongst the others in his cohort. Between

completing remixes for the likes of Sofi Tukker,

Jimmy Edgar and Fischerspooner—not to

mention promoting his new EP, Falling—he

caught up with us to talk community, creativity

and his residency with He.She.They.

You’re deeply connected to the queer community

as an artist, your residency with He.She.They.

being one example. Do you think it’s important

for artists to support and create space for their

communities? Was this always important to you?

Very. I think for us to push forward as

communities and repel discrimination we need

environments to feel safe and empowered from

within. Whether you've faced it on an individual

level or know from people, friends and families we

surround ourselves with, discrimination exists and

it sucks. I think that empathy isn't enough to be

an ally, so being connected to events like HST and

being a team player within the community shows

your support.

Tell us more about your new release, Falling.

Falling is on a way less dark or melancholic tip.

I wanted to make something a bit more playful,

where I didn't set out with a concept or deeper

meaning. I just wanted to make some bass-driven

music that spoke for itself. Mobilee Records are

releasing Falling and helped nail two amazing

remixes from M.E.M.O and Marc Houle to

complete the package. (Thanks, guys!)

You cite that your parents are also artists. How did that inform your journey as a

creative person, as a musician?

Listen, that was some loud and paint-covered upbringing and I wouldn’t change it

for the world. I think being submerged within the arts from day dot decided the

path my life was to take. Same for all four of my brothers. We’re all creatively driven.

Mum is an amazing artist who can put her hand to anything and Dad is the showoff

musician who loves centre stage. I definitely exist somewhere in between those two

personalities.

You’ve mentioned listening to bands like Korn, Nine Inch Nails, and the Deftones

when you were younger, and you certainly nod to those influences in your

sounds/style now. What other kinds of music did you have around you growing

up? Are they also important to your current work, even if not obviously so?

I was brought up on a lot of music from the New Romantic period and British bands

like The Cure, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Siouxsie and The Banshees. I always

favoured these artists for nostalgia, but I definitely think on the more album sounds,

these influences come through. Stylistically I definitely see subtle nods to the fashions

from this time, recently more than ever. More recent influences have ranged from

techno gods such as Ellen Allien, Adam Beyer and Chris Liebing—which actually

feels mental when I’ve played alongside them.

Your work is fluid, and goes deep: it manages to touch various genres while

maintaining a steady, beating heart at it's core. What (or who) has been an

unlikely source of inspiration or influence for you?

A good friend of mine, Maya Jane Coles. It’s strange as we’re so close now, but the

fanboy inside me is still there. I’m continuously wowed by everything she puts out,

and the authentic stamp on everything she touches. She's the only artist I know

who has so much control over the entire process, from music to the artworks. She

is really a genius with such a strong vision and an admirable sense of self. She’s been

such a great person to me, having me play warm-up sets around the world, remixing

“Weak” from her last album Take Flight, as well as “It’s Alright” from her debut

album Nocturnal Sunshine. Having a person in my life who is both encouraging and

inspiring is incomparable. Big love.

Where do you go/what do you do when you need to hit the creative reset button?

(Or, what do you do for creative “self-care”?)

Usually, I’m good at working relentlessly, but sometimes I just have to stop. I have to

say enough is enough. Take a step back and let the creativity bubble up until I’m really

excited to work again, then go full throttle and smash loads of work out. I attend a

sound bath at least once a month and get drenched in healing tones. This really helps

any creative or emotional blocks.

“Falling is on a way less dark or melancholic

tip. I wanted to make something a

bit more playful, where I didn't set out with

a concept or deeper meaning.”

6

“I am so

here for a

queer

invasion.”

7

“I have always

admired iconic

figures who

go through

transformative

processes with

their identity,

both sonically and

aesthetically.”

What are the places in the world that have contributed most to your

evolution as an artist?

Front and centre is and always will be London. Moving from the North of

England into this city just let me run free with my imagination. Best thing

I ever did. But each place I have been to and played in holds its own special

place in my story: Fabric, Watergate in Berlin, Rex Club in Paris, Pacha in

Ibiza, Sankeys in Tokyo... Everywhere is different and it’s given me a huge

variety of audiences to play for. I’m really grateful for such amazing experiences

and challenges.

When you want to discover new music or new work from artists in

general, what are your sources?

I just dig all over the place. Like digital music platforms, listening to mixes and

hunting down the tracklist in the comments section. I ask my DJ housemates

if they've got anything juicy or weird to show me. And my Spotify account has

no clear trajectory, so Discover Weekly throws out some real interesting stuff

from time to time. That’s if I haven’t bombarded it with sleep rain sounds the

week before.

Your aesthetic, especially on social media, seems to be constantly evolving.

(Right now it’s very Gomez Addams goes to Berghain—we love it.) How

has your presentation changed over time? Do you find it’s followed a

similar path as your creative work?

Compliments taken, thank you. I’m as explorative with my image as I am

with my creativity. It all feeds into itself. I have always admired iconic figures

who go through transformative processes with their identity, both sonically

and aesthetically. Manson, Bowie and Madonna, you get the idea. They keep

you interested for decades. I think it's one of the best things to give a musical

moment iconography through a specific look.

Tell us about your residency with He.She.They., the collective creating

queer-centric parties all over the planet. How did you get involved? What

has the experience been like for you as an artist?

I have been working close to Steven and Sophia for many years and remember

being told about HST before it’s launch. It sounded amazing, with lineups

curated to celebrate diversity but in prolific clubs around the world. I mean,

I am so here for a queer invasion. I think my favourite part about the whole

thing has been how accepting everyone is of everyone else during the events. It

can be quite daunting for a lot of performers to express their authentic selves

out of fear that it won’t be accepted outside their bubble. HST is the complete

opposite of that. It’s a clubbing utopia.

Why are spaces like HST so important in this particular cultural moment?

HST as a political concept suggests we can all get along no matter our

backgrounds. It’s where what makes us diverse is celebrated, but at the same

time, what unites us is just as strong a participant. Maybe people will walk out

of this party with a different perception of XYZ human beings. If something

is alien to you, how are you meant to understand it? I think this is the

fundamental flaw of schooling, parenting and society. I think it’s getting better,

but step outside of your perceived reality and try to understand someone else’s

life.

Do you see a shift toward inclusivity happening across the music/club

scenes that you’ve been a part of, overall? Or were you always drawn to

spaces for which that was a priority?

Well, all of my clubbing experiences have been housed in either very liberal or

queer spaces, both of which haven’t featured a discriminative nature. I wouldn’t

go somewhere which wouldn’t be respectful. I think this is why HST works so

well, as it's ticking boxes for so many people whilst offering the respect people

deserve.

What’s a project you’re working on right now that’s really, really exciting

for you?

I’m finally completing my debut album, Umbilical. This has been a project

that has evolved and grown into quite the monster. But I am so glad I haven’t

had a deadline breathing down my neck—it’s allowing me to really explore

the breadth of my musical capability. I am so excited to showcase this, and put

together the live show which I was made for, especially after finishing a track

with the queen of punks, Louisahhh! It’s gonna be super special.

Photo by Eivind Hansen

@waxwingsofficial

Komm

schon

Ayleen

Photos by Maximilian Mouson

Styling by Nico Sutor

Hair and Make Up by Patricia Hoos

using Davines and MAC Cosmetics

Photo assistants are Jubal Battisti

and Tobias Hoops

Model is Ayleen

at Izaio Models

Bicycle Shorts & Socks - Adriane Lila Fecke

Shoes - United Nude

Look -Adriane Lila Fecke

11

12

Coat & Bra - Florian Máthé

Pants - Melis Yildiz

Hat - Adriane Lila Fecke

Look - Adriane Lila Fecke

Hoodie & Dress - Melis Yildiz

Belt & Shoes - Essentiel Antwerp

Earring, Shirt & Bicycle Shorts - Adriane Lila Fecke

Socks - Pantone

Look - Adriane Lila Fecke

15

In conversation with Aja

Interview by Paul Schulz

Photography by Suzana Holtgrave

Styling by Konstantinos Gkoumpetis

Dog Model is Fran Fine

Production by Marcel Schlutt and Nico Sutor

Special thanks to Ulrich Hartmann Studio,

Schwuz Berlin

Dress - Danny Reinke

16

Aja might be known to most people as one of the

faces of RuPauls Drag Race, but has completely

come into their own as a nonbinary queer artist

in the last two years. Aja is bringing the art of

drag into the masc-dominated world of hip-hop.

In May 2018 their debut EP, In My Feelings was

released, followed by their breakout album „Box

Office“ which was beloved by critics and new and

old fans alike, but also sparked debates among

Drag Race fans.

Born and raised in the heart of Brooklyn, Aja’s

genuine connection with their fans and their

personal struggles with race, gender identity, class,

and sexuality, has become largely impactful to

the LGBTQ+ community around the world. We

met one of our favourite performers to talk music,

beauty and life lessons.

What have you learned about yourself during the last

year?

Patience, with me and others. While making, promoting

and touring with „Box Office“ I learned how different

the two industries, TV and music, are, that I’ve been

working in, how different fans react to me and certain

parts of my work and how to deal with that myself. You

sort of have to tread the system like a child. That maybe

sounds terrible but what I mean is this: You can’t scream

at a child, you can’t hit it, you just have to love it, be

patient and realize, that a lot of the time children just

need time to learn things at their own pace to be able

to understand them. So, not everybody will understand

every single thing I do, but that’s fine. I’m trying to find

ways to do new things in a familiar format, so people

can get kind of „lubed up“ to the idea behind it. I don’t

want to shock people, but sometimes that is just bound

to happen and I can’t control it.

„When you’re being true to

yourself artistically, you will always

be stuck in the middle. There will

be people who hate what you do,

and people who love what you do.

And I’m learning, that that’s just

fine.“

Dress - Marina Hoermanseder

That sounds like you were surprised by the reaction

of some fans to the album, but have made your peace

with it.

