In conversation with .. 4!

In conversation with Yermine Richardson, Theresa Baxter, Albert Madaula, Molokid, ggggrimes and many more ...

Dear non-Black humxns, 

I, we, Black people need your help. “You have to act as if it were 

possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all 

the time.” (Angela Davis) 

Why? Because “your silence will not protect you” (Audre Lorde) 

and because “if you are neutral [silent] in situations of injustice, 

you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” (Desmond Tutu) 

If you ‘really’ have a Black friend, or if you have Black family and 

if you enjoy anything that Black culture produces, the fashion, 

the music, the memes, then say something – Black Lives Matter 

is a good place to start. Normalize saying it. Black. Lives. Matter. 

If you can’t find the “right” words, then do something. Anything. 

Don’t wait until another Black body becomes the next hashtag 

before you decide to SPEAK UP and TAKE ACTION. 

Talk to your friends, your family, your co-workers. Don’t be 

afraid to have uncomfortable conversations. Black existence is 

uncomfortable. Support your local intersectional, anti-racist 

organisations, donate your time, cook and send meals, send 

money, redistribute your wealth and your privilege uplift the most 

marginalized in our communities and LISTEN and LEARN from the 

experience of Black people and People of Colour when they tell 

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you what they need. These issues don’t just go away once the 

topic is no longer “trending”. 

Racism and white supremacy are not just an American problem 

(#BreonnaTaylor #TonyMcDade #GeorgeFloyd), it’s a 

Canadian problem (#Machuar Madut #DAndreCampbell 

#RegisKorchinski-Paquet), it’s a UK problem (#MarkDuggan 

#StephenLawrence #BellyMujinga), it’s a French problem 

(#JusticePourTheo), It’s a German problem (#OuryJalloh), 

Racism and white supremacy are a GLOBAL problem. 

It shouldn’t be a crime just to be born Black. 

NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT. Start by being the change you want to 

see. Why? Because “not everything that is faced can be changed, 

but nothing can be changed, until it is faced.” (James Baldwin). 

Please don’t let my name become the next hashtag. 

Lee Freeman/@Daddypuss.Rex 

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@puppyteeth 

Protest if you’re able – Donate if you’re able. 

https://www.justiceforbigfloyd.com/ 

https://brooklynbailfund.org/donate 

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

@b_moura 

This is a drawing from 2017. No description needed. 

‘White race is the cancer of human history’ - Susan Sontag 

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@suzanneforbesartist 

“The courtroom drawing shows a teenage defendant being brought into the courtroom by a Marshal, a type of municipal 

law-enforcement officer who escorts prisoners. The defendant, a person accused of a crime who has been held in prison 

awaiting trial, is very young and slight. He is Black and he looks frightened, confused, and above all deeply betrayed that 

this is happening to him. Looming over him is a courtroom Marshal in uniform, with a badge, and behind the Marshal 

is the US Flag.” 

My courtroom drawings are very different from my performer drawings. My birth name was Rachel Ketchum, and that’s 

the name I worked under. Courtroom artists are freelancers hired by TV stations, not by the court. 

I worked for a Minneapolis CBS tv station called WCCO, and some of the reporters I worked with are still there, like Esme 

Murphy. Her byline is on this piece where WCCO reporters interviewed witnesses of George Floyd’s murder, including a 

child who was there.” 

Rachel Ketchum 

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@reesabobeesa 

“On Monday a man was murdered over a suspected counterfeit $20. He did not resist arrest yet was restrained in an unthinkably 

inhuman way that was not part of the department’s training by Derek M Chauvin, who also shot another unarmed black man in 

2008 and was placed on leave in 2011 for “inappropriate police shooting” of an Alaskan native in 2011. There have been 12 police 

brutality complaints against him, listed as “closed” and “no discipline”. And yet, despite protests and global outrage no action has 

been taken against him as of yet...he was fired. That’s it. Make no mistake, the American police are a violent gang, targeting people 

based exclusively on the colour of their skin. This can’t go on. Every single one of us needs to take action. Make calls, sign petitions, 

donate to @blklivesmatter monthly if you can (I do). Carry this outrage with you ~ 

because we only see a tiny percentage of the 

targeted violence that happens every single day to people of colour in our country. It is our responsibility to make an impact with 

those around us; talk to your family, talk to your friends. What can you do to be of service? Do what’s uncomfortable. Because it 

really is life and death.“ 

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@ukrainianfashionweek_official 

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Meet The Team in Quarantine 

@marcel_schlutt @nicolas_simoneau @nicphilf 

@nicosutorfashion 

@slaterkarl 

2020 will forever be known as the year of 

the pandemic we’re all experiencing at 

the right now. We knew the Pre and it will 

be for sure a Post-COVID-19 Era. Over 

the last few days, some countries started 

to ease the conditions of their lockdown. 

The quarantine got to all of us, scared us, 

forced us to rearrange the way we live, 

work, communicate. 

Editor-in-Chief 

Fashion Editor 

Art Director 

Art Editor 

Music Editor 

Marcel Schlutt 

mschlutt@kaltblut-magazine.com 

Nicolas Simoneau 

nsimoneau@kaltblut-magazine.com 

Nicola Phillips 

nphillips@kaltblut-magazine.com 

In this special issue, we wanted to give 

light to artists, especially illustrators and 

painters, to know how his time affected 

their lives and their process. We wanted 

to showcase a different story, different 

arts to give a voice and platform for these 

creators. We hope you’ll enjoy the read, 

and don’t forget to always support your 

local artists. 

Fashion Editors 

Nico Sutor 

nsutor@kaltblut-magazine.com 

Karl Slater 

kslater@kaltblut-magazine.com 

Proofreading by Amy Heaton and Nicola Phillips 

Lots of love. 

On The Cover 

Artwork Yermine Richardson 

Read his interview > p.42 

All Copyright at KALTBLUT www.kaltblut-magazine.com @kaltblut_magazine 

KALTBLUT MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY MARCEL SCHLUTT AND NICOLAS SIMONEAU 

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. 

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Norbert Bisky > p.36 ggggrimes > p.54 

Alva Skog > p.66 TOMA > p.86 

Ruttu > p.124 Mark Wardel > p.130 

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While We Wait 

(to Hold Each Other Once Again) 

A letter to my lover from 

across the Mexican border 

in times of lockdown 

Text and Artwokrs by Andrés Hernández 

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On March 20th, the US-Mexican border, 

the most heavily trafficked land port 

of entry, was closed for “non-essential” 

workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Unable to quarantine in the same household, 

families, friends, and lovers have 

since been separated until further notice 

May 13th, 2020 

Neville, 

I no longer know how to translate this pain. 

It’s been nearly fifty-four days since we 

shared the same bed, since we held each 

other in a warm embrace and whispered 

eternal love, a declaration only audible to 

the texture and folds of our skin. The last 

time we showered together, there was music 

playing in the background and warm 

water pouring down my back and shoulders. 

I couldn’t hear the music nor feel the 

water, but I could wrap my arms around 

your lower waist to bring you closer to 

me. To touch you, to taste you, to bathe 

you in salt, that was called living. You see, 

what the way your body moves and talks 

and questions mine has taught me is that 

there is so much beauty to be found in the 

mundane. Maybe it’s silly to say it out loud. 

Maybe a declaration of love so pure might 

seem obsessive, overdone at times, empty 

and lacking given how many other lovers 

have said the same words before in vain. 

But it doesn’t matter, because this letter is 

for you, just for you. 

We have nothing left but the heavy drag of 

the light shifting across the room in sharp 

angles, bringing with it occasional warmth. 

Somedays, it doesn’t even show up, it sits 

behind a bed of clouds, and so we shut the 

blinds, maybe light a candle. We pretend 

it’s the sun or we sit in the dark and feel 

our limbs as they harden with time. Legs, 

shoulders, neck, spine. I stretch in bed 

whenever I remember to. I pick up a pen, 

press it across tomorrow and the day after, 

I stop at the 30th, and jot down a question 

mark. I scribble over it and remind myself 

that hoping for the best has done nothing 

but prove to be the quickest route to disappointment. 

