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Hello from Taiwan!
So since finishing the first set of workshops I've been cracking on with a bit of research and seeing what Taipei is all about which has been sooo much fun! I think I've mastered the public transport system...although all these bus routes are kind of tricky! Anyway...I've been all over the place...from a zillion temples, to an awesome shopping plaza totally dedicated to Japanese fashion, some really cool backstreet shops that sell a whole load of shiny, gold, religious stuff... and eaten allsorts of yummy veggie stuff from taro pizza to potato salad with multi-coloured cake sprinkles on, blue sushi, a billion varieties of tofu, crab apples on a stick and 20p sweet potato ice cream!!! I also went to Danshui which is north of the city and I can only describe it as a mix between Blackpool and Donau-Insel...loads of shops selling inflatable Spongebob Squarepants, toffee apples, boats, a bit of a promenade and a bit of happy hardcore churning out of the numerous games arcades! That was pretty awesome and there was a really weird shop selling sick but hot cat handbags...and then a man got his bike entangled in my bag and killed the pinnacle shopping moment as I wasn't impressed!
Anyway, I took a million pictures...so here are a select few!!!
Love Emma xxx
Yo Yo Yo from Taiwan....
So after a totally juicy day off spent temple hopping, lantern spying and avoiding weirdos after wandering into a dubious area I was excited when I got back to the studio tonight to see the new, extra special 50th issue of Notion Magazine ready for action on it's online portal! The spectacular Aaron Francis Walker wrote a glorious piece all about my recent 'Colourful Creatures are often Poisonous' collection. It features the images taken as part of my collaboration in Tokyo with photographer Yuji Watanabe during my artist residency at the Mino Paper Art Village Project! Wahhh I love this piece and I'm loving the 50th issue complete with Jessie J on the cover and allsorts of magical content! Thankssss dudes!!!!
In other news I had pre-packed HELLO KITTY jam sandwiches for lunch....best thing EVER!!!
Anyway I'm looking forward to seeing the magazine in all it's printed, glossy glory when I get back to the UK... (my non existent Chinese lingo doesn't branch far enough to find a special magazine shop in Taiwan...) But anyway...go and buy it....or if you can also check out page 20-21 on the online edition HERE!!!
Anyway, I'm off to wash my hair...
Love and Doritos,
Emma xxx
Oooh Hiya....from Taiwan!!!
So I touched down in Taipei last Friday....I LOVE IT!!!! I arrived at the 'Dream Community' which is a Culture and Education Development Foundation where I will be based in my studio working on a string of projects for a while! I'm living in an apartment onsite, just seconds away from the studio and there's a whole bunch of stuff on the complex; cafe, bakery, theatre, exhibition space, garden terrace, workshops...a goat!!! So it's a really awesome place to be located at for a while and to create some new pieces! The foundation runs a whole programme of events from carnival parades, samba drum extravaganzas, lantern festival stuff, community orientated workshops and events....basically a load of fun and colourful stuff!The first leg of my project kicks off at the weekend with a stint of fashion and textile workshops that I will be directing which, I'm super excited about! We have a bunch of proper sparkly fabrics at the ready and I'll be guiding a few different groups of people in designing and making various stage costumes and outfits!
Anyway...here are a couple of pictures of my new workspace....you will see it comes with a crew in Brazilian carnival attire to keep me company...AMAZINGGGG!!! Oh and this green monster thing that looks me right in the eye while I'm sewing and stuff! I've been a bit slow on the photo front as I haven't branched too far yet...just shopping of course!
ooohh ice cream flavour Oreos!!! YESSS PLEASEEE!!And they're purple inside!Anyway lunchtime calls!!!!!
Love Emma xxxx
Ooh hiya!
I intended to churn out some kind of round-up and Happy New Year speile when it was actually new year...not when it's nearing the end of January...but anywayzzz...
Can't believe how fast this past year has zipped by...I also can't believe that I have spent the most of it overseas with only the odd week here and there to indulge in home stuff like Hollyoaks, beans on toast and veggie lasagne!
2010 for me was quite different compared to the normal shizz I've been up to this past few years...for one I wasn't in London and secondly I've worked on a series of projects opposed to my seasonal Fashion Week shows...