I was. And I have, yes. But mostly people reacted really,

really positive. The album did and is doing way better

than my EP „In My feelings“, which came out just

last year. And for where I am in my work and in my

life, I’m very happy with the turnout. I’m all about my

artistic integrity. And when you’re being true to yourself

artistically, you will always be stuck in the middle. There

will be people who hate what you do, and people who

love what you do. And I’m learning, that that’s just fine.

Also, I don’t need people to cuddle me all the time and

tell me I’m amazing because I know I’m amazing and

really love what I do. At the same time I’m my biggest

critic. Nobody can out criticise me. I know where all the

actual flaws are in my work.

Music critics don’t seem to find too many of those.

They loved „Box Office“. Was that also a surprise?

That was almost unreal for me. That people who could be

really, fundamentally critical of my work gave me so much

praise and are comparing me to big mainstream names in

music. That was really generous of them and wonderful

for me because „Box Office“ of course is just the

beginning for me, it’s not the extent of what I’m capable

of. I can push myself to do more and work harder.

17

18

Total look - Marina Hoermanseder

Total Look - WorkingTitles

Necklace - Dolce&Gabbana

Shoes - Saint Laurent

You know, it’s funny that people who don’t actually listen

to the kind of music that I make and simply don’t like it,

are so critical. I don’t like a lot of pop music. And if you

show me Ariana Grande or something like that, I’m gonna

say it’s bad. Just because I’m not into pop. That’s all. It’s

taste, not a judgement of ability. But to clear that right up:

I like Ariana Grande (laughs).

Why do you think some Drag Race fans think they

could react so negatively?

A portion of the Drag Race-fanbase has become extremely

spoiled. Many people who go on that show and use that

platform now, do everything they do for the fanbase. And

that’s a beautiful thing. But I, as an artist and a person, am

just not like that. I don’t make art for other people, I make

art to express myself. I make art to make people who have

been in my shoes before happy and to stimulate emotions.

That can be happiness but also anger or sadness. So, if

you’re mad at my music, you’re doing exactly what I want

you to do. If you’re happy with my music, you’re doing

exactly what I want you to do. In the end I feel I always

win, because I got to stimulate a lot of emotions, whether

those are positive or negative emotions.

So the reaction of the public to your work doesn’t

matter to you as an artist?

Not whether it’s financially successful, no. But „Box Office“

achieved both. It was a commercial success, at least in my

world, and I stimulated a lot of emotions with it, which

was exactly what I had hoped for. Some members of the

public will always think they get to dictate an artists sense

of success, but they just don’t. It’s like that Lady Gaga

quote I have always loved her for: „That’s why I’m the

artist and you’re the public.“ Which is just very true. You

can judge but you can never take away my success, or my

experiences and everything I worked hard for on my own.

Because they belong to me, my name is written on them.

Is what you’re doing now more of an artistic expression

of your actual self than what you did on Drag Race?

I was in a different place in my life back then, not as

comfortable with myself as I am now. I wanted to be liked

by these people and by this fandom. I grew up in a spot

where I really had to work hard, to be heard and I feel

Drag Race was another one of those times where I had to

work really hard to be heard. Afterwards I learned that I

had my own voice and that I don’t need to pander to the

system. It is true, the moment I really started to be myself,

a lot of people distanced themselves from me. But many

people also started to gravitate closer. I gained a lot of fans

who were actually interested in me as a person, not the

superficial tease of a TV-personality. It became a lot less

about „I love your looks“ and „You’re so funny“ and a lot

more about „I want to know more of your story because

i’m interested in you for you.“ And for me that’s more

meaningful. Everybody is different and some people love

the other stuff more, but I don’t. I always wanted a voice

and to be able to be myself has given me more of that

voice.

Last year you gave an interview in which you distanced

yourself somewhat from drag and said you are not a

drag performer but a queer artist. Was that the start of

the trajectory you’re on now?

I never really had a drag persona. After my second round

in drag race I had a weird kind of identity crisis in which

I couldn’t tell who I was for a second. I started to really

struggle with the idea of gender and personality. I then

realised; I always thought I had this drag character but

I really didn’t, that’s just me. Aja has never been a drag

personality or performance. It’s just a stage name for who

I am 24/7. My friends and my partner call me Aja. And I

sort of prefer it to my birth given name. It is simply who I

am.

19

What does your mom call you?

My mom calls me by my birth name. And I let her.

Because she raised me and I give her respect. She did not

birth me but she made me. She taught me everything I

know about life and can call me anything she likes.

But does your mom understand who Aja is, and that

you’re Aja?

She understands who Aja is, yes. And she gets me. But

still calls me by my childhood nicknames. Which is fine.

Because I’m sure, if I sat her down and were like: „Look, I

need you to call me by this or that name.“, she would do

so. But, honestly, I really don’t care. Because names and

labels are just another part of materialism trying to separate

and categorise things. Which is bullshit. Even the „drag“-

label, or even the „queer artist“-label, in all honesty, I really

don’t care about that. I’m just a musician, an artist, just

somebody who creates content.

“Aja has never been a drag

personality or performance.

It’s just a stage name for

who I am 24/7.

Was your view on art always that wide?

I couldn’t really tell you. It all just sort of happened. I

started writing music when I was really young, about

ten or eleven years ago. And then I discovered drag as

another way to express certain things. I was sixteen and

performing in competitions around New York and then it

skyrocketed and I realised that I could financially support

myself doing it. Even as a local artist in New York, if you

pull your strings right, you’ll be fine. And listen, bitch,

I’m a Capricorn, I like stability. So I’m good at talking to

people to get what I need. Even before I was 21, which is

the legal age where you can start performing, I had three

or four weekly gigs and was traveling to perform in other

places. I was doing okay but I was not doing the best. So I

decided to aim for a higher platform. And that was when I

decided to try to do Drag Race. But I also walked onto that

set, knowing that it’s not a real competition, it’s a reality

television show. And I knew that you can’t prepare yourself

for reality television. It’s always gonna be a mindfuck.

Have you healed from that yet?

Yes. I feel like this year is sort of, when I hit rock bottom,

but then wrote about it and realised, it’s over, I don’t have

to deal with it any more. Part of that process was learning

that my views as an artist did not align with that anymore.

I actually really respect everyone who does Drag Race, all

the other artists, and everybody who works on the show.

And I’m incredibly thankful for the platform that was given

to me by the show. I don’t think less of the program and

really appreciate it, but I also am ready to do something

else now. Beyonce didn’t stay in Destinys Child forever, just

because she started there. And I don’t mean to say that I’m

some leader of the pack or something like that. I just think,

just because you’re known for being part of some collective,

you have to remain a part of that collective forever. A lot

of the girls in Drag Race should branch out and do what

they want to do and stop trying to feed the system. Because

the drag race fandom is not for everybody. It certainly isn’t

for black people who have opinions. Because every time a

black person says something the Drag Race fans don’t agree

with, they get pushed aside, they get unfollowed and then

they get trash-talked.

Why do you think that is when the most famous person

in the show and the person who the show is named

after, is a person of colour?

RuPaul has created themself as a drag icon, and that is what

Ru is known for. Everybody who knows RuPaul respects

him. I mean, Ru was mentioned by fuckin’ Biggy in his rap.

And I don’t really want to dig deeper into the race issue, but

RuPaul as a mother is a stereotype of black women being

this matriarchal figure, which is also why people respect

queens like Latrice. Because they come across nice and

motherly. Maybe they are not like that all the time, but it’s

a comfortable image for an audience that has people with

micro-aggressive racial tendencies within it.

20

But when performers like Vixen who are younger and more

opinionated say something, all hell breaks loose.

But isn’t it good, that all hell breaks loose because the

discussion is being had?

But at what cost? People may praise them for the discussion

but still throw them aside like a piece of garbage. The

discussion might be happening, but who is still being

booked for everything? Who is still getting the love from

the „fans“? It is the popular white queens. It is the black

queens who did not have an opinion. And not everybody

needs to be part of the discussion. But those that are

should not be criticised as much.

Is it important for you to be part of that discussion?

It is important for me, yes. I’m mixed race, I’m black and

Arab and I do benefit from having lighter skin, so I have

that privilege. And I think it is important to raise my

voice in that discussion. Because of my light skin privilege,

people will listen to what I have to say, before they listen to

what someone who has darker skin might have to say. And

it’s sad, that that is the truth, but it is the thing that has

been perpetuated.

Total look - Richert Beil

What can be done about that?

I think it’s time for people to give everyone a chance,

regardless of race or gender. It is also time to end the

cancelling part of our fake woke era. People saying

„This person is canceled“ and „That person is canceled“

was supposed to enforce people being „woke“, being

extremely politically correct and knowledgable. But why

is it, that most people being cancelled in the Drag Race

paraphernalia are black? When it comes to me, I just want

everybody to have a chance. I just don’t appreciate the

double standard, when the only difference between people

is, that one is black and one is white.

Do you think that in your lifetime, there will come a

point when all of that, race, gender etc., will be a nonissue?

I’m sure Drag Race will end before any of that gets

resolved. RuPaul is getting older and I’m not sure that

anybody will want to carry on that legacy the same way

RuPaul has. Do I hope it gets fixed? Yes. Do I think it will

get fixed? No.

My friends and my partner

call me Aja. And I sort of

prefer it to my birth given

name. It is simply who I

am.”

Do you still watch Drag Race?

I already have lost a lot of interest in the show. Once

you do it, you know how everything works. But I always

want to be in the loop of the conversation with the newer

girls, give advice, if I can. Trixie, Bianca or me have done

different things with our careers. I want to tell the girls,

that they have options, tell the black girls „Don‘t let

anything get you down. Don‘t let these people try create

a narrative.“. And do the same for the white girls. At this

day and age, the actual battle we should be fighting is a

different one. Queer people have created so much, a real

movement, in fashion, in art, in cinema. And so often

we are not the face of that movement when it‘s presented

to the public. So, if we could throw all the stupid shit

aside, stop criticising people within our own community

so much, then we could take care of that, see more queer

people in the forefront of media and art. Because that‘s

what we need.