The line between optimism 

and foolishness shaves itself thinner every 

day I don’t leave the house. 

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When I was younger, I used to run from 

my parent’s house all the way to the 

beach, all the way to the tall, brown fence 

that rose from the sand to mark the limits 

of my country, a border that, to this 

day, keeps growing taller. Some people 

say it grows to make space for more 

names to be written on it. The names 

of the lost, the names of the dead, the 

names of the mothers and fathers and 

children and lovers, lovers just like us, 

separated by the doings of those whose 

understanding of the world does not fit 

compassion. So, I do what I do best and 

cry. I cry for you, and I cry for everybody 

else because that’s the only thing I can 

do. I cry for myself last, and then I keep 

the tears in a jar to remind myself that 

sometimes sorrow deserves to be held as 

tenderly as we hold joy. 

It is on this beach that I sit to write this 

letter. My bed is the sand, and the sheets 

are the waves that leave on me the scent 

of the bodies they shower. This kind of 

loneliness feels so familiar. The turning 

of the handle, the piling of cups and 

glasses and wraps, the not-looking-forward-to-anything 

that comes like clockwork 

when I stare at accumulated toilet 

paper used to wipe the cum off my belly, 

reminiscent of sweaty armpits and 

long-overdue showers, and that heaviness 

and that knot on the side of the neck 

that, like a night bird, keeps me turning 

and twisting down and to the right, forward 

and to the left, up and down and 

then a momentary sense of relief before 

the handle turns again. 

I don’t know how to drive, but last night I 

dreamt I knew how to just to go see you, 

and when I drove across the border the 

CBPs had no questions, the freeway lay 

empty, and you were waiting for me at 

12 & Imperial just like the first time we 

met, with your shorts on and your hair 

in twists, waiving and calling my name, 

smiling the way we both smile with 

wrinkles around our eyes, and we took 

the trolley up to Seaport Village, and we 

talked about making chicken stew for 

dinner, and we bought a small bag of 

cuties, and we ate them all in one sitting. 

It’s strange to think of a time when I took 

your embrace for granted, your fingers 

braided with mine, our legs clasped together 

in bed, how I’d turn to let you hug 

me from behind in the middle of the 

night, putting your warm palms over my 

lower stomach, how you’d whisper “my 

baby, my baby, my baby, I love you, my 

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aby.” It’s strange to think that we’d be set 

apart, not by our past or by mutual hurt, 

by a disconnect in our frequencies, but 

something greater and more threatening. 

It’s easier to fall apart when love turns sour 

on both ends, when missing comes with 

an underlying feeling that it was all for the 

best. 

I sit to wait for the pears rot and turn sour. 

I sit to feel the tangerines and lemons in 

my garden run dry. I sit in the shower, and 

my tears blend in with the water. I remember 

bathing your body, adoring it, grasping 

your fullness in my palms, nurturing it, 

admiring the way the liquid would fall and 

change with your chest, change with your 

legs, change with the small of your back. I 

sit and cry for the way I’d take your face in 

my hands and kiss your eyelids, kiss your 

forehead, kiss your cheeks. It takes me 

back to epsom salt and white wine nights 

in the bathtub. My fingertips conjure back 

your presence, and I trace in the air your 

body, and, when consciousness falls back 

into this body, I pretend to hold you with 

eyes shut. 

And while we wait to hold each other once 

again, the unkempt grass grows for nobody 

to see, it cuts the pavement in strings 

and you, you move like the wind shifts and 

chases, you shine hard and call and go 

through hair, through doors and tunnels 

and branches, you reach the depth of the 

water, the roots in the soil, the bottom of 

the glass. And it is then that I am reminded 

that things exist in a perpetual state of chaos, 

and life is only trying to figure out how 

to cope with the fact that there is no such 

thing as a consistent state of peace. Peace, 

like water, cannot be held or attained, and 

it only grows more unattainable there 

more we point out its lack in presence. And 

in this chaos, I write to tell you this: I’ve 

loved you, and I love you still, like I love the 

soft early-morning light. 

Yours truly, 

Andrés 

@andrewgrams 

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Ieva Ragauskaite 

Phnom Penh, 

Cambodia 

@ievarag 

It’s been almost 2 months since selfisolation 

has been enforced worldwide, how 

are you feeling? 

Just in a few words, I feel good. It’s been an 

emotional rollercoaster and now everything 

is pretty much stable in the city I’m at. 

What have you been doing to pass your time 

in quarantine? 

In the beginning, I was very energetic 

because the time of quarantine started right 

after my holidays so I was really relaxed and 

full of ideas for upcoming projects. That 

lasted for a few weeks followed by a few 

weeks of absolute numbness and laziness. I 

took it all in as part of adapting and learning 

new “game rules”. But most of the time I was 

just creating in some sort of ways. I didn’t 

learn a new language, haven’t done yoga or 

came up with a massive business idea. But I 

came to terms that I haven’t done as much 

as I was pushing myself for and I’m fine with 

that! 

How has the situation affected your work? 

I was working as a graphic designer here in 

Cambodia so sadly I have lost this job. Small 

freelance projects do happen but rarely. I put 

on hold searching for new jobs and gigs since 

it seems to be a great time to focus more on 

illustration and challenge myself in this field. 

Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? 

Kinda. My routine changed since I have no work anymore 

so I feel like sometimes I let myself go. But pretty much 

every day I wake up and make myself an espresso and 

write into my journal and after that, I try to work. I say 

“try” because in the past weeks I had no motivation to 

do it and I just spend a lot of time reading and in the 

evening riding my bike around the city (since Cambodia 

never had strict lockdown rules). I made a lot of space in 

my everyday life for video calls/chats which to be honest 

I love! 

Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation 

for you? What do you wish for the future? 

For sure. Even before lockdown, I spent the majority 

of my time at home alone but now I had to really spend 

time alone and it gave me some sort of empowerment. 

It’s just me and my thoughts. That being said there 

was plenty of time to think (and overthink) and plan 

a little bit where I wanna head next, what I wanna 

do with my life after all this craziness goes down. 

For me, this time was very self-centred and even 

therapeutic. 

Where can we buy your art? 

You can get my art at FY! 

(www.iamfy.co/shop/ieva-ragauskaite) 

since I can’t ship any orders 

myself at the moment but I always 

appreciate people who contact me 

and orders from me directly. 

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Suzanne Forbes 

Berlin, Germany 

@suzanneforbesartist 


has been enforced worldwide, 

how are you feeling? 

I’m feeling ok. I am extremely privileged to 

be able to work from home, because of the 

support of my Patrons, and I’m so grateful 

to be in Berlin. I overworked the first seven 

weeks, so I’m recovering now. 

What have you been doing to pass your 

time in quarantine? 

I went into self-isolation on March 1, the day 

after Torture Garden Berlin. I’m disabled, 

asthmatic and immunocompromised, so I 

knew I was locking down for the long haul. 

I slept for four hours after TG and then 

immediately started working from the 

minute I woke up to the minute I went to 

sleep, seven days a week, until late April. 

With simpler drawings, I worked even faster than usual, and on one night 

I drew from THREE shows. I haven’t drawn three shows in a night since 

Folsom Weekend 2006 in SF! Like a kid in a candy store, I overdid it, 

triggered my autoimmune disease, and now I am resting and recovering. 

Of course, I have FOMO about the online shows I can’t draw, just as I have 

FOMO about the IRL events I’ve missed because of my health. 


Nope, not now that I’m in a health problem flareup. I just sleep when I 

can, throw food at my husband and cats, and work as much as I can. I am 

trying to get 14 Patreon posts up per month since March, which is a lot, 

since each post has at least a couple pieces of art, plus all the links and 

info about the performers. But it means I have a couple hundred extra 

euros to donate to Berlin mutual aid funds for LGBTQ folx, sex workers 

and refugees each month. 

Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? 

