In conversation with .. Part 8! by KALTBLUT Magazine

Aka Kelzz Jaume Miró José Rojas Olli Hull

Wooly and the Uke Ford Kelly

“I dare to dream of a world where people can dress, speak, and behave how they want, free from mockery, derision, judgment, harassment, and danger. This is what I want. Who’s with me?”

Juno Dawson

Meet The Team Editor-in-Chief Fashion Editor

Marcel Schlutt @marcel_schlutt mschlutt@kaltblut-magazine.com

Art Director Art Editor

Naikee Simoneau @naikee_simoneau nsimoneau@kaltblut-magazine.com

Music Editors

Nicola Phillips @nicphilf nphillips@kaltblut-magazine.com Johanna Urbancik @Johannaurbancik JohannaUrbancik@kaltblut-magazine.com

Fashion Editors

Nico Sutor @nico_sutor_ nsutor@kaltblut-magazine.com Karl Slater @slatekarl kslater@kaltblut-magazine.com

Contributors

Lewis Robert Cameron, Johannes Brauner, Arabella Romen, Rianon Vran, Joseph Sy, Arron Dunworth, Alis, McGuire Brown

On The Cover Kayinoluwa Ibidapo photographed by Abby Lorenzini Hat - Yohji Yamamoto Pour Homme Dress - Prada Bolero - Raf Simmons

Full story > p.38

All Copyright at KALTBLUT

www.kaltblut-magazine.com

@kaltblut_magazine

KALTBLUT MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY MARCEL SCHLUTT AND NAIKEE 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. 4

Aka Kelzz > p.6

Jaume Miró > p.28

Red Pill > p.60

Normalization > p.16

José Rojas > p.48

Ford Kelly > p.102 5

Finding strength in accepting your struggles In conversation with Aka Kelzz Interview Johanna Urbancik @johannaurbancik Photography Joanna Legid @joannalegid

Berlin-based musician Aka Kelzz has a presence, unlike many others. Their soft, soulful voice paired with meaningful lyrics resembles a warm blanket and a hot cup of tea on a winter’s night. With thought-provoking personal lyrics, Kelly wants to share their experiences and allow the listener to feel that life doesn’t always have to be positive and perfect. Their music has seemingly appeared out of nowhere last year with Kelly having taught themselves how to produce and distribute music. We can consider ourselves incredibly lucky, as Kelly’s music is something that’s desperately needed in our day and age: They’re different, daring and are challenging our views on mental health in a way that’s both genuine and supportive. KALTBLUT caught up with Kelly to discuss their musical background, their role as an educator and the stigma of the “strong black woman” narrative they want to break You moved to Berlin four years ago, why did you leave Birmingham? I came here for a holiday in 2016 on my own. I made a bunch of friends. When I went back to the UK, I called my friend, and I told her I’m in bed at home, and she said that if you’re going to work a shitty job in Birmingham, you can also work a shitty job in Berlin. So, I moved two months later. I didn’t have much going on in the UK, I was just working, hanging out with my friends, I wanted more, something different. I came here with no real plan, just to work and see what happens. I haven’t lived in another country long-term before, so Berlin just made sense. It’s so different from the rest of Germany, which I didn’t know at the time.