You as an artist, as a performer, as a queer person, when

do you feel most beautiful?

I feel most beautiful when I wake up in the morning and

am in my most natural state. No make up, no nothing,

just me. I spend years developing that love for who I am

as a person. Because as a queer person and a person of

colour, you are taught so much and so early that you‘re

not supposed to love yourself because there is something

wrong with you. As a person of colour you‘re taught that

your natural features are ugly, that your skin is bad and

21

"Bowie got in drag, Beyoncé gets

in drag, Nicki Minaj and Lady

Gaga get in drag before they hit

the stage. For me

it‘s the same

shit."

that there is something wrong with your

hair. It took me twenty years to feel really

beautiful with myself, as myself.

Is moving away from drag, and the

armour and disguise that drag can also

be seen as, part of that?

I never really viewed drag as an armour or

disguise. For me drag is just clothing. It‘s

just something you put on before you go

on stage. I feel like everyone gets in drag.

Bowie got in drag, Beyonce gets in drag,

Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga get in drag

before they hit the stage. For me it‘s the

same shit.

Is there a difference for you, when you

perform in drag or not in drag?

It‘s the same thing. I mean, the European

tour that I did for „Box Office“ and the

shoot that I did for KALTBLUT, half

of it was in boy drag. It was masculine

presenting drag. I did not wear lashes or

presented as female, but it was still drag.

Is boy drag just as much as drag as

female drag?

Of course, why wouldn‘t it be?

Dress - Danny Reinke

Gloves - Dawid Tomaszewski

Is that because masculinity is just as

much a performance as femininity is?

Of course. Gender itself is a performance.

For me gender doesn‘t even exist. Gender

is just this idea, a stupid construct, that

was placed on us, because we have a penis

or vagina or something. Because of an X

or a Y chromosome. Because one person

has menstrual cycles and the next person

doesn‘t. It‘s that stupid. Gender is an idea

that was placed on us, like every other

label, to enforce patriarchy.

22

Total look - Richert Beil

Do you think the general Drag Race

audience reflects as much on gender roles

and societal norms as you do?

I‘m all about having these conversations and

letting people know how I feel. But do I

expect other people to follow me? No, not all

the time. But there are a lot of people who

appreciate me having these conversations.

And there is nothing that warms my heart

more than seeing people who have been

touched by what I have to say. Who are like

„I needed to hear this, thank you.“

What are you working on right now?

When this interview comes out, my new

EP will have been released. The EP is about

the transition into me being myself as an

artist. It is weird when people try to put me

in a box and say „You‘re a drag queen, you

can‘t be a musician. This is weird. I wanna

see a drag show not a rap show.“ People can

be really rigid. Which is frustrating. And

people kept saying, „Put that in the music.

Write about it.“ Which at first I did not

want to do, because I did not want to draw

even more attention to the transition process

but then I realized „Fuck you all, I‘m gonna

write about it.“ And if this causes certain

people not to like me, again, I don‘t care. I

know my fans will love it and if the people

that already hate me, hate me even more, so

be it. Making your audience feel something

is all what being an artist is about.

ajakween.com / @ajathekween

Dress - Marina Hoermanseder

23

THIS

CITY

IS

PINK

You've probably heard how some people call Tel Aviv the white city. The reason

why; white buildings of Bauhaus style are plentiful all over the city but when

you are on the street, living day-by-day, white is not the colour I would describe

this place. It’s pink.

It’s pink in all meanings. The light here is pink and soft by the early morning

and evenings. You will remember that next time you see the sunset and pink

clouds over the sea. It’s pink because of people; free spirits and very tender. It’s

pink because of the colour on the walls, and white is not the main choice for

buildings. It’s pink because it’s a new nation and a new city and it should be

pink, just take it as a fact.

Photos by @depuiscematin

Models are Ken Brezel, Tom Dvash,

Dale Ratcliff, Ori Paniri and Thibaut Eiferman

24

25

26

27

The Young

Royals

Photography

and creative direction

by Karl Slater

Stylist by Lewis Robert Cameron

Makeup by Grace Ellington,

using Weleda UK

Hair by Pricilla Pilling

using American Crew

Models are Daniel Stentzler from PRM

and Fabio Harris from NEVS

Fabio

Earring - ELVHEM

Top - TRAFALUC

Trousers - Nathalie Coste

Daniel

Earring - ELVHEM

Shorts - Aleksandra Lalic

28

Coat - Ana Ljubinkovic

Trousers - Ana Ljubinkovic

29

Blazer - Ana Ljubinkovic

Crown - Elena Economou

Fabio

Headband - House of LoLo

Trousers - Nathalie Coste

Daniel


30

Headband - House of LoLo

Dress - Ana Ljubinkovic

Ruffe - PRTTYBOI

Jeans - Chema Diaz


Shorts - Aleksandra Lalic

33

Daniel


Fabio


Home away from home in the

Pugliese kitchen of Osteria Del

Tempo Perso

Text and photos by Colette Pomerleau

colettepomerleau.com

Earlier this year, I ran to

catch trains with unexpected

arrival times

and rode through the

countryside in a rickety

unmarked bus to discover

a famous Pugliese kitchen

in the bleached out

village of Ostuni, Italy.

Osteria Del Tempo Perso

is situated in a former

bakery, which occupied

the space from the 1950s

until the ‘80s when the

Carlucci family took over.

This semi-natural space

was built around 500

years ago and allows its

guests to be immersed in

an intriguing contradiction

of space: cosy interiors

inside of a rock face.

Thoughtful details comprised

most of the charm

for the restaurant, which

included unique ceramic

dishes exclusively made

for them from a ceramist

in Grottaglie.

The brighter room features

a mural spanning

across the back wall, persuading

any and everyone

who comes through to

take a closer look. Antonello

Carlucci, the son

of the restaurant’s owner,

explained how a local

artist who often dined in

the osteria was invited one day to create a piece for his favourite

place. He painted well-known characters from the

small town in the piece, creating a preservation of that

time and adding to the history of the space. Antonello

himself grew up between these rooms, dedicating his life

to his family’s business and still looked over the corners

he must have memorized with deep affection.

My lunch hosts, Claudio and Angelo, guided me through

their awe-inspiring signature dishes over the course of a

few hours, but this really could have been extended over

a few days. This marathon of burrata, stracchino, pumpkin

and chickpea purée, decorative edible flowers from

France, crunchy octopus faintly reminiscent of southern

American comfort food, and local red wine put me into

a coma I had never experienced before. I didn’t want to

come out.

Osteria Del Tempo Perso truly serves slow food, focused

on simple ingredients with a flair observed only through

their presentation. The menu changes daily, a confirmation

their ingredients are as fresh as they can be. For a

culture that is quite far off from one I grew up with, I felt

a visceral familiarity throughout my visit in the Osteria.

For travellers seeking their own home away from home,

this is the place to land.

Special thanks to Osteria Del Tempo Perso

for the extraordinary hospitality. osteriadeltempoperso.com

35

In the studio with Cinga Samson

Interview by Nicolas Simoneau and Manuel Moncayo

Photos by Dehan Germishuys @dehangermishys and PR

Ivory (iii), Oil on canvas, 119 x 80 cm

36

During my trip to Cape Town I had the pleasure of

meeting with Cinga Samson and got the chance to

explore the world of the artist behind these beautiful

paintings. Our interview took place in his atelier

located in Woodstock which took me deep into his

artistic process.

How did you become a visual artist?

At first, I was just a child who had access to pens, pencils

and crayons. But as I grew up and became a teenager, it

developed into a habit of drawing constantly. We'd have

competitions with the local kids, trying to determine who

drew better.

Then when I was 20 or 21 I was looking for something

to do and I thought maybe legal studies because I wanted

job security. And while I was going through that process

I walked into a local studio and saw a couple of artists

working there. I said, "I can draw too!" – one of them

asked me to show him so I rushed home and got my

drawings. He said to me "here's paper and a few oil

pastels, do something!"

Even though they didn't say that I didn't belong,

somehow I felt like that child who walks in and keeps

showing up every day. I used to come very early in the

morning when the studio opened and I left when it closed.

They allowed me to do that until they gave me my own

space. So that's how I started in 2006. And from that

point on I never stopped.

Your work is very much influenced by the spiritual.

Superstitions, heritage, beliefs…how do you use all

these elements in your work?

I am my own influence when it comes to superstitions.

I come from the Xhosa people, who are extremely

superstitious. The family on my father's side is very

Christian. So spirituality and superstition are in my DNA.

Whether it is what I want, or acknowledge or believe or

don't believe in, it is part of who I am, of my identity. And

I've had some encounters myself, out of body experiences,

seeing things… these are part of my life, just like they are

a part of the life of many African people throughout the

continent. There are families out there who are very much

attached to certain rituals. Like slaughtering a goat when a

woman has given birth and using the skin as a welcoming

blanket for the newborn. Young boys go through a rite of

passage into manhood, and a ritual pleads the ancestors

to protect them. It's ongoing, it's there, and I wanted to

incorporate that into my work.

What's your creative process like? Do you start with an

idea? Or do you already have an image in mind?

It all starts with a feeling. Feeling in the sense that I'll want

to do an artwork that shows me, very sensual. But I only

have an idea of how to do it. Then I'll organize a shooting

around that idea, that feeling, and from there we'll print

these images and throw them on the canvas. So I go from

a feeling to an idea, how to begin, how it should be, and

once I've got this structure, there's a shoot and I start on

the canvas. And that's when it all comes to life.

And how do you know when to stop?

When it matches the feeling. When it makes sense. It's

like the death scene of the villain in a movie. Suddenly

the light makes sense – when he's gone, you know he's

truly dead and he won't wake up after this. There's a light

coming out and the sky clears up. It's the same thing.

