This month some of the leading creatives from the LGBT+ community are curating our WeTransfer wallpapers. Working with creative network The Dots we invited movers and shakers – from Google’s Tea Uglow to filmmaker Matt Lambert – to choose an up-and-coming LGBT+ creative who they believe is shaping the creative worlds of today and tomorrow. Meet our 2017 selections below…
Curator: Tea Uglow
Artist: Hana Tanimura
The amazing Tea Uglow is creative director of Google’s Creative Lab in Sydney. The lab’s aim is to merge culture with digital design and to explore new ways to bring them worlds together. Her TED talk has been watched over one million times and Tea continues to support and mentor young creators, like Hana Tanimura, a designer in the Google Creative Lab in London. Hana has worked on some incredible projects like the clever Sideways Dictionary – a perfect example of using design to make technology more human.
Curator: Kate Moross
Artist: Peggy Noland
It’s hard to sum up creative tour-de-force Kate Moross – she’s an art director, designer, illustrator and founder of Studio Moross. A common thread in all her endeavours is her unapologetic use of bright colors, and so it’s not surprising she’s picked versatile artist Peggy Noland for this feature. From store-fronts to clothing and even cupcakes, Peggy brightens up everything she touches. “Peggy’s a curator who uses her unique DIY sculptural storefronts to sell and celebrate art and fashion pieces, fanzines and records made by the Wacky Wacko extended family,” Kate says.
Curator: Hello Mr.
Artist: Thomas McCarty
The brilliant New York publication Hello Mr. was born out of frustration. Its founder, Ryan Fitzgibbon, felt misrepresented in the mainstream media. And so with Hello Mr. magazine he gives a voice to men dating men. Ryan has selected Thomas McCarty, a young photographer, who’s able to capture a range of emotions in his photos – they have a beautiful, dream-like aesthetic.
Curator: The Nest Collective
Artist: M+K Nairobi
The Nest Collective, based in Nairobi, describes itself as a small army of thinkers, dreamers and believers. Its aim is to explore troubling modern identities, so as to reimagine their pasts and reinvent their futures. They’ve done several projects in film, music, fashion and more taking on these themes. The Nest selected M+K Nairobi, a fashion label working with beautiful local symbols and techniques. “Muqaddam Latif and Keith Macharia are two contemporary fashion designers who are making amazing luxe work here in Nairobi. We love their aesthetic!” The Nest says.
Artist: Kawira Mwirichia
The collective also chose Kawira Mwirichia. “Kawira just completed a considerably large art project wherein she subversively remixed a traditional fabric (known as a khanga) with queer-affirming messages,” The Nest says. “She has also self-published a lesbian erotic coloring book, which we thought was quite a statement piece.”
Curator: Matt Lambert
Artist: Leo Adef
Matt Lambert is a filmmaker who’s made work for the likes of Dior, Tate Britain, Nowness and Gucci, and he recently shot a music video for his friend Mykki Blanco. Matt nominated the talented young filmmaker Leo Adef for the feature. Leo’s shorts, which he’s made for Nowness amongst others, have a beautiful yet dark aesthetic and explore themes across love and youth culture.
Curator: A Nasty Boy
Artist: Daniel Obasi
Nigerian publication A Nasty Boy provokes strong emotions in its home country. The magazine doesn’t shy away from discussing things that are illegal in Nigeria, and its fearless approach has won it lots of attention and admirers (founder Richard Akuson was recently interviewed on CNN). Richard has selected Daniel Obasi, a Nigerian stylist and creative director for this feature. “Daniel has a gender blurring aesthetic. His work spans gender identity, fashion and politics, from boys in braids, make-up and jewellery to crop tops and dresses. Daniel represents a new generation of Nigerian creatives who are daring and adventurous in their crafts. They do not understand the concept of restraint, they’re raw, bold and absolutely necessary,” Richard says.
Curator: John Down
Artist: Rose Pilkington
John is a passionate advocate of LGBT+ visibility in creative and social spaces, as COO/CFO of The Dots and a founding member of the UK’s first LGBT+ entrepreneurs’ network, Series Q. He’s selected designer Rose Pilkington. She did the bespoke animations for Jamie xx’s album In Colour – rightly so, as her work features color, color and more color. “Rose’s designs are defined by one overriding theme. She produces textural and colorful 2D and 3-D visuals within an entirely digital space. Subtly or boldly, her work disrupts our perceptions,” John says.
Curator: Martin Firrell
Artist: Charlie Cattrall
Martin Firrell is known for his huge, amazing public art pieces. From advertising billboards turned into political statements to light projections on St Paul’s Cathedral, each work conveys a message making people rethink parts of their lives they usually don’t consider. Martin has put forward the filmmaker Charlie Cattrall, best known for his film Titus. “I nominate Charlie because he hitchhiked to the Oracle at Delphi in search of insight about himself; he understands that all human identity expression is fluid; and in all his work he expresses an ineffable tenderness for what is ‘other’,” Martin says.
Project Tags
Companies
Hello Mr
- Media Production
A Nasty Boy
- Media Production
The Nest Collective
- Arts and Culture