Knowing I don’t have to do any of the things that normally drain me 

and take energy away from my work, like medical appointments and 


For that first seven weeks, I felt fiercely 

energized. I’m a trauma survivor with 

C-PTSD, so when there’s a crisis I go 

into endocrinological power space. I was 

galvanized, and I worked so much. Suddenly 

I could “attend” and do my documentary 

drawing at far more drag and burlesque 

shows than usual! Normally I have to ration 

the events I go to really carefully, because of 

my physical limitations. But suddenly all the 

shows were coming to me, online! 

It is very, very different drawing live from a 

screen, from a Livestream. I keep the same 

rule, that I have to do the main part of the 

drawing while the performer is live, but a 

feed provides much less information than 

my eyes do. Even in a dark, smoky club, 

I can see much more of the performer in 

meatspace than I can when they’re reduced 

to two dimensions on-screen. This is why 

I’ve been live-drawing primarily streams 

where I know most of the people and have 

drawn them IRL before - I have a mental 

map of their faces stored! My first livestream-drawings 

were really bad. I got 

the hang of it though. I make my stream 

drawings a lot simpler. 

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travelling to events, was so freeing. As an introvert, being 

around people and going places makes me so tired. Even 

though I love people, love events and love Berlin! 

So having to be home always has freed up creative 

resources for me. Which I am using to witness and 

document the incredible mutual aid, support, and 

creativity of our community in this time. I’m immensely 

grateful to witness the solidarity of Berlin’s queer 

community, and having the ability to help a tiny bit makes 

me feel useful. 

What do you wish for the future? 

Universal health care, vaccine research for TB and HIV as 

well as SARS-Cov2, social justice, Berlin’s queer and kinky 

performers and spaces and businesses making it through 

this time! And personally I’d like to be a teeny bit more 

well known, so more people could have my free art :) 


People do buy my art, and I am available for portrait 

commissions, but my primary mission is about giving my 

documentary art away online. I’m crowdfunded through 

Patreon, so subscribing for even one dollar/Euro a month 

helps me keep making documentary art of Queer Berlin 

and releasing it for free. 

www.patreon.com/SuzanneForbes 

I’m still hoping for a post-SESTA-FOSTA crowdfunding 

site for explicit art to be invented because I have to censor 

myself heavily for Patreon and I would really like to get 

paid to go to sex parties again. When that is possible! 

Meanwhile, I have my vanilla site, https://www.chipinhead. 

com/, and my age-gated NSFW site, https://www. 

suzanneforbes.com/ 

99% of my artwork is free to download, use for yourself 

and share, here on Flickr: 

www.flickr.com/photos/suzanneforbesart/ 

The images attached include three from January and 

February, the last time I was out and about in the scene. 

There’s Godx Noirphiles at House of Presents at Monster 

Ronson’s, and The Pain-Proof Priestess at Torture Garden 

Berlin. Then there’s a drawing of Antina Christ done 

from the screen, during the HOP Livestream, and one of 

Godx done from a talk show by The Beige Biitch put on 

by Sophiensaale. You can really see the difference in style 

between drawn in-person and drawn from the screen, as 

well as me trying to draw visual effects in Godx’s video 

like glitch and overlay! 

Next, Pansy from the HOP stream, super meta cause I took 

a screenshot of her onscreen, printed it out and glued the 

space background behind the drawing and posted the 

drawing on Insta all while she was still live. I used to draw 

Star Trek comics for DC, and the background of outer 

space in a comic is something the inker takes care of - the 

penciller, like me, just writes BWS for “Black with stars” in 

the area. So no way I am drawing BWS when I could print 

it instead! 

Next is performer Jada Love, from Cybertease, an online 

strip show to benefit sex workers. I can’t post that on my 

Patreon so I can’t get paid for it, but I’m happy to help 

promote, support and document sex workers always. 

And the last two are Daddy Sparkles, for the Venus Boys’ 

live show Digital Boys, and Miss Poppycox and Nana 

Schewitz doing the Bad Bruises Livestream. 

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Albert Madaula 

Barcelona, Spain 

@albertmadaula 



Generally speaking, I have had more time 

to dedicate to my home and family. I also 

had the chance to work on a daily basis, 

which has been of great help to deal with 

this stressful situation we are in now. 


Indeed, big projects have been stopped in 

their tracks for now, since I do not believe 

it is a good time to invest in such projects. 

That led me to work on smaller and more 

affordable projects in order to stay active 

during this time. 


I have tried to keep my daily routine. Wake up early, 

working 5 days and resting on weekends. 


To slow down, respect myself and pay more attention to 

my personal life and continue my belief in what I already 

thought before this crisis started: less is more. 


Through my Instagram account: @albertmadaula. Shortly 

I will launch my website which I’ve been working on 

during this lockdown: 

www.lapalmeraestudio.com. 

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Norbert 

Bisky 

Berlin, 

Germany 

@norbertbisky 

What is the inspiration behind ‘Desmadre Berlin’? 

What drove you to make a show that revolves around 

your native country’s capital city? 

For many years I have been living in Friedrichshain, 

one of the night lively neighbourhoods of Berlin. So 

when I walk out of my studio late at night I stumble 

into club kids on their way to Berghain or Watergate. 

I really love to have a studio in the midst of it all. So I 

finally wanted to pay tribute and make an entire show 

related to Berlin’s infamous nightlife. 

How do you think Parisians will relate to a show 

about another capital city in Europe? 

Oh, I guess most Parisians have heard about the Berlin 

club scene. I hope the show puts a smile on their faces. 

It’s been almost 2 months since self-isolation has 

been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? 

I am fine, painting in the studio every day. The noisy 

city around is what I am missing. I never imagined 

Berlin could be so damn quiet. The situation right 

now is devastating especially for the clubs, the project 

spaces, the queer scene and the art venues. Hopefully, 

everything will go back to normal. After all, I am 

optimistic. 

What have you been doing to pass your time in 

quarantine? 

Painting, painting, painting. And I started to have long 

conversations on the phone again, like back in the 

90ies. 


Right now there is no direct impact on my work. I am 

not a newspaper. Let’s see in a few months if there will 

be changes in the painting process. 

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Yes, I start early afternoon and leave the studio 

late at night. Right now there is no place to go 

to anyway. 

Have any unexpected benefits come out of 

this situation for you? 

Well in the first week I got more sleep than 

usual. That was okay. But at the very moment 

when the deceleration, deep breath, intensive 

feeling, society criticizing discussion started, 

I was against it. I mean hey, this is a goddamn 

pandemic. If you want to re-think and change your 

privileged lifestyle, do it. But if you need a shutdown like 

this, with all its isolation and death, then shame on you. 


Concerts, parties, openings, festivals, orgies, events, 

gatherings, crowded streets. 


I am busy painting. If someone likes to get a piece, then 

contact the galleries I am working with, like Templon in 

Paris or König in Berlin. 

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Theresa Baxter 

Los Angeles, USA 

@reesabobeesa 

It’s been almost 2 months since 

self-isolation has been enforced 

worldwide, how are you feeling? 

Once the panic subsided and 

the quiet set in, I started to get 

some much-needed clarity and 

focus. I feel like this time has been 

an incredible opportunity for 

introspection; for me to evaluate 

what is truly important to me. And 

it turns out, I’ve been spending my 

time and resources on things that 

don’t feel important at all anymore 

once a global pandemic breaks out. 

And I’ve let those things go where 

and when I can. This has allowed 

me space and clarity to refocus on 

the people and communities I love 

and on making things that spark 

imagination and bring joy. 

I carry a lot of sadness for the huge 

loss of life this virus has claimed, 

as I know we all do. And I have a 

lot of fears about economic change 

and what that means for us. It is a 

very challenging time to be a small 

business owner, and that weighs 

on me heavily. But the ways that I 

have seen people step up to support 

and care for each other gives me so 

much hope for our future. And I see 

so many beautiful opportunities for 

change. 

What have you been doing to pass 

your time in quarantine? 

I’ve just been creating a lot. And 

connecting with old friends. And 

going outside whenever I can. 