You feel your piece it's complete. The picture you have in

front of you is believable, you are convinced by the feeling

it is conveying. Take a snake, for example, you see the

shimmering of its skin, its beauty and yet it is so deadly.

Once my artwork has those elements. When I feel that

beauty and that terror, I know it is done.

37

Uboya Benya (i), 2019, oil on canvas, 84 x 63 x 5 cm

38

I saw, then I knew it, (2017) , Oil on canvas, 80 x 60 cm

39

“I always look for

power in a work, a bold

energy.”

Ivory (v), Oil on canvas, 119 x 80 cm

Isn't it difficult to work on several pieces at the same time?

I've never worked on just one piece. I get bored so I need to switch to

something else. If I'm painting a landscape, at some point I get tired and I feel

the need to go paint something else. I find that the most difficult thing for me

is to paint just one picture. Sometimes it takes me the same amount of time

to work on one picture that it would take me to paint three! I'm not bored by

painting, I'm bored by painting this.

You use yourself as a model. Is it easier for you to be able to picture

yourself, or could it be someone else entirely?

It could be someone else but there is something in me that is important. I'm

sort of playing with my subconscious. I didn't start with me. I only got to

me because when I looked in the mirror I had the right body for the model

I wanted to paint and I was so desperate to find the right one. It was also

at a time when I started to feel more comfortable with myself, my body,

my sexuality, my background. In fact I wanted to put it all out there for

an audience to see. But I never meant for me to be the model, it was not a

conscious decision, it happened by chance and somehow I became the constant

subject of my work. Plus I was tired of complaining of all the things that I

couldn't change so I really wanted to create work that reflected something other

than poverty, HIV, injustice, Apartheid, colonialism. They might have been a

part of our history and still affect the present day but this is not our identity as

a people. Somehow, all of that mesh together into that one moment when I'm

painting on canvas.

Being part of a young generation of artists building the new identity of the

African continent, what do you consider important to leave behind or to

highlight?

Identity has to do with who you are. Apartheid is not who we are even though

we can still feel its effects. Today the conversation here at home doesn't revolve

around the Apartheid. People's experiences of joy and sadness might have

been conditioned by that past but there are things that have been here long

before and that are more prevalent in my pictures. But often when you talk

to someone about your problems, in their eyes, these problems become your

identity. It's human nature. But it is not who you are, it is just something

that you're going through. That's why I made it a point for instance, to not

use the word "Black" anymore because in people's minds it is associated with

Apartheid, racism, colonialism. I decided to use "African" instead. It includes

not just Blacks but everyone else living on the continent who experienced these

different moments in our history in the same space. I tried to think about

these things in a new way. That's my contribution as a member of the young

generation of African artists.

There is in your work an attraction to fashion. What is your relationship

with fashion?

When you paint things, they get highlighted. I wanted to use daily items in a

way that shows ambition, pride, self-love. Imagine seeing someone wearing a

fake Louis Vuitton jacket. Why is it so important to that person to wear Louis

Vuitton? Because those letters represent a brand, a lifestyle that many desire.

Because you want to be seen in a better light. Vuitton or Versace represent this

desire that young people have to keep up with the latest trends. I can't afford

these brands but I can find them on the streets. So I include these items in my

artwork and they get highlighted. In the end, you want to be a part of what's

happening globally. That's my relationship with fashion.

In terms of evolution, what has changed in your work from the very first

piece that you have created up until the one you're working on right now?

I always look for power in a work, a bold energy. I've always looked for that

but early on I wasn't sure how to get it the way that I wanted. Now I have a

better understanding of the colours and the tools that I use. So everything has

changed, except for the desire to create work with a strong energy. It's an entire

language. Other artists use the same language but differently. In a way I am still

a child in this. There are so many things that I have yet to learn and try. I realize

that I've only explored a small portion of a much bigger world.

Ivory (iv), Oil on canvas, 119 x 80 cm

40

Does the fact that your pieces are now displayed in galleries change the way

that you approach your work?

Of course. Absolutely. Someone once said to me "it is easier to be an

underdog". It can be hard to get attention at the beginning. You get rejected a

lot. So you spend a lot of time in the studio, messing around with your paint.

But when you start to get what you want and to be seen, there is pressure. Time

is both a motivator and a major enemy of creativity. On the other hand, it

pushes you to move forward. You do your work and then you're forced to let go

and move on to something else. That's the dynamics that come with working

with galleries. There are timeframes, engagements and schedules. When you

were not recognized as an artist, you always took the work home,

there were no time constraints but you were secretly dying to

have deadlines. Now that you are attractive, you have deadlines.

I'm happy with that but sometimes I wish I could have more

time. So you need to adapt and find balance.

I read in an interview you did for the gallery that you wanted

to do sculpture and installations?

I have done some installations in the past, that were paired with

some paintings. When you're a painter sometimes you get too

consumed by just painting. It takes you longer to warm up to

other art forms. I did this installation with used pots. We went

to the countryside where these pots came from. We interviewed

people, looking for men who had tried their best to take care

of their families. We went into their homes, and we replaced

the old pots with new ones. We wanted to exhibit the old ones

as symbols of good men, who are hard to find these days. I

don't mean perfect men, but responsible men. Like fathers who

tried their best and didn't neglect their families or husbands

who didn't abuse their wives. We wanted to know how they

did it. We visited seven homes and found seven men whose

stories we admired and who provided for their families. It was

a learning experience. We asked them how they did it. They

literally started from the bottom, cooking with those pots on the

ground with fire and no electricity. So we took those pots, each

one representing a home, as symbols of these men taking their

responsibilities.

Ivory (i), Oil on canvas, 119 x 80 cm

I was looking at the artwork you have in the gallery and I

saw this ivory series. I love the play on masculinity. Do you

remember the feeling that started it all?

I'm very gentle, that's my nature. That's always been an issue

in my past, with myself and in relation to others. I was told I

was weak and soft. Nothing to do with my personality but it's

the aura that I carry around. Someone saw that as a weakness. I

embodied it but I hated it at the same time. but it became my

thing. I put it in my artwork, the people I paint wear it on their

faces. In another piece you can see an aggressive man. I was in

the studio once and there were politicians there, and this man

was here looking at my work and he just said the word "faggot".

And that word… that word bothered me so much. There's such

anger attached to it. So my question was, why is there only

one type of men that is admired and idealized by society? I was

wondering why are very masculine men always praised as "real"

men? What about the other men, because there is a whole bunch

of different types of men out there. So the series started with that

initial question.

What artists inspire you?

I love Nicholas Hlobo’s work. There is something voodoo in his

work. I have that in my work as well, even though we don't call

it voodoo here. You don't see the bones, the skulls or the blood

but there's this presence in his work, this aura. And we're both

Xhosa men, he's gay and he talks about that in his work. Now

he uses copper but he used to work with soft material like lace,

which accentuated the voodoo quality in his work. Peter Clarke

is another artist that I admired. He passed away a few years ago.

I loved his philosophy. Sometimes you meet someone who has

clarity, who is so wise and challenges you as an artist and as a

person. He once told me "if I were you I would go to someone

I want to work with and tell them 'I know you've been waiting

for me, here I am, here's my work, let's work together." When

he said that it sounded ridiculous but if I had had that attitude

when I started I could have achieved a lot more. But I was so

intimidated. He used to tell me this proverb: "chance favors

those who are prepared for it." Be prepared and just do it! He

left me with that and now every time I look at his work, I get

lifted. I remember all the things he told me when I was young.

His work is more than just art, it's what he said as well. He really

influenced my work. His mind was on another level.

Before the day has a meaning, 2017, Oil on canvas, 80 x 60 cm

@cinga_samson

www.blankprojects.com/artists/cinga-samson/

All images 'Courtesy of the artist and blank projects'

41

M

katz orange

oukan

buck and break

volk

studio183

brunnenstr.

parkhaus

mein haus am see

hotel ultra

the publisher

dudu

toca rouge

torstrasse

liniensrrasse

cafe mörder

themroc

smart deli

bravo bar

chausseestr 131

charis schwarz

room capacity

do you read me

oona gallery

me

beets and roots

auguststrasse

altes europa

oranienburger strasse

rianna

MY MITTE MAP

presented by

KALTBLUT

STUDIO183

THE PUBLISHER

for more info go to

www.mymittemap.com

fashion

design

shop

eat

drink

B

yafo

gorki park

soda

a-z presents

U8 rosenthaler plz

odessa bar

garments

souvenir

ryong

U2 rosa luxenburg platz

pineapple factory

torstrasse

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wood wood

A Toilet-side Chat with Gurr

Interview by Nolan Parker,

Co-founder of music magazine Schmutz

“What’s so cool about Berlin

is that it’s so creative and

artists from multiple genres

collaborate and experiment

with each other, going

beyond genre borders and

exploring new art forms”

44

It can be tough to lay down roots in Berlin. The city is

so transient that to invest time in people and projects

can end in heartbreak or a bad taste in one's mouth. On

the other hand, that’s one of Berlin’s charms: you can

move here, get a job under the table and live out your

creative dreams because rent is still relatively cheap and

it’s easy enough to fare dodge on the U-Bahn. But when

we tracked down Laura Lee and Andreya Casablanca,

the two dream weavers of Berlin-based band Gurr, in a

glamorously pink (but very dingy) venue bathroom, they

seemed to have other things to say about Berlin, what

they’ve built here, and where they’re taking Gurr.

Building a community, especially in the music world,

is often essential in the creative process and Gurr is well

versed in building creative communities, not only around

themselves but also for/with other people. Earlier this

year, Gurr launched a concept called We Formed A Band

(@weformedaband) in hopes of getting more females,

non-binary folks, and POC involved in making music.

