Tenane Faotu Blog

Dutch fashion designer, Iris van Herpen is one of the most influential and creative personalities in the fashion industry. She is a pioneer in utilizing 3D-printing as a garment construction technique, and in using technology in bringing her creative ideas to life. For this reason, she collaborates with artists, architects and engineers for most of her projects, delving into various interdisciplinary research. Collections by the designer have always been grossly interesting and unique to the point that her work have been characterised under the subfield of fantasy couture. These beautiful designs are of Iris van Herpen's latest collection, titled Hypnosis,  which she presented on 1 July 2019 at Elysée Montmartre in Paris for the city's Haute Couture fashion week. Comprised of nineteen (19) different, multilayered looks, Hypnosis is a marvelous attempt at mimicking the delicate patterns and structures found in nature. Each dress is a like a gorgeous art piece to b...

Onyinye Zennia forms powerful, telling images from plywood boards, nails and strings or just a board and nails. Imagine that! It's an astounding touch of creativity, it's genius and then it's more than all that because once again hers is art that owns a rather ambitious purpose, which is to inspire, educate and soothe the broken. Her works deal with themes such as happiness, abuse, equality, mental and spiritual well-being, women empowerment, peace, poverty. Zennia draws from the reserves of her experiences and observations into her creative processs, stringing strong lines across bold points to touch those who see her creations with fresh, empowering knowledge. Onyinye Zennia is a Nigerian visual artist, a graphic designer and a photographer. You can see more of what she does on Instagram. Photo Credit: Instagram @zennia_art

There is a movement afoot. If you've seen Black Panther, heard Beyonce's Brown Skin Girl, if you notice popular media at all, you'll note this. Let's call it the Black Culture Renaissance of the 21st century. Alright, the work of husband and wife duo, Regis and Kahran Bethencourt of CreativeSoul Photography highlights and redefines Black Beauty with every shoot. CreativeSoul Photo celebrates the diversity of black culture and expresses the regal power of blackness with their AfroArt series. These images of young black people in elegant African inspired outfits and crowned with big, dramatic coiffure is so so so refreshing. Don't you think? Theirs is fine art that's really a mix of Africa's glorious past and this thing we call Afrofuturism. Regis and Kahran are based in Atlanta but travel the States, capturing gorgeous snapshots in various locations. They currently only photograph kids age 4 -17, families and brands. With about te...

I've always said art is not meant to just tickle or charm you. It should rip you open and give your fine head the chance to re-learn something, give you a fresh insight. So look at these representations of the black woman. What do you see? I see brown/black skin, glorious curly/kinky hair, sun, light and brilliant colours, I see beauty and a few things I can't name and I think this is the complete truth. What do you see? Cape Town based artist Delmaine Donson affirms that what she wants is to empower women of colour with her art, to influence people's perception of beauty in this age especially as it concerns women of colour. Aside from making interesting digital art, Delmaine is also a photographer. You can see more of her creations on her website and on Instagram. Photo Credit: Instagram @delmainedonson_art

Imagine a synopsis of the best of culture -past, present and imagined in one art project. Can you do it? But I'm telling you, Mike Cinelli's pottery creations is a fine attempt at this. These ceramic wares do not look like something that would fit in anywhere in a modern home, with their buttons and rings and unconventional colours. They strike you either as a relic from ancient civilizations (Greece, China or Japan); or something from the future. And such rugged beauty! What I love most about Cinelli's pottery is how everyone of them on its own seems to be telling some grand story. Mike Cinelli is based in Taylor, Mississippi. He received his BFA in Ceramics from the University of Mississippi in 2014. Cinelli's work has been displayed in the USA and internationally in numerous juried and invitational exhibitions. His works are currently curated by Companion Gallery. Photo Credit: Instagram @mike_cinelli

She takes a great photo and adorns it, lifts it with her distinctive illustrative style. What this artist does is not just to transform a great image; she installs a new, way more interesting character into it. Yes, Tel Aviv based illustrator Shira Barzilay's art are these very expressive digital drawings done on top of editorial style portraits and basically any photograph that she finds inspiring with the aid of her ipad pro. Barzilay's unique art is what she calls Koketit, which is a French slang that means stylish girl. She started her career as a fashion illustrator and designer. Her style has since evolved, taking a more a minimalist and abstract form. Shira Barzilay's work has and is attracting collaborations with impressive clothing brands like Roberto Cavalli, H&M, Golf & Co, Mish Mish, Mish, Sucooparis. Photo Credit: Instagram @koketit

Green stands for fertile, for youthful, for rich and oh, rugged like a Cactus. There is something quite breathtaking about these glasses. Yes, they're of a pretty basic and simple design but caught my attention perhaps for how they remind me of items in the past which of course are no longer being produced. Then there's this almost flawless imitation of nature that isn't so overt either. And I'm a sucker for nature and for the colour green. The Cactus Glasses are the work of DOIY Design, a Barcelona based company into the creation of the most stunning gift items and homewares. Check out their website: www.doiydesign.com. You can also see more of what they do on Instagram. Photo Credit: Instagram @doiydesign