How has the situation affected your 

work? 

I have had to make some hard 

choices business-wise since 

lockdown. And it has been very 

difficult at times to let go of things – 

I’ve had to take a step back from one 

of my former business partnerships 

because I couldn’t keep my commitment to it during the 

lockdown. It was the right choice, but I am mourning the 

loss where I can. I am as well very concerned for the studio 

space I run with another partner as we have vacancies for 

the first time in about two years…and the future seems so 

uncertain. 

Amidst all this, I have been incredibly blessed by my online 

community though, which does offset the loss and worry 

considerably. My online store has been thriving in ways I 

never could have imagined. That gives me so much comfort 

and inspiration. 

I have stayed busy packing orders and thinking of new 

things to make! And so many folks have been so ready to 

help donate masks and make charitable contributions to the 

LA Regional Food Bank. It is so meaningful to be supported 

and to give support to others who need it. 


I do! And I honestly really enjoy it from start to finish. 

I get up without an alarm (wow!) anywhere from 7 to 8:30 

and take my dogs for a nice little stroll in a mask, dodging 

other people on the street and trying really hard to smize. 

Then I feed the little buggers and make myself a nice real 

breakfast while I listen to NPR. I don’t start work until I 

have eaten and poured myself my second cup of coffee. 

Which I’ve perfected during lockdown. The key is horchata. 

Honestly if you aren’t using horchata as your creamer, start. 

I sit in the kitchen with my coffee and check emails and 

make a to-do list for the day. Usually, that involves some 

drawing and zoom meetings in the morning. I try and 

stay home until lunch so I don’t have to get food outside 

(yikes!) and then I head to the studio to pack orders or tour 

potential tenants or what have you. I take the pups with me 

because they love the grass in the neighbourhood. 

Then I come home to make dinner. I usually watch some 

insanely inane YouTube videos while I cook - like beauty 

drama chans or Tiki’s Tok compilations so I can keep up 

with the young people and their lingo and fashions. I’ve 

been eating a lot of ravioli - my current favourite is fig and 

mascarpone. Best served with butter and lightly sautéed 

veggies alongside a couple of huge asparagus. Come ON. 

Then I work a little more…probably pretend to draw but 

really just send voice memos to my friends. And at some 

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point, I decide work is done and 

roll a cute little J and go smoke it 

in silence on my fire escape. Then 

maybe I take a bath, but I definitely 

watch a show about cults or true 

crime. And maybe my quarantine 

bae comes over, or maybe they 

don’t. I am in bed by 1 am. It’s 

all very mundane and lovely and 

quiet. 

Have any unexpected benefits 

come out of this situation for 

you? 

Absolutely. I have a new and 

deepened appreciation for 

everyone I love. My family, my 

friends, random strangers. And 

I am so much more inspired to 

create than I have been in years. 

And all the things I’ve let go of, while painful, have made 

space for me to do one thing at a time…well, sort of. 


I want to see radical change. I want to see all this energy 

and empathy and passion carry over into “normal” life. 

I know for me, I have a renewed sense of my mission here. 

And a renewed well of compassion and energy to make 

things that make an impact. I want to see that impact. I 

want to see ripple effects. I want to see the world get better 

and safer for everyone in it. 

I also want a fucking yard for my dogs. 


reesabobeesa.com 

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Yermine 

Richardson 

Barcelona, Spain 

@Popcaribe 




I’m doing great! Don’t get me wrong, I 

know what’s happening in the world, but 

I took this surreal moment to know more 

about myself — think how can I be a better 

person and better at my work, to expand 

my Caribbean galaxy, and connect with 

people who work with different materials 

that made me see beyond my self-imposed 

limitations. 

collectors who realized they want something to make them smile in their 

house, something they love and will probably be part of their entire life. 

For a newcomer like me, that’s an F! honour. 


The end of poverty on our planet. 


DM my Instagram @popcaribe Or send me an email caribbeanpopart@ 

gmail.com. But anyone can help all independent artists like me with 

follows, shares, and likes! 



I’ve been researching and experimenting 

to push the boundaries of my style: 

new formats and new materials to keep 

expanding the diversity of my work. I’m 

also making design objects with wood and 

ceramics and Glicée prints. 


It’s harder to get supplies but also a good 

opportunity to be more creative with the 

materials I have. 

Do you have a day-to-day lockdown 

routine? 

I try to not put limits on my days now: it’s 

a unique opportunity to not experience 

weeks and hours as they used to be. 

Have any unexpected benefits come out of 

this situation for you? 

Yes! The importance of ART in the space 

you live in. I’ve been selling many pieces 

during the lockdown to many new young 

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ggggrimes 

New York City, 

USA 

@ggggrimes 

It’s been almost 2 months since self-isolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you 

feeling? 

I’m feeling a lot better these days than I was even three weeks ago. Being in isolation has 

made me examine a lot about myself and deal with some demons I was avoiding. It turns 

out being nice to yourself during a global pandemic is pretty necessary and worth working 

on. I’m scared for the world, for my friends and family, and for my community, but I’ve 

been doing my best to manage my anxiety through inner trauma work. 

What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? 

I’ve been playing Animal Crossing, watching movies, learning how to mix cocktails, 

working projects that make me happy, and spending less time online. I’ve been doing a lot 

more than that, but I think that’s a pretty good summary. 


I’ve been more strategic with making money. I’m doing all the same things I was doing 

last year, but the time frame is entirely different because of necessity. Projects that I 

would have done over a month last year I’m doing over a week. I have more sales, and I’m 

fortunate, but it’s a result of way more work than I’m used to. I’m feeling overwhelmed. 

People are online more often too, so more people are interacting with me than I’m used to. 

As an Instagram artist, my job involves so many different aspects that are all in overload 

right now because of how communication has changed since COVID hit western countries. 


My girlfriend and I always start the day having breakfast together. We have coffee and 

watch a TV show while eating, usually with our cat sitting right next to us on the couch. 

We have lunch together and dinner together, and we’ve been trying to have dessert too. 

Anything else we do in the day changes and is up to us, but it’s been so amazing sharing 

meals with my partner. I’m used to our breakfast routine, and it feels very natural and 

grounding. 


I wouldn’t call the positive things that are still happening benefits. I hope we can come out 

of this situation with social reforms that help people since our systems are clearly all the 

way fucked up, particularly in the US. I live in New York right now. It’s the only place I’ve 

lived in my life. I was born and raised here. It’s painful watching how things have become 

when living here was already a struggle for its poor residents. We can’t even get a rent 

freeze here. I’m glad for the people (including myself) who get to use this time to better 

themselves and pursue passions, but that’s not a benefit. More than anything, at least for 

me, it’s a way to cope with this reality. 


I wish that governments would take care of their people. I wish people would care about the 

safety of others more. 


My website is ggggrimes.com :) 

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Ally Zlatar 

Glasgow, Scotland 

@allycardone 




It’s been tough. Most days have blurred 

together and you realize it is already May. 

I think it is a difficult time, but trying to 

make the most of it and stay positive. 



A lot of research for my doctoral project 

and been taking part in a-couple 

residencies and artist initiatives. Other 

than that, I have been watching a lot of 90 

Day Fiancee. 


I was originally going to have a lot of 

projects and exhibitions scheduled to 

commence this spring but they have been 

put on the back-burner for now, given the 

limitations and current situation. 


I have a 5 am start, followed by yoga and a quick workout. Then 

responding to copious amounts of email, followed by work. In the 

afternoons I love to go for a hike and unwind with some snacks 

and reality TV. 

Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for 

you? 

Yes, I get to spend a lot of time with my partner and focus on selfreflection 

and personal development. 


What I hope is that things can change, but for the better. It has 

been truly enlightening and shows how much we can grow and 

endure globally. We can learn and now try to make the most of 

each day given being taken away from it for so long. 


Shop: https://society6.com/allyzlatar 

Learn More: https://ally.pb.studio/ 

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Alva Skog 

Stockholm, 

Sweden 

@alva.skog 

It’s been almost 2 months since self-isolation has been 

enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? 