Explaining the concept of We Formed A Band (WFAB),

Lee and Casablanca are clearly passionate about (as I

hope we all are) opening music up to more than cis,

white males, encouraging those who submit to WFAB to

use more inclusive language, screening every concept that

comes through: “We try to encourage people, when they

send us stuff, to be more inclusive so more people feel

addressed. They have been super receptive to what we’ve

had to say.” But when queried about other community

and government funding for music, the girls started

spouting name after name of initiatives and foundations

that are trying to give music-minorities more visibility,

well aware that there is a growing front of creative

support for those that might have thought that they were

being left behind by music funding bodies. Don’t be shy,

reach out, form a band.

Gurr has just released their latest EP, ‘She Says’, this

past April to the delight of their fans and to anyone

looking for the ideal soundtrack for a utopian Berlin

summer. ‘She Says’ pulls influence from all over the

musical map including doo-wop, surf, indie, etc. and

includes tracks sung in both English and German. But

what is possibly the most important statement made on

the EP comes from the concept and the title track itself,

She Says. A melancholic slow-burn of a track, turning

the magnifying glass of society on itself, addressing

how people can perceive women, piling mountains of

expectation on them while lending no support. The

lyrics, “All the people tell her how to live but she lives

so much that she can’t give” float through the speakers,

challenging the listener to consider how they move

through the world and what unintentional effects an

individual might have on those around them. Infectious

and thought-provoking, a form of musical storytelling

that runs throughout the ‘She Says’ EP and a mood that

Gurr has seemingly mastered.

Even though Gurr is releasing new music and touring

heavily, not only outside of Germany but also outside

of Europe, it doesn’t feel like a stretch to say that a

“guitar band” might encounter some resistance coming

from the techno capital of the world. But when asked

about if they had caught any flack from the tech-heads,

they immediately squashed the notion in favour of a

more collaborative spirit: “Yeah, techno and electronic

music are everywhere in Berlin but it’s also in every

other city. But what’s so cool about Berlin is that it’s so

creative and artists from multiple genres collaborate and

experiment with each other, going beyond genre borders

and exploring new art forms,” hilariously sighting the

original White Trash Fast Food venue in Berlin as a

prime example. Lee and Casablanca remember the

days when the venue would have live music every night

(nights including some of Gurr’s first shows), literally

forcing the burger eating, fast food crowd to listen to

music they might never have encountered, exposing

people to the live music side of Berlin’s scene.

“We try to encourage people,

when they send us stuff, to

be more inclusive so more

people feel addressed. They

have been super receptive to

what we’ve had to say.”

The landscape of Berlin, specifically its music scene,

is changing rapidly; venues are being shut down

(R.I.P. Bassy and White Trash), people are moving

away, projects are reaching their end (R.I.P. Berlin

Community Radio) but the Gurr gals are champions

of a still thriving underground. They help book their

friends’ bands and DJ at venues like 8MM and use their

reach as Gurr to let a wider network of people know

what’s good in Berlin, even if they have nothing to do

with it. This is a mentality that more and more creatives

in Berlin are adopting: artists helping other artists out in

the scene and not worrying about their cliques or who’s

who. Gurr thinks that if more people create music and

support each other, the whole scene, not just Berlin’s,

will be better for it. One of the places that is still up and

running that Gurr loves to hang out at (when they’re

not on the road) is Loophole, a small bar/venue and

they only have one reservation about it... “It’s so good

that it’s always so full!” Laura regales a comedic story

about Loophole that might be partly to blame for why

some Berlin venues are shutting down and why some

thrive: “The neighbours hate that place.

I was outside when I was at a show

there once and a neighbour from

upstairs was really mad at the

noise. So she dumped a bucket

of water from her window and it

completely drenched me. Loophole

is a dangerous place, don’t go there.

But... go there.” If you live above a

venue or a bar and you’re enjoying

the cheap rent it affords, you should

probably expect a certain amount of

noise, especially if it’s in Neukölln.

Berlin is only special due to the

people who inhabit it and Lee and

Casablanca are two of the best

examples of humans making the

city a more textured place. Before

the gals had to dash, they threw out

some words in rapid-fire succession

they thought best described Berlin:

boobs, tears, lipstick, cookie, red,

teeth.

Catch Gurr on their European

tour this summer and a special

thank you to the BeatBites team for

making this happen. Keep an eye

out for the full video feature with

Gurr and more Berlin-based artists

on KALTBLUT.

BeatBites @beatbites.tv

Executive Producer: Kimbo Kim

Producer: Emily Strange

@emilymstrange

Nick Grady @snakeskinboots

Director: Theo Sixou @theosixo

DOP: Antoine Plouzen

Photography: Sharlene Durfey

@sharlenedurfey

Author: Nolan Parker

@saltcvlt @schmutzberlin

46

Model + artist

LISETTE ROS

Photo

LONNEKE VAN DER PALEN

Graphic design

STUDIO NOTO

FASHIONCLASH.NL

One To Watch:

Filipe

Augusto

Interview by Marcel Schlutt

Backstage photo by © MODALISBOA

Photos by Dulce Daniel

www.modalisboa.pt

Filipe Augusto is one of my favourite menswear designers in 2019. The young

designer was born and raised in Peso da Régua, lives in Porto where, starting in

2014, he did his fashion degree at MODATEX. After graduating in October 2016,

he starts interning at the fashion house of Portuguese designer, Luís Buchinho.

In 2017 and 2018, he presented his collections at Sangue Novo, the Young Designers

Competition of ModaLisboa, Portugal. In the first edition of the competition,

he received an honourable mention and in the second was distinguished with

the first place. In June 2018, he also won the FashionClash Festival award, in

Maastricht. In October 2018, he integrates the new platform of young designers

of ModaLisboa, Workstation. I had a chat with Filipe about his work and his

new F/W19-20 collection.

“From 8 to 8 comes the one who looks best on Sunday mass. Sunday suit, with a

notable crease which follows the sound of elevated bronze”

48

How did you get started with fashion design?

When I was at high school one of my teachers

encourage me to persue a fashion career because

he saw some potential in me when I did a project

about historical fashion.

Why did you choose this career?

It’s always been my passion.

Tell us about your line. What was your

inspiration for your new FW19/20 collection?

Since I’ve started working in fashion I’ve always

been inspired by the countryside. For this specific

line, I’m inspired by the families who go to the

church, especially on Sundays, the day they

choose their best clothes.

“From 8 to 8 comes the one who looks best on

Sunday mass. Sunday suit, with a notable crease

which follows the sound of elevated bronze.”

What techniques do you use? Tell us about the

process.

Tailoring: I try execute it very well.

Knitting: I use doubled necklines, which

combine men and woman necklines.

Layers: In all my collections I always layered

different types of clothes.

What challenges did you face?

In order to have a good fitting and finishing,

I had to be very precise while executing the

garments.

What were your achievements?

I feel that my achievements are when I have

amazing feedback from the media and buyers.

Who do you look up to when it comes to

aesthetics?

I usually follow my own aesthetic, I don’t usually

follow any trends. Although I find Raf Simons

and Craig Green the best designers from our

generation.

As a designer from Portugal, a country with a

rich history, how much of your culture can we

see in your designs?

A lot, because I’m inspired by small villages in

the countryside.

What does it take to have true taste?

Being authentic and designing for yourself,

following your own taste.

How do you measure success?

By following my heart.

How important is ModaLisboa as a platform

for a young designer like yourself?

ModaLisboa gave me a platform which helped to

introduce my work not only in my country but

also abroad.

Where do you think fashion is at the moment

because it feels like it’s a little bit stagnent?

A bit repetitive, I feel that most of the designers

tend to follow the same trends over and over.

Where do you see yourself and your brand in

10 years?

I see myself being copied by the Chinese market!

@filipe.aaugusto

49

The personal as political with

Luminous Doom - 2019 - Oil on Canvas - 135 x 195 cm - Image courtesy of SMAC Gallery - Copyright Kate Gottgens

50

Kate Gottgens


Photos by Dehan Germishuys @dehangermishys and PR

As a young female artist working in

South Africa there were a number of

struggles for Kate Gottgens to overcome.

Having forged her career as a full-time

artist she only found herself re-emerging

into a new phase of her career in her 40s.

She shared her thoughts with me on the

balance of the art life and the path of

motherhood, and coming to terms with

the fact that her subject matter was going

to be quite domestic. By finally painting

domestic scenes, interiors, family, she

let herself be authentic to what her

lifestyle was and is – and her study of

the suburban life is truly mesmerizing.

What is your background? How did you

become a painter?

I grew up in Ponte, South Africa. My

background is middle class. I had a stay-athome

mother and my father was in hotels.

He worked for Holiday Inn, which is an

influence that comes into my work because

we travelled while he established Holiday

Inn hotels along the coast of South Africa.

So the swimming pool is quite a big feature

in my work, I think, because of that first

experience going to the hotel, eating ice

cream and swimming in the pool. I think

I first knew I would become a painter

when I was in high school. I studied Fine

Arts at the University of Cape Town and

since then I have been working on and off,

supplemented with other work on movies

or scenic painting. But mostly I've been

trying to be a full-time artist.

While preparing for this interview, we

could find very little information about

you online and I am left with only

your artwork and its reviews. Is this a

conscious decision? To let your work

speak for yourself?

Maybe it's because I started off with a PR

group when I left University and then I

had my first child when I was 24. I have

3 children and I had a setback with that,

so I stopped exhibiting and participating

in shows and I think I became a little bit

invisible, being a woman with children. I

think there was a level of invisibility for me

for a while. Having this responsibility of

taking care of a family, I kind of came and

went from it.

This issue could also become quite political

because there are very few successful

female artists with children. Many make

the decision to build a career and not have

children because it's more important to

them. Men can have both. This biological

“disadvantage” comes as a compromise

even if you don't want to. As a mother

you “have” to be nurturing and available,

but as an artist you are narcissistic, doing

51

“I am

obsessed

with paint.

It's what I

get up to

do every

day.”

52

your own thing, creating and stimulating yourself. Both

identities are in complete conflict. As a woman it seems

like you only achieve success later in life, like Louise

Bourgeois, Alice Neel or Betty Tompkins, because you're

busy working your domestic life perhaps, alongside your

career. Don't get me wrong, I’m very happy I made that

choice, I love my children, but that's just reality.