Were you already pursuing music in England, or is that something you started in Berlin? I’ve been singing since I was a kid. My whole family is really musical, my dad used to be a DJ and singer, my mum could sing, my dad and my sister could sing, and there was also me. From a young age, I was really into music. I tried to be in a band in the UK, but it didn’t work out, so I gave up. In school, my teachers said to me that I wasn’t a good singer, which put my confidence down. I didn’t listen, but it’s still in the back of my mind even now, and I’m questioning if I’m doing the right thing. Then I moved to Berlin, I settled and from 2018 to 2019, I kept trying loads of bands, but it didn’t work out. We had a couple of shows or rehearsals, but we never clicked. Then during the pandemic, at the beginning of March last year, I said to myself that I’m going to try and learn to produce my own music. I always thought about making music, but because I don’t play any instruments, I always had to rely on other people to make something for me. Then I tried it myself and started using this music production website called BandLab. It’s really easy, and I just started playing around with it and created some tracks. It pretty much started there, I’m still not an amazing producer, but I’m a much better singer-songwriter now. From that, I started playing with Bandlab, which then created my first two singles “Take Me Back” and “Fucks Us Up!”. I’ve been doing that for most of the year, and then in October 2020, I found a producer. His name’s Rafael Prado, and he is a student at SAE. He told me that they were looking for people to record, and then they’d give them two mixed and mastered songs. So, I did that. When I was in the studio, they said that I have to release this music. I was a bit unsure, but Rafael and Vitor both said that I needed to put this music out there. So I said, why not? From that, I got a huge boost, and I thought, maybe I should do it. Rafael and I became really good friends, and now he’s my producer. We’ve released four songs together now, and we’ve got plenty more to come. That’s really cool! I have two questions now. Berlin is all about electronic music. Did you find it harder to pursue a non-electronic genre, such as R&B, here? And the second question is about your songs, when Rafael told you to release your music, did you self-release them? I wouldn’t say it’s harder, but I didn’t know many artists that were doing Pop, R&B, Soul. I didn’t know that many at the time when I first started. I wouldn’t say it’s difficult, but obviously, Berlin is known for Techno, so you have to find the right events, the right people to follow on social media and connect and the people who are making different music to Techno. From my experience, it took some time to find all the artists making music somewhat similar to mine, or different to Techno. If I wanted to, I could easily try and produce Techno music, but then it’s the same as everybody else. And to answer your second question; everything I released was self-released. I use distrokid, and everything that I’ve done in the last year I just learned as I went along. I didn’t know how to release music, I didn’t know how you’d get onto Spotify, and then I was researching all about distribution, and I thought shit, there’s so much stuff I need to know about! Then figuring out how to get people to listen to my music, and it’s all just so complicated. I just wanted to put my music out there and have people listen to it. There are so many layers to it because, for one, I am a fat dark skin femme. There’s already that barrier. It turns music into a real business. 100%! That’s what I’m trying to say. The way that I look and the way that I sound is very different in Berlin. I don’t know many people that look like me that are doing music. There’s that part which is really cool, it’s a slight niche almost. Releasing music or gathering the information to learn how to release music is something you have to try to figure out as you go along. I’m still doing it. I’m hoping that people listen to my music, and it gets shared. Let’s see how it goes because not many people know me now. This is the perfect time to figure out how to do all this music stuff. 8

“I don’t want to change for anyone. I’ve worked too hard to battle with my demons to get where I am now in such short space of time.”

Exactly. I think it’s always a learning procedure. For so many artists, labels make life a lot easier because they’ll take care of the admin stuff, but I think when you’re self-releasing music, you have so many more opportunities to do what you want to do and have no one above you. It sounds as if self-releasing makes hard work a bit more paid off. For sure. The one thing I really love about self-releasing is the fact that it’s my music and I’m working with other people that understand and respect my vision and ideas. A huge part of my music is sharing my experiences in a very honest way. My first release “Take Me Back” is about summer and being in love, it’s a happy song. Then “Fucks Us Up!”, which is like an anthem to me. It was a turning point for me because when I wrote it, it was about the pandemic at first, but when I went to the studio, it turned into some sort of anthem for me where I’m not taking any shit anymore, I’m doing what’s best for me. Every time I sing this song, it gives me so much energy. Then “purple” is about my love for my friends. I want to maintain this transparency, this honesty that people are drawn to when they see me perform and when they see things that I post on social media. I like the fact that I can have lots of freedom at the moment. It’s also about finding the people to work with that wouldn’t try to change me. That’s something I would not be doing. I don’t want to change for anyone. I’ve worked too hard to battle with my demons to get where I am now in such a short space of time. It’s been a year since I started recording and releasing. It all happened pretty quickly. Quote: “After shows, people come up to me and tell me that this was so good and they felt every word that I was saying. It makes my heart so full, to know that they listen to and enjoy my music and that they can understand what I’m saying.”