I’m feeling okay. I live in London but I went back to my 

family in Sweden before the lockdown and have been here 

since. I’m happy to be close to my mom, dad, sis, cat and 

dog. 


I have been watching a lot of TV-series like Devs, Hidden and 

the Loop, and I have been reading a lot of books like Picnic 

on Paradise by Joanna Russ and The Dispossessed by Ursula 

K. Le Guin. 


I’ve been making a lot of personal work in response to 

the situation and this has kept me motivated and also has 

become a way for me to channel what I’m feeling. 


Not really. I’ve been biking a lot and taking long walks with 

the dog. 

Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for 

you? 

To be close to the family and not alone in quarantine in 

London. The situation has also given me some time to reflect 

on what I want to do in the future and where I want to live. 

Also, the fact that I haven’t seen or heard a single aeroplane. 


The work that doctors, nurses and health workers are doing 

right now is remarkable. I really hope people realize how 

important those working on the frontlines are to society 

as a whole, and that we will experience a shift in society’s 

view toward those who have had to continue working. I also 

hope that there will be less travel by plane and that we will 

become more environmentally friendly. 


At the moment you can only buy my sculpture at 

uniqueboard.com my printshop is unfortunately closed until 

further notice. 

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jaik puppyteeth 

Vancouver, Canada 

@puppyteeth 


I have been drawing a lot and renovating my studio. 


I have been lucky to have people still supporting me by commissioning artwork and 

buying things on my site, so it hasn’t changed too much. 


No, I just wing it. Some days I feel lazy, some days I am motivated. It feels like I have 

fewer deadlines with other people not working, so I have to try extra hard to motivate 

myself to work sometimes. 


I feel like there aren’t any explicit benefits of this pandemic. I spent enough time with my 

thoughts before and now I have way too much self-reflection time. 


Wishfully thinking, that people will respect each other’s personal space more. 

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www.studio183.co 

@studio183_berlin 

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Cute Brute 

New York City, USA 

@thecutebrute 




I’m doing alright — adapting, I guess? 

The world feels so day-to-day, but 

I’m both healthy and employed at the 

moment so I feel very grateful for that. 



I’m a bit of a workaholic by nature, 

so this self-isolation hasn’t disrupted 

me too much. If anything the lack of 

socializing has forced me to revisit some 

old projects, which excites me. But 

overall, I try to stay productive and that’s 

my coping mechanism. Drawing. Lots of 

cooking. Working out (just kidding! not at 

all). At the beginning of this, I told myself 

I would use this time to finally watch all 

of the high-brow cinematic masterpieces 

I’ve neglected over the years, but I 

still default to the comforting garbage 

television. There was also a hot moment 

when I got into diamond painting kits we 

had been gifted. One was a scary portrait 

of Santa and I quickly became obsessed. 

How has the situation affected your 

work? 

In addition to the Cute Brute, I have 

a full-time gig as an art director/toy 

designer and I’m balancing a couple 

of other side projects. Creatively, it’s a 

bit exhausting — especially when I’m 

stationed at the same workspace for 12+ 

hours a day. In order to not burn out, 

I have to be more judicious with my 

creative practices. Weekdays are devoted 

to my job, evenings are for miscellaneous 

projects, and weekends / any other free 

moments are all about Cute Brute. That 

work is still my passion. 


routine? 

I usually wake up around 7 am, at which 

point I make coffee and my boyfriend 

and I spend quality time together before 

throwing ourselves into our workdays (he’s camped out in the living 

room, I have the bedroom office). If I can swing it, I’ll take a quick 

walk around the neighbourhood in the late evening to get a little fresh 

air and trick myself mentally into commuting. Showering is super 

important. In the early days of isolation, I was all about pyjamas, a 

decent T-Shirt and a quick run of my fingers through greasy hair. But 

now I need my daily cleansing rituals to keep me energized. That and 

pants without elastic waistbands. 

From about 10 am to 6 pm I’m in full work mode. It’s a constant 

stream of video conferencing, reviewing the toy samples that are 

mailed daily to my apartment, and various designing/emailing. 

Most days I skip lunch, but I’m trying to get better about setting 

boundaries. 

Once the workday ends, I’ll try to make another errand to get out 

of the apartment. Like running to the corner store to pick up more 

cheese or vermouth. Or, if I’m too lazy for that, I’ll just start the 

cocktail hour. Because the days feel so draining, I need my nights to 

be super restorative, which translates to lots of cooking, bathing and 

bad TV. I also look forward to video hangouts with friends and family 

on those days when I haven’t had too many meetings. Around 11:30 pm 

or midnight, I’ll take an edible, courtesy of one of my best friends who 

makes outstanding weed candies. (SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES, 

FOLKS!) I read about 20 minutes of a trashy horror paperback and 

then fall into a deep, blissful sleep. Wake up. Repeat. However, this 

weekend my boyfriend and I are finally leaving the city. We’re driving 

10 hours to a secluded (and responsible) cabin getaway in which I plan 

on cutting off my hair, filling up my sketchbook and getting a tan. 


Well, for one, I haven’t had a cigarette in 2 months (and counting) 

which is a personal record. In a broader sense, I think this pandemic 

has absolutely redefined working culture. My hope, once we reach the 

other side of this, is that some of these practices may continue and 

will allow for a more flexible work/life balance. 


One of the things I personally miss most right now is travelling and as 

soon as it’s safe again to do so, I look forward to hopping on a plane 

and spending some significant time away from New York. We’ll get 

there. We just have to be safe about it. 


When I’m not exhibiting, I routinely sell prints through Instagram (at 

the moment I’ve pulled that information from my bio as my printer 

has temporarily ceased his operations, though this should be back up 

and running by midsummer). I keep meaning to set up a more official 

online shop, but I get a steady enough stream of purchases now and it 

feels easier to manage. Just DM me and I’ll make it happen. 

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TOMA 

(Thomas Mondet) 

Montpellier, France 

@tomaillustrations 




Like a random guy in a straitjacket, 

trapped between four walls but 

surprisingly appeased. My state of mind 

is very opposite since this quarantine and 

before that, I went from a super active 

partying guy always outside to an old chill 

granny with her cat, it’s enough to shake 

up my brain and question everything. You 

quickly feel ultra-small and helpless during 

this particular period. The best I can do is 

refocus on myself and share what makes 

me vibrate, my illustrations. 



I have been enormously productive 

through my lifelong passion during the 

quarantine. I tried to not lock myself in a 

circle of laziness, which would be rather 

easy. The past few months, before all of 

this, have been a bit chaotic personally 

and I have completely stopped drawing, 

unfortunately. So I had the opportunity to 

actively retake creating illustrations and 

I finally became a freelance illustrator. 

This period allowed me to reflect, to make 

a total introspection. Illustration is my 

future. 


Well, I started my activity, it’s funny that I 

needed a break all over the world to finally 

get the click. I exorcise a lot of things 

through my illustrations during this time 

who were buried in me. I draw what I 

know obviously, from my own experience. 

My art is a reflection of my feelings and 

my emotions. I’m not very strong to 

exteriorize, except in my art - which I use 

as a tool. It helps me with that. However, something seems a bit rusty 

since the quarantine, the poor things experienced right now seem to 

exhaust the inspiration a little bit. I lose my mojo with the lengthening 

period. I want to live something to soak it up, it’s a little frustrating. 


I feel like I’m in the movie “Groundhog Day” or “Westworld”, I live the 

same day in loop but less thrilling. Like most people (it’s not really 

original), it’s an opportunity to regain control mentally and physically 

as well, eat healthier, at least try and do some sports... It’s a completely 

different new lifestyle, where everyone has to adapt. Sometimes, I feel like 

I’m back in my teens, I’m looking for inspiration in movies, video games, 

songs and get back to basics. But this time, I’m an updating version of 

myself, more serene and confident with my creations. 