When I started I saw a lot of white artists who were

using the Apartheid in their work. I felt it was a little

exploitative, because it wasn't their story. Today we

have post-colonial discourse and #metoo campaigns,

and sometimes that is just not your story to tell. But we

didn't have that consciousness back in the 80s and 90s.

I didn't feel comfortable making political work or work

about being a mother and having babies. And that is

an ongoing problem because there is strong feminist art

everywhere, but to find a way to make that work political

and visible and to find a gallerist that's interested in it,

that's very hard. A lot of the struggles and conversations

that are in the public realm now were not so in those

days. So how can you have the confidence to keep

making your art when no one wants to promote it?

Some of your work feels extremely personal yet all

of it has a clear personality. Is your work a personal

chronicle or visual diary? Or do you consciously look

for subjects to paint?

I am making artwork that is deeply affected by how I’ve

lived. But I try to stay away from it being too personal,

and I have a strategy for that, I appropriate imagery, I

rarely use my own photographs. I research online, go

to flea markets or auction houses too. If I respond to an

image it is because it feels familiar or something from

that photograph is connected to me in an unconscious

narrative. It’s deeply intuitive. I think you cannot judge

your own images critically. You'll instantly think, “Oh,

this is beautiful” and I try to lose a bit of the imagery and

let the application of the paint become more interesting,

I do not like the form to be too stated and too crisp, so

there must be dissolves, spills, bleeds and diffuse, softened

layers, sometimes that goes even further into becoming

quite abstract. I store all the images I work on, it's an

archive. There's an attachment to that imagery and

sometimes you go back to it because your respond to

something and then five years later you respond to other

qualities in it.

Surface and the many layers underneath it are a

concept present in your work. How do you decide

what to highlight, blur? Is there such a thing as a

“message” in your art?

It is about manipulating a space, the image might become

exciting when the background is coming forward and the

foreground is disappearing. I try to create a psychological

atmosphere by changing the way the space is perceived.

The process is rather organic and intuitive. You're always

holding the conceptual, the content, the narrative, and

also the application, the technique and the paint itself. I

want to suggest a story, I want the paint to be interesting,

so there's sort of a balancing act that happens within the

process.

I start by putting down colour on the canvas to create

shapes. It's very spontaneous. And there's immediately

some “problems” that appear so I try to work with

that. I often use a projector over the canvas to see the

possibilities that could be integrated into the image.

Before I used to go further with these possibilities and,

even when I was already satisfied with the composition,

I would try other shapes on it. There's still a spontaneity,

some spills, colors you don't expect in a certain place.

The paint itself has to feel alive enough that it also speaks,

not just the image. Now, when I get to a feeling of

satisfaction, I stop and decide that the image is finished.

Flash - 2017 - Oil on Canvas - 95 x 95 cm

Image courtesy of SMAC Gallery - Copyright Kate Gottgens

53

Hypnotics - 2018 - Oil on Canvas - 150 x 150 cm - Image courtesy of SMAC Gallery - Copyright Kate Gottgens

“I have 3 children and I had a setback with

that, so I stopped exhibiting and participating

in shows and I think I became a little bit

invisible, being a woman with children.”

54

Once there's been enough exploration, once the layering

is rich and complex and the image surprises you, then

you can stop.

There's a distance between you and your subjects that

creates an atmosphere of detachment. Is this concept

relevant to your work?

Maybe it goes back to the conversation of it not being

too personal. You need to make convincing work. But if

it’s too close and too personal then it does not convince.

Your work has been incorporating more colour

from your early works which are composed of grey

tones, through to the recent ones which are far from

monochromatic. Could you describe this process?

I was building confidence as a painter in order not to

have to deal with colour. My earlier work was much more

monochromatic, I was exploring what I wanted to paint

and what I could do with paint. Now my confidence is

built and I think of myself as a colourist. I think colour is

an important part of my work at the moment, as well as

mixing strange colours together. There is a psychological

aspect to color: when I was doing monochromatic work,

it goes back to the invisibility conversation we had earlier.

There was a time in my life when things were harder and

I was feeling more depressed.

At the beginning I created a little body of work of ‘85

works that were all very small and very monochromatic,

using a lot of ash. It was called “Asleep Inside You”. The

mood, the atmosphere was very inward. I was working

with shadow material, with the darker, hidden aspects of

ourselves.

How has South Africa influenced your work?

One of the things I noticed when I started to collect

images is that there were those tropes that reflected the

country: it was mostly white people who owned the

cameras back in the 60s and 70s. They were going to

game reserves, showing their Christmas holidays, their

birthday parties. It's an archive of what existed here and it has definitely influenced my work. But

I did not want to get stuck in that narrative so I looked online for imagery that could resonate in

more universal terms. I'm not a painter of white suburbia anymore, but of the new world, not

necessarily white but middle-class. We in South Africa worry about being too parochial, we want

to belong in the global community. Therefore one of my initiatives has been to try and be part of

a collective consciousness.

Since your debut, what has changed on the art scene in South Africa?

For many years, South Africa used to be isolated, sort of parochial, and there was not enough

communication across countries. I think it has grown conceptually and it has become much

more interesting in the way people work with materials, it has also become more international.

There is now an opening and an explosion of talent. Some of the galleries are participating in the

International Art Fairs and these days there is an open conversation between artists, curators and

museums. The entire South African art scene has grown and is much more dynamic. Politically

it has also changed for the better. There used to be less representation across colors. Today some

emerging artists are working with content that speak to their cultures and backgrounds. This is

now being encouraged and nurtured and that's exciting.

You are part of a generation of artists building the new identity of the African Continent,

what do you consider important to leave behind and -in contrast- to highlight?

You have to fight against your age, it is a good thing that we have millennial children. I think

us old f*cking colonialists must die! But I can't erase my connections to that past. I have a

photograph of my step-mother on top of a dead elephant. It’s brutal and barbaric, but powerful.

It reflects what happened here. There's also a photo of her father with two black men holding up

the tusk of an elephant he has just killed. Art brings attention to the past to help us remember

and to help us not repeat it. So in raising children we are raising conscious human beings who will

hopefully continue to change the status quo and move things forward.

Do you produce any creative material besides what you show?

No, I like to paint, I love to paint, I am obsessed with paint. Maybe one day if I feel unstimulated

or bored with paint but not yet. It's what I get up to do every day.

Do you think as an artist you have a responsibility towards your viewers?

It is something to resist. An artist must work very strongly against that. There can be a temptation,

but you have to work hard to keep being creative. I have a very good relationship with my gallery.

They are very understanding and nurturing. I just want to take it slow and see what emerges.

I need some time to see if I can incubate new ideas. Last year I had a lot, from New York to

Sidney… so this year I decided I was gonna take some me time, travel a bit. I'm gonna have a solo

show at my gallery in February 2020, and maybe a third book.

www.kategottgens.com / @kategottgens

A Dog's Lament - 2019 - Oil on Canvas - 135 x 195 cm - Image courtesy of SMAC Gallery - Copyright Kate Gottgens

55

Building Dystopia with Minimal Violence

“Minimal

Violence is

here to bring

you a new

reality”

56

There are moments of transgression–when pain becomes pleasure, when chaos

becomes ecstasy, when a dystopia becomes utopia–that defy our perceptions.

Vancouver’s thrashing duo Minimal Violence, are masters of straddling these

such moments. Helmed by Ashlee Lúk and Lida Pawliuk (Lida P), the two

create high-octane techno–delivering a cacophony of sadistic rapture on their

new album “InDreams”, their first full release with Ninja Tune offshoot,

Technicolour.

InDreams occupies a place outside of our physical reality, a psychic state

marketed and sold by the imaginary InDreams Inc.–the album its manifesto.

Coming off previous releases with 1080p and Genero, as well as a 2018 single

on Technicolour, InDreams is the duo’s first full-release since forming in 2015.

Approaching the album, Lúk and Pawliuk (who are partners in life and music)

were at first challenged by the prospect, “We had been struggling with...How do

we make an album? How do we put everything together and give it a focus?”,

Lúk reflects, seated next to Pawliuk at their creaky studio, Deep Blue. “So [we

created] this whole fictional universe that was based on a fictional manifesto for

this company that represents escapism, resistance against binaries, and things

that we were interested in a very science fiction, or cyberpunk-esque way. We

[then] put that together and shaped the album with that in mind.”

And that manifesto? “To break it down it’s basically about the psychic reality

versus the physical reality, and in this future world, the company is able to sell

Interview by Alison Sinkewicz alisonsinkewicz.com

Photos by Matt Tescon @one________________wingedangel

you this psychic reality but argues against the hierarchy. So your psychic

reality is just as valuable as your physical reality and the dream state,” Lúk

explains with ease. Paired with visuals created by Max Kelan Pearce, who

draws heavily from early industrial and rave imagery. Minimal Violence

creates an immersive world where listeners submit upon entrance.

The resulting album is a fleshy steel vessel–a cyborgic mix of humanpunishing

electronic noise that veers into territory uncontrolled by either

Lúk or Pawliuk. However, these moments of machine cognition, where

Pawliuk and Lúk seemingly lose control, are carefully approached. “It’s

something we’re thinking about a lot,” says Lúk, who takes long pauses

to look to Pawliuk before speaking, as if telepathically communicating.

“Personally, I feel like [it’s] we are still kind of working, on especially with

live, [that] is trying to free from structure and find those moments of chaos.”

Newly acquired gear, such as an Access Virus A, help to shape a web of

limitations, allowing Lúk and Pawliuk to discover strange and unsettling

soundscapes.

Using their live sets as a ground for experimentation, Lúk and Pawliuk

derive a majority of their album material from what they interpret what

works based on the audience’s experience–incorporating spontaneity and

immediacy into the tracks. “Our sets have a very ADHD [quality] and they

shift from thing to thing very quickly, and we do that by rehearsing and not

having it pre-programmed,” Lúk explains. “Having that ability but also be

able to create a chaos while not straying too far from the structure.”