Your lyrics are very personal, with some being about your mental health struggles. Did you always want to use your music as a medium to give advice about such personal things, or do you feel that you have a duty to give people listen to something that they identify with and understand? Yeah, it’s a bit of both. When I write, I write about what I’m feeling. I write down my thoughts, I’ll come back to the words, and then I’ll pick out how I’m feeling that day and then write a song that way. It’s a combination of both. I can’t sit down and write a whole song in one go, I need time to slowly reflect and come back to it. I want to be a person that looks different, and sounds not how you think I’m going to sound when you first see me. I have this feeling when people see me they think I’m going to have this really loud powerful voice, which I do somewhat, but not really. My voice is really soulful, but I feel it’s different when you hear the words, something clicks. It’s something you’re not expecting when you hear the words. When I’m performing, I talk about the songs. I enjoy the fact that I’m sharing about my mental health because for so long, I never did with anybody. With music, I can just sing the words and hear people say “Oh, I feel very similar”, or “I’ve had these feelings as well”. It makes me feel that this is something I should be sharing, especially with black and brown queer people. This is my experience and I want to be relatable. People feel the words I’m saying and that’s the most important thing to me, to be honest. After shows, people come up to me and tell me that this was so good and they felt every word that I was saying. It makes my heart so full, to know that they listen to and enjoy my music and that they can understand what I’m saying. It’s almost a little bit like a personal therapy session that everyone has while listening to your music. Another thing that you’ve already briefly touched on, I’ve read that you want to kind of break the strong black woman narrative, can you tell me a little bit about that? I identify as non-binary. I’m a non-binary person, which has been a recent “thing”. For so long in my life, when people read me, they read me as a CIS black woman. I never had the opportunity to think of myself outside of that, because of everything that goes on in the world, especially when it comes to black women. I want to be vulnerable. I want people to see that I’m not strong. I don’t want that word attached to me. I want people to see me as something else, rather than a strong black person that can take on the shit. No, I cry a lot. I get depressed a lot. This is something that I want people to see. That’s something I put across very well, my struggles, different ways of learning. If I was in love and friendships, relationships, relationship with myself, which is important because I didn’t know a lot about myself really. I didn’t question a lot of things. Also, politically, I didn’t question a lot of things and I’m undoing the work now.

“I like to share, but also I want other people to see me and understand that I’m an open book and letting you into this vulnerable side. I want to take people on a journey whenever I perform. I want them to see the bad side and that it’s okay to have fun.” 12

Picture by @annd_____

Do you sometimes get sick of having to be an educator in that sense? It’s tiring, for sure. Because me being in a space is already enough. Only when I’m in spaces with black and brown people do I feel more relaxed. I don’t have to do the work. When I’m in a space with white people, I have to talk a lot more. Normally, my music says everything and other black and brown people will understand it. They’ve been through similar things. I think when it comes to education, it’s mainly for white people. That’s when the conversation normally where I have to talk about and explain how you deal with depression comes up. It’s very unreflective because mental health struggles affect everyone no matter what skin colour or background you have. It’s a constant thing for me because I started therapy again, which has been a great thing, and I’m a huge advocate for doing things that make you feel good. Find your support system and if you have access to therapy, go! In Germany, it’s very difficult to access certain things, specifically therapy. I love to talk about black and brown people because these are people that can understand the things I’ve been through. I like to share, but also I want other people to see me and understand that I’m an open book and letting you into this vulnerable side. I want to take people on a journey whenever I perform. I want them to see the bad side and that it’s okay to have fun. It’s not just this positive music, it is a real journey I want to take people on to show them that being on this stage took a lot of work. Writing this song took a lot of work for people to enjoy. I really like that! Do you have any music coming up soon? I have a bunch of releases that are coming out. We’re still deciding on the order in which they are going to come out. But, I have two songs coming out this year. One is called “Blank Space”, which is about mental health and the other one is “Timestamp”. “Timestamp” is me talking about my experience of people trying to make me feel small and put me in a box. My EP will be coming out next year and that is something I am super excited about!