The feeling is a bit special and paradoxical, on one hand, I feel being in 

stasis, my life is on break. But on the other, having so much free time for 

myself, it’s like there are no more excuses to leave things behind. This is 

an opportunity to put in light abandoned projects, right? Even if it’s a bit 

hard on morale with loneliness and the sedentary lifestyle, it’s surprising 

how there were many positives emerging from all this. 


Don’t be a ridiculous tortured, cliché emo boy with his own inner fantasy 

in a corner alone. I hope my art speaks to some people, the different ones, 

those who are weird and sweet. 

This is an opportunity to open up to the world, and I’m ready. This period 

is like a good lesson for myself to get back in my path. 


I’m not selling my illustrations yet, maybe in the future! 

My art is strongly focused on symbolism, I explore some concepts like 

vulnerability, identity, repression and freedom. I can adapt easily my 

graphic style which turns out to be of sombre esotericism sometimes of 

a delicate melancholy or even of a childish mood. So you can come see 

me on my Instagram account and I will be happy to take your orders and 

realize your original and beautiful fantasies. 

I don’t bite, I’m sweet, I promise! 

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Daria 

Coxranima 

Murmansk, 

Russia 

@electr.ophor.esis 

It’s been almost 2 months since self-isolation has been enforced worldwide, 


In fact, it’s still difficult to put all the feelings together — the situation is really 

extraordinary. But what I really feel is like I’m in some kind of frustration, a 

misunderstanding of what is happening. I mean, everything that happens in the 

world now seems unreal. We usually write about it in books or make science 

fiction films, but it’s very difficult to get used to the fact that our society actually 

found itself in such conditions. I think this is a completely normal psychological 

reaction to stress. My brain is trying to defend itself and says to me, “this won’t 

happen to you!” [laughs] But, of course, I understand the danger and try to be 

responsible as much as possible. 


Now I don’t have the opportunity to do simple things: I can’t go to the pool, visit 

my relatives in another city, go out with friends or have a beer at the bar. At first, 

it was a little annoying, I even forgot that shops, for example, do not work. Just 

a week before lockdown, my pants were torn, and now I can’t buy new ones, 

because there is a pandemic and economic crises in the world — it’s so sad that 

it’s ridiculous. Besides doing my main job, I use the rest of my free time to slow 

down and doing what I really like and something I never had time for. 


Oh, you know, I can say that almost nothing has changed in my job because of 

the virus. The Russian government has made a special list of enterprises and 

professions that should continue their work. My main job is a lawyer so, I didn’t 

stop my activity and I still go to the office, fulfil my duties and move along the 

streets. But a couple of months ago, I seriously started developing my work as an 

illustrator, because this is exactly what I would like to do for the rest of my life. 

Unfortunately, at the moment this is not the best time for this as many publishers 

and customers simply cannot pay, they need to first save their business. 


As I said, I don’t have the opportunity to walk and enjoy the spring, so I use the 

road to work and home as a pleasant ritual during the period of general selfisolation. 

Once a week I call my therapist via video connection and we discuss my 

feelings and emotions. This helps a lot, not only during a pandemic. My boyfriend 

and I are trying at least sometimes to go out into the woods, into nature, to 

distract ourselves and take a walk. I also do all sorts of household chores, as it 

calms me down. 

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Have any unexpected benefits come out 

of this situation for you? 

As in everything, in this situation, 

there are positive aspects. I have the 

opportunity to take a break from social 

interactions, from constant fuss and rush 

and everything around has slowed down. 

Now I understand exactly what I want 

to do and how to achieve this. I began to 

call my relatives and friends much more 

often, began to learn how to cook and 

pay more attention to the development 

of creativity. Now I have the opportunity 

to develop my blog, participate more 

in unpaid projects and replenish the 

portfolio with interesting artworks. I 

think I’m lucky — in this situation my 

office work allows me to focus on the 

development of drawing skills and 

the search for projects. The world is 

now a little frozen, and I have time and 

resources to sort out all the materials for 

the projects, draw for myself, hold a competition for free drawings, 

organize the portfolio and understand for myself in which creative 

direction I should go next. 


Despite all the bad that the virus brought us, the world began to change 

in a good way. It became clear that many industries can work online, 

and employees can have more free time for their personal lives and 

still be productive. I think that after overcoming the crisis it is very 

important to reformat working conditions. The virus showed how 

people can be mobile and self-organized. Musicians can give online 

concerts, a favourite coffee shop can deliver coffee to your home, and 

activists can hold a rally using Google maps. This is very cool and in the 

future, we need to move further in this direction. It seems to me that 

even when the virus disappears, we should try to save online options 

for those people who cannot or do not want to attend an event. 


I don’t have a store with my works yet, but you can always write 

me an e-mail if you need illustrations or pictures for your projects: 

coxranima@gmail.com. Also, you can support me on Patreon: https:// 

www.patreon.com/coxranima 

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Emma Weird 


@emma.weird 

It’s been almost 2 months since self-isolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you 

feeling? 

As a firm optimist, I’m feeling quite hopeful, that this might be the beginning of a 

better world. Though I am still longing for spontaneous happenings, human touch and 

connection, sweaty dance floors. 


I’ve been painting, finding new ways of making art, spending time in nature, trying to 

secure an income, drinking wine at noon, connecting with friends near and far. I have also 

been studying, as this lockdown and all the free time has enabled me to finally get a high 

school diploma through online studies. 


I’m used to working from my bedroom with a shoestring budget, so my work setup didn’t 

drastically change. I normally have IRL shoots for reference photos that I use for painting, 

but that hasn’t been possible since the lockdown. Instead, I’ve had friends send me nude 

selfies. I actually love working from these grainy smartphone selfies. At the moment I am 

painting friends from as far as Brazil and Pankow. 


I wake up at sunrise, paint, work out and the rest is up to how I feel each day. That’s the 

closest I can get to a routine. I’m highly intuitive and not a big fan of routines. 


It has been heartwarming to see so much solidarity in my surrounding communities during 

these times of uncertainty. With life slowing down so tremendously I have been able to 

reassess my life and what I want from it. 


I don’t wish everything goes “back to normal”. I wish for the abolition of oppressive 

systems, enhanced collective care of the most vulnerable, and global basic income. 


At emmaweird.wordpress.com, or via Instagram at @emma.weird 

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Klaus Kremmerz 

Milan, Italy 

@klauskremmerz 




I feel good, I think those who work in 

creativity take the lead in this situation. 

Personally I’ve always worked alone, 

the isolation, the work closed in a room, 

it’s normal for me. Of course, I miss the 

freedom to be able to go out without 

precautions, without a mask for example, 

but all in all two months is not that long if 

we were talking about a year it would be 

different. 



I work and I have a nice monthly 

collaboration with the Financial Times 

for the magazine “How To Spend It” so I 

make 4 images per month for them, one 

for each issue of the magazine. I have a 

monthly image also for GQ France, and 

other occasional projects, recently I worked 

for Men’s Health UK, I made an image for 

WeTransfer that was printed and given to 

employees in quarantine, and I just finished 

a series of images for Die Zeit. 

out properly. I’ve made a few sketches, we’ll see how it will go. 



The benefits will be mainly environmental, I think. I hope this 

situation pushes even more decisively on green investments. I have 

seen these days images of Venice with clear water, pink jellyfish 

swimming in transparency, I think this effect will be felt globally. 

Many cities are thinking of speeding up the reduction of traffic by 

favouring electric vehicles and pedestrian areas. In short, my hope 

is that we can actually take possession of a better world. so what I 

think also coincides with the hope of a better future. 


At the moment you can’t buy my prints, I haven’t organized yet, 

but LUMAS is a company that I like, if a proposal came from them 

I could consider it, I know they are based in Germany, maybe you 

can introduce me ;-) 


Well, I’ve certainly had a decrease in 

orders, some projects are cancelled, others 

are postponed (which means probably 

cancelled). But I think we needed this 

moment of contraction with everyone. My 

clients at the moment are cautious, they 

prefer to cut what is not fundamental and 

this often means the images created ad hoc, 

it is understandable. I think however that 

everything will go back as before, even if we 

did not say when. 


routine? 