Structurally, the duo is tight. As is often cited, Lúk comes from a punk

background, where brevity reigns and Pawliuk describes their musical

background as diverse and piano-based with an adolescent punk phase

(tendencies that seem hard to shake). Their desire to break from the confines

of electronic music, which can feel bolted to hardware, stems in part from

the seemingly contradictory freedom of guitar-based music. “Sometimes

you can get really locked into structure with electronic music, even in your

ability to diverge. There are limitations that you don’t have with a guitar,”

explains Lúk. It’s a physicality that Lúk and Pawliuk translate into their live

sets, giving in to a freedom of movement to totally dissolve into sound.

Disruption doesn’t end in the construction of their sound. There’s a

conceptual backing to the entire Minimal Violence project, one that

draws from the gender theory from prominent figures like Donna

Haraway. In constructing a world like that of InDreams Inc., it is clear

that Lúk and Pawliuk have long been interested in and applying such

feminist posthumanist thinking into their artistic pursuits, yet they seem

apprehensive to divulge the full extent of their research. “Academia can

get very alienating, I get intimidated by it sometimes,” says Lúk. “We can

process something but then to speak about it suddenly there's an imposter

syndrome surrounding it. I guess cyberfeminism in a lot of ways is where

gender theory is best played out because it uses the metaphors of cyborgs as

a resistance to binaries, and it ties into the resistance.” Pawliuk adding, “It’s a

zone of equality, more so.” Lúk continues, “I feel like that translates to how

electronic music is its own little zone of equality.”

When questioned on this statement, of electronic being a zone of equality

despite its male-dominance, Lúk clarifies that the pressures of patriarchy

are present. “Generally, it’s not on the large scale, but on the minor scale.”

The woes they have experienced are familiar to women and non-binary

people in electronic music. “You being approached by people at shows with

people trying to intimidate you with their knowledge,” Lúk says, turning to

Pawliuk. “Our [negative] experiences have been with the audience, rather

than the electronic community. Maybe we are fortunate that we have a lot

of men that are supportive?” Lúk adding, “I feel like such a dick saying that

because I know that isn’t the situation. I think that we have been privileged

to not experience that directly, but I do see it being played out in the

community in others ways.”

Creating worlds, such as that of InDreams Inc. also protects you from

societal the confines. Lúk and Pawliuk don’t set out to smash the patriarchy,

to eradicate binaries, these hierarchies are unimportant, pre-occupations of a

physical reality. Minimal Violence is here to bring you a new reality, tickets

at the door.

@minimalviolence

57

Materialistic

Photography by Edda & Lotte

Styling by Jana Höft

Creative Consultant is Cornelius Butow

Makeup by Pia Sarkar

Model is Ana C at Viva Models

Blouse - Mj2a81seen at STUDIO183

Pants - The Ragged Priest

Earring - Jane Kønig

Bag - Sandqvist

Shoes - Suicoke

59

Jacket - C.P. Company

Jacket - MJ2a91

Pants, Longsleeve and Hat - Pugnat

Glasses - Mykita x Maison Margiela

Shoes - Kurt Geiger

61

62

Jacket, Pullover - Arys

Skirt - For Love & Lemons


Boots - Jeffrey Campbell

Blouse, Pants - Joseph


Ring - Vibe Harsløf

Bag - C.P. Company

64

Boots - Jeffrey Campbell

Blouse - MJ2a91

Necklace - Jane Kønig

Jacket - Form of Interest seen at STUDIO183

Coat - Form of Interest

Shoes - Ugg

67

Gala Borovic

Words & Styling by Lewis Robert Cameron

Photography by Karl Slater

Model Daniel Stentzler @ PRM

Hair by Pricilla Pilling

Make-Up by Grace Ellington

#thebasecontinues

KALTBLUT’s Lewis Robert Cameron sits down and chats to Serbian designer Gala Borovic fresh from her success at Ljubljana Fashion Week,

where she took home the crown as the winning designer of the third season of Fashion Scout South East Europe, and her recent solo catwalk

showcase at the 45th edition of Belgrade Fashion Week. Talking rave culture, Trump masks, spontaneous design and what we can evxpect to see

come September, when this emerging designer presents her full collection with Fashion Scout at London Fashion Week.

Congrats on your FSSEE win at LJFW. What was

going through your mind when you were announced

as the winning designer?

Thank you very much. I was hoping but not expecting

to win. After I was announced as the winner, I just had

these weird sounds in my head shouting LONDON ,

LONDON, LONDON. LJFW and FSSEE were both

truly unique experiences as I had a chance to meet

creatives from the region and also to get constructive

feedback from all the judges.

What do you think set you and your collection apart

from the other designers competing?

I was working a lot on creating garments from scratch,

Meaning creating the fabrics themselves as well as

designing the prints and textures. I experimented a lot

with hardware embellishments

and liquid latex, sometimes

combining both techniques. With

this collection I was often playing

with grotesque elements that are

not always pleasing to the eye but

intriguing for the mind. With

every look there are elements to

discover from all angles once you

look closely and I think that is

something that caught the judges’

eyes collectively.

You went on to show the

collection at Belgrade Fashion

Week, how was that for you?

This is my third time

participating at BFW but my

first time with my own solo

show. It was amazing!!! Usually

preparations on the day of the

show are always very stressful and hectic but this time I

had an amazing team of people (models, hair, makeup

artists) who made everything run smoothly and

without disturbance. Backstage was as big as it gets and

that means a lot when there’s huge amount of people,

under stress, running around at the same time in the

same space. The space really is amazing.

You claim your work explores the spontaneous drive

of creation, tell me a bit more about this as a design

concept?

Spontaneous drive of creation implies to the

importance of the design process that stands behind

the finished product. This spontaneous way of creating

allowed me to be more productive by deciding faster

between the option 1,2 or 3, to experiment freely, and

68

“Living in the

digital age of the

21st century,

there’s no choice

than to be somehow

influenced by

pop culture.”

finally, to stay true to the concept I was inspired to create. At the time, my ultimate goal was

to reach the revolution of intuitive and eclectic creation by exploring the thin line between

fashion and art.

Tell me about your winning collection “The Base”? What inspired it?

Here is a little story around “The Base”: In 2015 "The Base" was created as a private art studio,

a modern space for escaping reality. The interior was built through the arrangement of many

old things, second-hand furniture, antiques, waste and amateur art creations. During the 4

years, the Base developed for the purpose of its members. Every individual had subconsciously

intended to leave trace in physical or spiritual form, thereby contributing development of this

space. All the prints and textures from the collection itself are inspired by this place, especially

by the artworks including sculptures and drawings.

You reference rave culture a lot, how has this inspired you as a designer?

Rave culture has a great impact on what I do. As I was growing I got involved in many rave

scenarios, especially living in Belgrade and now in Amsterdam. Being inspired by freedom of

expression I find raves to be the ideal place for exploring this concept and

getting in contact with like-minded people.

Are you influenced by pop culture and in what way does it impact your

design philosophy?

Living in the digital age of the 21st century, there’s no choice than to be

somehow influenced by pop culture. At the same time, it is not obligatory

to support it or like it. Considering that pop culture is the culture of the

masses and includes less self-reflection, I would like to think that my design

philosophy targets more niche, underground outlooks on life.

Let’s talk about that Trump Mask…it’s a statement piece. How did you

come up with it’s creation as a garment and why?

During my master thesis, I was researching a lot about the performance

of identities within the space. Categorizing “The Base” as a contemporary

escape room where judgment, guilt and pressure does not exist, I was

looking at creators of the space as muses and used their character and visual

features to develop this collection. The Trump mask, in particular, attracted

me because of his features that are nothing like Trump but still it is very

obvious that it is him. As the theme has a strong connection to rave culture

I was always intrigued by the way our perception and visual appearance

changes throughout the night under influence of our behaviour. In the same way, this latex

mask can change its facial expression due to the movement of the body.

Do you have a favourite piece from the collection?

My favourite piece would be the “Maha” jacket. It is the piece I spent the most time working

on. The jacket itself is hand-made but includes laser cutting and latex bonding techniques. It

took around 720 hours to make and required more then 15 000 metal rings to connect all the

pattern pieces together!

Wow, that’s dedication! What motivates you then to stay focused as a young designer?

I think I am mostly motivated by the fact that being a designer is a never ending creative

journey and the resources of inspiration are endless. I have a big imagination, in real life and

while designing, numerous times I am motivated by surrealistic movement combining it

with real life situations. Often these real life situations are inspired by the lives of my close

family and friends, their successes, interests, loves, hates and lusts, alongside my own personal

experiences, both positive and negative.

If you could dress one person in all

the world, who would it be?

I think it would be John Galliano. It is

not like he needs someone to dress him

but it would be my ultimate dream.

Also, I would definitely not complain if

Maison Margiela wanted to employ me

at any point. .

Bodysuit by - Gala Borovic

In YOPO, how would you describe

the fashion circuit/pool of designers

in SEE?

Since I live in the Netherlands I am

paying quite a lot of attention to SEE

designers. I think there’s a lot happening

and the scene itself is growing as a

platform. A lot of start-up small brands

are opening their own businesses which

makes me confident in doing something

similar. I am always the most curious

about students’ graduation and master

collections as I am assuming they are

the ones putting the most creativity

into their projects since they aren’t

necessarily influenced by the business

side of fashion at this early stage.

What are your hopes for the future as

a designer?

My current hopes and future plans are

focused around me creating my own

brand. My ambition is to continue

learning and explore the business side

more while staying true to my aesthetic.

I want to feel comfortable and confident

with selling my designs and to always

be able and have time to step back and

reflect on my work as the designer!

What can we expect to see from you at

London Fashion Week in September?

I am working on “The Base” extension.

I call this process #thebasecontinues.

Taking in consideration that artworks

from atelier Base were of a very fluid

character, always changing alongside the

space and the people themselves. I won’t

say more than this for now!