Follow Aka Kelzz @akakelzzmusic @akakelzz

Normalization Photography Joseph Sy @josephest Styling & Art direction Yujin Lee @yujinfcs Hair Kiara Scorzelli @kiarascorzelli Models Krisna Agraan @hxntxx Naji Basma @najibasma Alice Jauncey @alicejauncey

Two piece - Gerry Weber Black hat - stylist’s own Earrings - Ece Rings - Moulting Press Boots - Dunlop

Two piece - Elvi Green hat - Kangol Shoes - Sacha Rings - Moulting Press

Hoodie & Dress - Asos Boots - Dunlop

Two pieces - Avavav Shoes - Twins Design Studio

Furry Hat - M&S Earrings - Arkadiuszwieton Black top - Meiyu Song

White Hat & Top - Alina Ispas

Blue two piece - Meiyu Song Bag - Valentino Umbrella hat - OMUKY Shoes - Meiyu Song

Brown two piece - Viyella Dress and Ivory long socks - Alina Ispas Shoes - Hush Puppies

Red body suit - Alina Ispas Leg warmer - Alina Ispas White heels - stylist’s own

Photography Arron Dunworth @arron.dunworth Model Misty @mistythebrandofficial Make up Tamara Tott @tamaratott_makeup using Illamasqua Hair Ross Kwan using Bumble & Bumble @rosskwan

Misty 22

Editorial All outfits - Jaume Miró Shoes - Yeezy

One To Watch:

Jaume Miró Photography Alis @alisbyalisofficial Stylist & all fashion Jaume Miró @jaumevmiro Models Martí Many signed at Uno Models @martimany_ Aleks Zaharenkov signed at Blow Models @ginger.aleks Make up Aitana Wallace @aitanawallace Hair Joan Callau @joancallau Styling assistants Carles Lopez and Aitorito @carleslopezz @aitor.rito

Introducing Barcelona based fashion designer Jaume Miró presenting his latest collection: PROMETEO! „I have always doubted that life is something totally real: too good to be true and too cruel to be finite. With this philosophy in mind from an early age and having television, tamagotchi and VHS’s as best friends; The concept of constantly comparing my life and what happens in it with fictional films and characters or believing that everything is a virtual reality does not seem crazy to me. Something similar to the “Truman Show” but without an attentive audience behind the screen or a dreamlike being writing my destiny and determining my good or bad karma. This is the concept that ``PROMETEO ‘’ wants to show: a collection of conceptual and avant-garde fashion in which I compare post-traumatic stress and Eating Disorders with retrofuturistic aesthetics and science fiction, mixing elements such as the tailoring and shirting with sportswear and street-style to mix the idea of finding comfort in discomfort and explore through volumes the canons of current beauty and the antithesis of these and not set limits between what is real or unreal.“ 29

The Facets Of A Personality Creative Direction & Styling McGuire Brown @mcguire.brown Photographer & Editor Abby Lorenzini @abilorenzini Lighting Assistance Joe DaJour @joedajour Assistance Jane Handorff @jhandorff & Samantha Del Rosal @samanthadelrosal Model Kayinoluwa Ibidapo @kayinoluwa Makeup Tania Mallah @tatimallah Production Orientation NYC @orientationyc

Hat - Yohji Yamamoto Pour Homme Dress - Prada Bolero - Raf Simmons Jacket - Balenciaga

Dress - Paco Rabanne Hat -CDG Homme Plus Jacket -Maison Margiela Shoes - Givenchy Undergarments - Skims

Ruffled Dress - Alexander McQueen

Dress - Jean Paul Gaultier Harness -Comme Des Garçons

Hat - Yohji Yamamoto PourHomme Dress - Prada Bolero - Raf Simmons

Hat - Yohji Yamamoto PourHomme Dress - Prada Bolero - Raf Simmons Jacket - Balenciaga

Hat - Yohji Yamamoto PourHomme Dress - Prada Bolero - Raf Simmons

Queers, Sex & Lolz Introducing José Rojas Interview Naikee Simoneau @naikee_simoneau 49