At the start of the year I had the pleasure of working with my chum and magical stylist Alexis Knox on a whole bunch of stuff....we saw it all from climbing up ladders at music video shoots...to creeping around filming in spooky, old pubs! Fun times! We also whipped over to Copenhagen to cover fashion week for Notion Magazine...that was a cheap laugh too!
A huge chunk of the year was spent working on curating and directing the 'Fish and Chips, Twice Please?!' exhibition that was hosted over in Vienna with the lovely Polona Dolzan. Such a fun project to work on and great to have so many talented people on board...and just to mention it one more time...WE GOT JUST UNDER 30,000 VISITORS!!!WEEEEEEEEE!
It was awesome to be based in Central Europe for a while and to create my SS11 collection alongside a load of curly palaces, schnitzels and lederhosens!
I was sad to say farewell to Vienna after so long but, excited as the next delight was 3 months working over in Japan....which I've already gone on about a lot recently....so I'll pipe down!
One of the things I've loved most this past year was to work in totally different surroundings and have the opportunity to work with a lot of new people...it's been a fun one!
Was lovely to come back to the UK over the Christmas and have a nice long kip...and FINALLY my luggage turned up so now I have a ridiculous amount of trinkets and treats that I brought back from Japan!
Right now I'm preparing to head of on my next adventure as next week I'll be whizzing off to Taipei to start on my next project...I'm going to be based in Taiwan for the next few months as Artist in Residence and imagine my delight when I found out they have a temple made of shells and a Hello Kitty Maternity hospital! So I'll be updating on that once I'm there!
Ooh also got an exciting parcel this morning...the catalogues from the 'Let Momo Eat Cake' exhibition arrived! Exciting stuff! You can see a picture of them above alongside a recent feature of the new collection!
Right, I'm off to make lunch and then get crafty with some dyeing!
Love and Sparkles
Emma
xxxx
Happy New Year and all that!
Thought I would share some pictures from the exhibition that is currently displaying my new pieces that I created whilst in Japan. The exhibition is called 'Let Momo Eat Cake' and also showcases the work of my fellow artists in residence, Yoko Iwanaga, Kristen Plucar and Lena Bui. The presentation opened last month and will run until 10th January at the Mino Washi Museum in Gifu Prefecture.
The opening of 'Let Momo Eat Cake' marked both the end of my project as well as my departure from beautiful Japan. So alongside the gallery launch I also had the task of clearing out my studio, which had pretty much become my second home throughout the past 3 months as a result of the ludicrous amount of hours I spent in there!
It's been awesome working from the studio of dreamsss...we have seen plenty of action...from cake stealing dogs, poisonous centipedes, buns for lunch, late night disco times, juggling ball extravaganzas and plenty of intense gossip sessions! It was so much fun working alongside the girls and I learned to do random stuff like build a lantern and fill up a heater with kerosine....hardcore life skillzzz 'innit??? It was amazing to be able to base myself in Japan for a few months and take advantage of all the opportunities to carry out a load of new research, work with different people and of course experiment with some alternative materials.
It was also great to be able to branch out and take a few trips so I got to see and shop in more places in Japan!
I spent my birthday working in Tokyo on the shoot of my final pieces of work and it was so much fun to work with a whole new bunch of people in a totally different environment...team Tokyo totally rules and I would like to say MEGA THANKS to the crew that helped in creating the images; Yuji, Nao, Chika and Olga!!!
The Tokyo trip in itself is a whole other blog post...so hold your horses for that one!
It was 5 years since my last trip to Japan and I left this time loving it even more! I came back to the UK for Christmas with a ridiculous amount of luggage as a result of all the amazing bits and pieces I picked up over there...however I'm yet to see any of it as my baggage is MIA somewhere in Paris which totally sucks ass as I want to wear my Kimono and use my new cute baking tins!
So I was sad to leave Japan and I will miss things like the 100 yen stores, amazing shopping, grape Fanta, sachets of Matcha latte, awesome magazines, huge tofu sections in supermarkets, super hot boys, appliances that play music and heated toilet seats....however I will certainly not miss the wildlife and I will maintain my fear of nature...that includes snakes, spiders, bears and wild boars!!!
Anways if you happen to be in Gifu...pop along to the museum and check out the exhibition!!!!
Love and Sparkles
Emma