Finally, describe Gala Borovic as a

designer in three words.

Chaotic, eclectic, grotesque and intense

(four words sorry).

@galaborovic

You know I like

control, and you

know how restless I

get. Another part of

the body that hurts

and it will take to

heal. Another time of

my life where I have

to be reminded of

the little control I was

actually given.

Inspiration in

exchange of

your time. A

total failure.

In my language

I inspire, foreign

tongues and

surroundings make

less sense.

A one person

conversation, years

of acting the same

way.

I am distracted, it would be nice to give attention

to something, but what to?

70

Travel far to find your imperfections.

The more music and water, the more I erase the

perception. I am none’s fantasy.

1989, the stupidity

of words, acne

on your face, it

surrounds me, a

good track, the

birthday of my

dad, a ritual, the

promise of a new

rhythm, a new

born, places that

remain unchanged.

Ceci n'est

pas un

poéme

Text and photos by Manuel Moncayo

@manuelmoncayo.eu

Model is Valentin Braun

@aubergine.diaries

All fashion by Julian Zigerli

@julianzigerliofficial

Dear Alan:

I am in your hometown, the place where

we met for the first and the last time, I

drove a bike this morning downton to get

my driver’s license and I imagined you

as a child wandering the same streets

even though I didn’t dare to step a foot

near your neighbourhood (I don’t know

why). Everything has it’s own rhythm here

and not much has changed since the last

time we've both been here together. I told

my sister about you being light. You are

everywhere, literally.

Let

doubt

enter

your

mind.

72

No longer gone. I miss the man.

Will,

To give thoughts a

wording, with the

box a meaning.

To accept what we

consider foreign to

ourselves as ourselves,

deny it’s growth as a

feeling.

To name the things we do

not need to improve,

be gentle.

To see things for what they

are, there are also virtues.

To understand present

times, less of that is on

your mind.

To see myself to the face,

recognise obsessions.

To be fluent with the heart,

stop asking questions.

to quote love, what a

beautiful constellation.

About my body and my

mood, the darker it gets

the faster I move on.

Loveless, issues of

emptiness and minimalism.

IN CONVERSATION WITH ELI

“Whenever I'm designing a piece, first

I always come up with a story. Anything that

I have been through personally, I just look into

it and decide on a way to tell that story, and

only then do I start looking at colour patterns.

I believe that colour is a language.”

74

It’s so special to me when a

professional encounter evolves

into a genuine friendship. This is

exactly what happened with Eli,

the founder and the designer of the

brand Masa Mara.

Not only is Eli passionate about

clothes, but also about culture,

and people. I think that’s where

we clicked, our sociability created

a great connection. His clothes tell

a story about how it will feel to

wear them all from the print that

Eli’s designed for it. We caught up

to talk patterns and process.

GOLD


Photos by Johan Lygrell @johanlygrell, Make up by Elvira Brandt @byelvira

Models are Olivier Ntumba @olivier_ntumba and Jasmine Staten @jamisnestaten

How did you become a fashion designer?

My mom sells fabric and my grandfather was a tailor, so

I kind of grew up around fabric. I used to dance and play

music and whenever I had a performance I would always

make my own costumes. I would sometimes wear some

of these pieces to school and the other kids would always

ask me where I got them. I had always been sketching

and at some point, I started putting pieces together. I

actually did my first collection of t-shirts in college to

raise money. They sold so fast, we didn't even last a week!

So I made another collection and then another, but

designing t-shirts forever didn't make a lot of sense to me

so I started teaching myself to design and to sew. I got a

sewing machine and I practised, practised! And before

I knew it, I was putting collections together. When I

started I had no idea what fashion was because where I'm

from it was not a thing – until people started asking me

questions about my costumes. Then I was like "what are

they seeing?" and that's when I made it a point to educate myself. Suddenly I realized that I was

indeed a fashion designer!

What are you thinking about when you're creating clothes?

When I made the decision to go ahead and make my own pieces, I first looked around to see

what was happening and who was doing what. Most people were making clothes but I wanted to

make more than just clothes. Whenever I'm designing a piece, first I always come up with a story.

Anything that I have been through personally, I just look into it and decide on a way to tell that

story, and only then do I start looking at colour patterns. I believe that colour is a language. I will

see what colours speak to me more and start from there. I put the stories together, then I start

designing, but the colours usually come last, I always see them in my head first. So the clothes

really don't matter, what matters is the story. Once I have the story, I can work day and night.

Patterns, the rest, it always comes together. I like working that way.

What kind of stories?

For example, I did a piece about Third Culture Kids. These are kids who were born in one place

but grew up in many different places, like me. People think that we are cultureless and have no

roots but we're not, we're just different from them. With this piece I was trying to show people

75

that we are not lost, that we're actually more in tune with

our world. If you believe in ancestors, which I do, I think

you are more powerful. Living in South Africa for more than

12 years, it is now part of who I am, just like being from

Rwanda. My ancestors will always be with me so you can't

really say that I'm lost. That's what I'm trying to bring into

my work.

Another piece I did was about the role played by religions,

or how what we believe in influences who we become.

So there are, among other elements representing Islam or

Catholicism, these masks that represent the African religions

and the way Africans reveal themselves to their ancestors so

that they can connect and bond with them. The model on

the sketch, as much as you think that he's lost, he's also in

touch with all these religions.

My pieces are a mix of all the different cultures and

countries that have influenced me. Xhosa, Rwandan and

there are many similarities within cultures that I use when I

am making pieces. Like some elements from the Zulus, you

can also find in Rwanda. I did a piece with a skateboarder.

There is a warrior stick, which bears a lot of meaning in

African culture. Africans also believe that you can tap into

the animal that you want to imitate through their skin so

that's why I put Springbok skin on his sneakers, to give him

lightness when he's skateboarding and moving around.

So your background really influences your work…

Yes, big time. My clothing is "African cultural inspired".

So my pieces are inspired by all the cultures that I've come

across. It doesn't have to be a direct influence, but it's still

there. It can be shapes or colours. I never use anything as

is, I always get inspired by something and then make it my

own. If what I do doesn't speak to people right now, to our

generation, then what's the point? I'm not making clothes

for my ancestors!

76

And you only do menswear?

My pieces are unisex. If I do a piece I will display it both on a

male and a female model. I just want people to see that there

are no real differences, it just depends on how you wear it. I'm

my own model when it comes to the clothes that I create. I'm

looking for fluidity. And I'm not necessarily very active so I

wouldn't say that my clothes are "active" wear but when you

wear my creations, I want you to feel free and to look active at

all times. Shoes, on the other hand, are very tricky and expensive

to make so I rarely work with shoes. But the one time that I

did, it was for a very specific collection and I collaborated with a

company in Tanzania that does recycling. We only made 6 sizes.

And how do you pick the colours, the material, the fabric?

Do you already know what you want when you start

drawing?

It's all about the connection I have with the colours and how

they make me feel. Once I start creating a piece, the colours

tend to flow naturally. All my colours could be organic, although

that would be expensive. I know how to make paint from

mushrooms or charcoal. And I have used cow manure! In Africa,

people use it to build houses among other things. I treat it before

I use it to get rid of all the bacteria of course. I clean it with local

materials and the mixture becomes hard like clay. Then I sand it

and I can shape it and use it. In the end, it is just grass!

As for the fabric, African prints only come in cotton, so there

isn't much to work with. But being surrounded by fabric when

I was a kid, it made sense for me as a millennial to experiment

with different types of fabric rather than copy how it was done

in the past. I'm also learning about fabric technology so that I

know how each type of fabric works and how to use it. If I try it

and it feels good, then I make more.

And you create your own patterns? What's your process?

Yes, I do. Every print that we see is done by me. I work with

one of my friends who is an illustrator to create the patterns

on paper, then we print the first samples. I never know if I'm

going to use the patterns that I make but when I'm selecting

fabric for a t-shirt I need to know which one I'm gonna use: for

example, it has to be breathable, to dry quickly. And different

types of fabric will not react the same way to colour, some can

take it, others can't. Like the more polyester you have, the more

vibrant the colours can be. Or if I'm making jeans I have to

do raw dying, no heat press. I need to know all of these things

beforehand.

How's the feedback so far?

It's good! The thing is, what I'm doing takes time. When I

started I would go to the market, buy trendy African prints,

make clothes and make quick money. But at the end of the

day, although I was making money, I was not building a brand,

because the person coming after me would use the same fabrics

I was using. I needed to educate people so that they could see

that what I do feels different and that it is practical. So far the

response has been great, things are definitely happening!

Do you think it is important to be socially engaged, like in

the fight against climate change?

Yes, it is to me personally. I am my own brand so if something is

important to me it has to be important to the brand. I'm aware

that when I'm printing fabric I'm having a negative impact on

the climate so it is my role to do whatever I can to restore the

balance. Awareness is important.

What does the name of your brand "Masa Mara" mean?

It comes from a Rwandan proverb that means a lot to me.

During the kings time, people would come and bring things

to show gratitude to the King. If you had nothing to bring,

showing up was enough even though you were "coming emptyhanded",

that's the meaning behind the name "Masa Mara".

It represents the bravery, the fact that you can stand up for the

things that you believe in.

@masamara_

Baby‘s on fire

Concept and photography by Suzana Holtgrave

@suzyloveheart

Styling and Set Design by Sarah Müller

@muellersarah.de

Earring and bracelet - MAWI

Hair and Make-up by Claudia Fischer

@claudiafischermakeup

78

Model is Lika

@likarigvava from TFM Model Management

Earring and ring - Diederick van Hovell

Seen at Schmucke Berlin

Earring and ring - UTOPIC

Seen at STUDIO183 Berlin

Brooch - Karin Maisch

Seen at Schmucke Berlin

82

Earrings - Sabrina Dehoff

Dress - ROQA

BERLIN

FW19 available from July 15th

pinqponq.com • @pinqponq

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