No, I don’t have a lockdown routine. My 

routine hasn’t changed much, let’s say I 

have more time than before to think about 

personal projects. There is, for example, a 

game for adults that I have in mind that I 

would like to make but it has to be thought 

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postitpals 

Los Angeles, USA 

@postitpals 




I feel good. I usually always feel good. I’m 

somewhat optimistic about the future and 

grateful that I’m able to paint and still 

continue making art during this time. 



I had been living in New York when the 

outbreak hit its peak. Things were getting a 

little too hairy for me so I decided to head 

home to be with my family in California. I 

spent 2 weeks self-isolated thinking about 

how to manoeuvre my career as an artist 

during this unique time when it seems 

the last thing on anybody’s mind is art. 

Ultimately I came up with a pretty simple 

decision: continue doing what I had always 

been doing. Not to slow down the painting, 

not to take a break, but to just keep on 

chugging along like I was in New York. 


So as I mentioned earlier, I was living 

in New York when this all started. I had 

actually moved to New York in January after 

deciding to make art my full-time pursuit. 

So there I was, being an “artist” in the big 

city. I had leased studio space in Brooklyn 

and was fully immersing my self with the 

art culture of New York. I was using my time 

in NY to develop my skills and fine-tune my 

style as a painter, the current medium I am 

making art with. Once the lockdown orders 

in March hit, all of that went out the window. 

My supply stores closed, studio visits were 

impossible, and riding the subway to get 

essentials every week was not something I 

intended to do. Not to mention, I was also 

living in my art studio at the time which 

shared a communal bathroom. My situation was not ideal, to say the least. 

I tried to ride out the storm for as long as I could, but ultimately I pulled the 

plug and moved back home to my parents’ house - a place I had not lived in 

since I moved out for college 6 years ago. 

Fortunately, my parents were happy to have me (once my self-quarantine 

ended) and I set up shop in their garage. I get my supplies mailed to me 

and it’s almost like I never left New York. I’m producing a steady amount of 

work and am very thankful for that. 


I’m not much of a routine person. Like many others, creativity hits me 

at random times of the day, which is my main source of energy to stay 

focussed or get things done, and that makes it hard to keep a routine. I 

usually wake up pretty late, around noon, and make a cup of coffee - those 

are two things that definitely happen every day. 

But every day is different. This week I’ve been building canvases, so there’s 

a lot of outdoor work, woodcutting, and canvas stretching. Next week will 

be a painting week. 

I try and get out of the house at least once a day, so I’ll take my bicycle for 

a stroll around the neighbourhood in which I grew up listening to music. 

The weather has been great, it’s very nice and peaceful. I’ve been thinking 

a lot about my childhood and how I can incorporate that into the work I 

produce out of this garage. 


I get a home-cooked meal every day - that’s the biggest benefit of living 

with your parents. 


On a sociological level, I hope we (as a people) learn from this. This has 

been a huge reality check for us all. I hope people understand that things 

can change in a second and that it can’t hurt to be a little prepared, to take 

care of ourselves, and to be better to one another. 

On a selfish level, I hope to see my friends soon. I’m looking forward to a 

reopened world full of concerts, art shows, birthdays, parties, you name it. 


Through Instagram. If you like what you see, shoot me a DM or email me at 

hi@postitpals.com for commissions. 

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Social Isolation with 

MOLOKID 

Photography, Creative Direction and words by Karl Slater @slaterkarl 

Artworks and Creative Direction by Molokid @molokid 

Model is Austin Sugar @austin_sugarrr 

Wardrobe HOMO London, Man Store, RUFSKIN, Moschino 

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Slater and MOLOKID team up together again, this time working with London’s hottest queer pinup 

boy Austin Sugar. MOLOKID and Slater show the duality between cyber seduction, human 

observation and natural beauty, combining all elements to create this breathtaking series. Paying 

homage to our youth, while we waited patiently with a dial-up internet connection, homoerotic 

images slowly loaded on our screens. Glitches or elements misplaced or replaced with abstract 

elements, all while using Windows ‘98 as our parents slept one room away. 

Hey Molokid, tell us a little about yourself 

and the kind of artist that you are 

Hey! I’m a 37-year-old collage artist and 

graphic designer from Buenos Aires, 

Argentina. I have a fascination for pop 

culture, drag queens, pop music, trash 

celebrities, bizarre movies. Everything 

from a life in plastic! 

Now social isolation has become the new norm, talk 

us through a day in your COVID life 

Precisely speaking of this structure and flexibility, I 

try to make my days not all the same. It is very easy to 

enter a loop where every day is the same and there are 

no differences between morning, noon, and night. This 

is why I try to balance both structured and flexible 

days. 

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I am very lucky to be able to 

continue working and that the 

work I do with collage I can do it 

from my home. But I do not allow 

this to consume all my day. I am 

looking for a variety of activities 

within the possibilities that I have. 

At one point I find myself enjoying 

breakfast. Immediately afterwards 

I can work on some new series of 

collages and then, if the day allows 

it, enjoy a little sun and end the 

day with physical activity. The 

variety of activities allows me to 

not feel the burden of isolation so 

much. 

Have you used your work as escapism? 

Yes, yes, yes, yes I have. Like it or not, work is, was and will 

be for me a form of escapism. I really enjoy doing what I 

do, that is why I can spend hours and hours immersed in 

the new universe that I am creating. Thankfully, I don’t 

know if it’s because I’m more predisposed to create new 

pieces of art, or “more liberated” but I’m giving myself the 

opportunity to explore much more in collages. 

Have any unexpected benefits come out of this current 

situation for you? 

Despite all the bad aspects that we may be experiencing 

because of this epidemic, over time, I was able to rescue 

positive points. One of the first things I can think of is 

that I can spend a lot more time on artistic work than I do. 

But also, one of the positive aspects and I think that it is 

more enriching is that I was able to face many things that 

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I had pending in my life. I also had the 

opportunity to value what I have. To be 

able to see how privileged we are in the 

place we occupy. And so we can also be 

more supportive of our community. 

Are you working on any new projects? 

Yes! Fortunately, many projects in which 

I did not have time to work, will have 

their time and place to be completed. 

For now, the workflow is very good. I am 

also working on an exhibition that I hope can be done very soon. 

If you could be a virus what would you do? 

I would like to be a type of virus that makes you dance when you 

listen to a pop song. And the dance would be nothing improvised. 

It would be a perfect choreography like Britney Spears or NSYNC. 

I would also like to see something fabulous when they analyse my 

composition under a microscope. I would like to have a holographic 

layer that changes colour depending on the person I attack. Of 

course, it would be a harmless virus and could be attacked with a 

simple pill. 

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What was the last track you listened to? 

As I answer these questions I am listening 

to the new Charli XCX album, it is SO 

GOOD. A few days ago I was very obsessed 

with the new song by Kim Petras “Malibu” 

I love her, she is unique. I am also giving 

myself the opportunity to listen to new 

bands and songs and I am finding many 

interesting things. In a few days, the new 

album by Lady Gaga will be seeing the light and I can’t wait. I know it will 

be my new obsession! I can feel it. 

What are you currently obsessed with? 

Mmmmm ... Currently, I think I’m obsessed with skincare routines. 

I am also obsessed with the new music that is being released (I am 

a huge fan of music, it is a great and inspiring company). I’m also 

obsessed rewatching horror movies from the 1980s again. 

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Alejandra Oviedo - 

Bogotá, Colombia 

@ruttu_ruttu 

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Ruttu 

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It’s been almost 2 months since self-isolation has been 

enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? 

I’m lucky to have what I have so I don’t feel like it had 

affected me or my lifestyle too much, I’m used to staying 

at home most of the time and working here, but is not 

being able to visit my parents regularly is one of the 

things I miss the most, besides my dance partners. 


quarantine? 

Basically, drawing all day. I love it so it’s something I do 

all time even if it is not 

for commissions. I try to 

study and learn new stuff 

that helps me improve 

my skills; also trying to 

create pieces to keep 

others entertained at least 

for a couple of hours, I 

know this situation can be 

difficult for some people, 

so this can help them to 

cope with anxiety, or at 

least I hope it helps. 

How has the situation 

affected your work? 

Well, I certainly have had 

more commissions, and 

more audience during this 

situation, with everyone’ 

on their phones, is 

natural not only for me 

but for everyone. With my 

store had been a little bit 

complex, postal services 

in most countries are 

not working as usual, so 

orders are taking longer 

to be delivered. Here in 

Colombia, all business 

closed, so it took me two 

weeks to print the stuff I 

needed to dispatch. I had 

to close my store for some 

time, but it will be back this week, now that I have all my 

products ready and fully stocked. 


I do have one but don’t follow it strictly every day. 

Regularly I wake up at 7, make breakfast for me and my 

daughter, then I clean the house, work out and take a 

bath, then we sit together and I work on commissions 

while she studies, make lunch and have a little break. In 

the afternoon, keep drawing personal or custom projects, 

then I take a break to study, dance, or just rest, after that 

I get back to draw while watching a movie, we have a little 

snack and that’s all. 

When I have to go out, I try to do it in the morning, when I 

have to pack orders, it takes me a whole day. If I’m feeling 

like I need a rest just take A couple more hours than 

usual, but never do that two days in a row. It is more about 

listening to my body, and also demanding to myself. 

Have any unexpected 

benefits come out of this 


Mainly, time to do the 

things how I want to 

do them, even if I’m 

used to staying home, 

this certainly deleted 

all pointless reasons to 

go outside, that means 

more time to organize 

my schedule and try 

to find the best way to 

complete all tasks in a 

way I feel comfortable 

with, reducing anxiety 

for the pending projects 

I postpone. Also, I have 

made lots of friends from 

other countries and time 

to connect with them, 

even if we are apart. 

What do you wish for the 

future? 

I wish that society finds 

a way to get over this 

situation of course. This 

proves that people can 

get the worst of others 

in each situation, but 

also there are lots of 

good people and its a 

majority. Colombia is a 

very unequal country and has a lot of corrupt politicians, 

which makes watching news an anxiety trigger, but also 

there’s a lot of people who are being solidary during these 

days and that’s what we need the most, not only during 

the pandemic. 


I have an Etsy Store, is https://www.etsy.com/shop/ruttu 

for commissions I get projects via email. 

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Mark Wardel 

AKA TradeMark 

London, UK 

@mark_wardel 


has been enforced worldwide, how 

are you feeling? 

As someone who works pretty much alone, 

self-isolation is not, in truth very different 

from my usual state so it’s not affecting me 

as badly as it is others. What I do hate is that 

I can’t go anywhere, London is basically 

boarded up and I miss hanging out in Soho 

with friends. 

What have you been doing to pass your time 

in quarantine? 

From the start I decided to use the situation 

to get down to a lot of projects I’d been 

meaning to start, to keep busy and not think 

too heavily about the new reality we are 

currently imprisoned in. For the first few 

weeks, I produced a new drawing each day, 

I’m also working on a book/art project and 

have several commissions for portraits and 

paintings. Aside from this and to try to ease 

some of the boredom of my Facebook friends 

I have been running weekly ‘corona colouring 

competitions’ in which I post a line drawing which they colour in and the 

winner gets to own the original. 


I find that with fewer distractions I’m more productive than usual. 


No, I’m not that organised but I do work every day 7 days a week for at least 

part of the day I keep meaning to start an exercise routine as I’m missing the 

gym but so far this hasn’t happened. 


Yes, the lack of distractions, extra time to use, far less pollution (for the first 

time I can remember, the air in London is fresh!) and importantly a lot of time 

to consider how we as a society have been living and think about new ways. 


I’d like to see the world/society re-balanced but with the current ‘powers that 

be’ I’m not optimistic. 


My online store TrashDNA.com is currently closed because of the lockdown 

but I am about to start putting some work for sale on Instagram also I can be 

contacted through my website www.trademarkart.com. 

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Barbara Moura 

Vienna, Austria 

@b_moura 

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It’s been almost 2 months since self-isolation has 

been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? 

Quite a bit better now but still feeling the 

uncertainty. 


quarantine? 

I think for most of the beginning of this lockdown/ 

isolation I was oscillating between anxious and 

depressive thoughts and found it very hard to 

be productive and that my hands were quite tied 

up. It was very hard to dive into creative mode 

again. I think social media pressure really didn’t 

help, and as much as I think it’s nice to see people 

baking bread, finally organising their underwear 

drawers and promoting quarantine as a blessing for 

productivity, for most of us just to be able to cope 

with the scenario is enough, and this was quite hard 

for me to accept, but was also really lucky to have a 

partner during the whole thing. 


It was quite drastic, I lost my side job and was not 

able to go to the studio for over a month, 

so I had to find new alternatives to produce work. 


Trying to wake up early, have a lot of coffee, write 

a list and try to plan my day as normal as possible, 

and always trying to keep entertained with tasks, 

one after the other, be it bureaucracy stuff, a bit of 

work, looking for online opportunities and later on 

back to drawing/painting finally. But I also tried to 

have a good time, cook good food, enjoy the little 

things and definitely avoid the news. 

Have any unexpected benefits come out of this 


I think in my case it put a lot of things into 

perspective, especially about dedicating myself 

completely to my artistic practice and not go back 

to other jobs just by fear of failing, but money is a 

bitch we all need. I was also lucky that my partner 

is a great graphic designer so we finally made me a 

new beautiful website. 


That the art world can function again, I think selfemployed 

artists were definitely very affected, there 

is very little economic support for different types of 

artists and galleries who are not super successful 

and for the people who have associations or spaces 

and art events, so I really hope this situation will 

be addressed better or at least that most of this 

affected places can survive in post-corona so artists 

can still show. But apart from that, I think just wish 

the same as everyone, for the invisible enemy to be 

gone. 


www.kunstabhinterhof.at/artist/barbara-moura/ 

www.mymuseum.co/ 

artworks?name=&artist=Barbara+Moura 

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Ole Paland 


@ore_ore_ore_ 

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I’m doing ok. I’m still not used to the whole 

situation though. It’s funny to me how 

much 

I missed meeting people during those 

past months because I usually am a pretty 

reserved person who doesn’t go out that 

often. But not being able to meet my 

friends in person really showed me how 

important that stuff is to me. 



Mostly I’ve been working and sleeping a 

lot. Got my sleeping rhythm all mixed up. 

It’s been a few videocall-heavy months. 

But I appreciate how fast people find ways 

to adapt to the situation. Playing D&D, 

watching movies together, even celebrating 

birthdays over a zoom call was certainly a 

fun experience but there is just so much 

that you can do to simulate the real thing. 


I certainly had a tonne of time to think 

about what I do, what I wanna do and how I want my work to develop in 

the future. Reflecting on myself has really influenced my way of working. 

I really want to work more conceptionally and wish to improve on the 

possibility to tell a unique and interesting story through a single image. 


Not really. It’s really hard for me to develop a routine for anything if I 

don’t somehow get pushed to do so. And even though I think routines are 

very essential for productivity and happiness, I work best with a loose set 

of rules as long as stuff gets done by the end of the week. 


I’ve been taking pretty long walks recently so that’s a plus. I also 

appreciate how people get together by sharing this fate. It’s really 

interesting how this time is challenging all of us to adapt and rise to the 

occasion. Something to tell your kids about once this is over. 


I have a couple of bigger projects planned out for the future but until then 

I just want to go on and create. There is still so much I have to improve 

upon and I am thankful for having a platform to share my progress and 

experiences! 


Sadly, you won’t be able to buy my work during this time because I have 

no way to ship it out to you due to the pandemic. But as soon as that 

changes, you can visit ore-ore-ore.com for merch, prints and more. 

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27 - 29 

NOVEMBER 

2020 

OPEN 

CALL 

FOR 

ENTRIES 

FASHIONCLASH.NL 

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