As an interdisciplinary artist José Rojas has been working in the intersection of storytelling, photography, video, music and design; but the one thing that has always been there since he was a kid is illustration. From an early age Rojas’s had an urge to release all that happens in his head, and drawing was always the medium that felt most natural. Over the years it has become a way for him to communicate ideas and to enrich other creative processes he works on. José especially enjoy it when drawing serves as a meditative act. What medium/tools do you feel most comfortable with when creating your work? The iPad has turned out to be the tool I use the most. Even though it will never replace the experience of holding a brush, having paint under your nails or smelling the materials, I am thrilled with the endless possibilities technology offers within so little space. In a time when art and design are shifting more and more to a digital space, using the iPad feels more native. Some may be sceptic about this change. For me, it means that I can combine a lot of techniques and mediums despite lacking the space at home or a studio. Instead I can work anywhere — from the comfort of my desk, the subway or even in bed (most of the times haha). This tool has allowed me to broaden my set of visual languages in a very short time and in ways that otherwise would not have been possible.

Your illustrations are so exquisite and very unique, what are your inspirations? My approach is to combine the world of fine art with the world of pop culture and spice it up with queerness, sexiness and humor. My use of color and choice of shapes and composition come from the interest I developed in art history during high school, and are especially inspired by modern art. I present my characters in quite a staged and theatrical way. For this I draw a lot of influence from film and fashion photography, such as the work of Pedro Almodovar, Wes Andersson, Tim Burton, Nadia Lee Cohen and Tim Walker. There is something so magical about the way all these artists master the craft of portrayal. The shows and cartoons I watched as a kid, as well as the depiction of pop culture in media are a great inspiration, too. Especially queer icons, bold colors and lots of hairspray and drama. Humor is a key ingredient in my creative work. I believe that adding irony and quirkiness to my illustrations helps them feel more real, relatable, and accessible. Last, but not least, I put a lot of myself in my work as a way of portraying my various inner personalities in each illustration, resulting in pseudo self-portraits quite often. Your work is very stylish. How does fashion influence you? My grandmother was a very elegant and stylish person. I remember thinking as a kid there wasn’t anyone more fashionable than my grandma. I always wanted to believe I inherited some of that and loved to dress up, put make-up on and create characters. But it wasn’t until I came out that I dared to dive deeper into the world of fashion. My relationship with fashion as an artist surged as a result of observation and from the need to create relatable and convincing characters. It’s this part of every project that I love the most, whether I’m working on a music video, a short film, or on my next painting. Clothes, hair and make-up allow me to bring to life the characters I have in mind. Fashion opens a new dimension in any story. It literally adds layers to each character to the point where a simple portrait or an illustration can tell a multidimensional story. Your illustrations refer to politics, gender, race… do you think that as an artist it’s your duty to be engaged? Yes, but first as a person and citizen and then as an artists. If I’m engaged in these topics in my personal life, that naturally impacts both the content and the process of my work. The issues that concern me become my narrative. But of course the answer is yes. As an artist, I know that I hold the know-how of visual storytelling. A way of communication that in this digital era and and in the world of social media has proven to be very powerful. I believe in the urgency of shifting narratives, unlearning old recurring patterns and values and creating new visions and prospects of a life without oppression, discrimination and toxic behaviors. As an artist and storyteller it’s important to understand the potential for the viewer to identify with known and recurring narratives, but especially to create new ones which are more inclusive, intersectional and that depict a vision of the world we want to live in. What is the message you want to get across to viewers of your work? My illustrations aim to be snapshots of many queer fantasies—from vanilla to kinky. I want to make people feel warm and jolly, make them laugh, feel nostalgic, dreamy or naughty. I want to invite the viewer to reflect on their own identity or just have fun exploring the beauty and intensity of queer fantasies and queer characters. You’re from Mexico but based in Berlin, Germany. How does both countries influence your work? Before moving to Berlin I didn’t know I was gay. I was a 22-year-old guy who moved to Berlin thinking he was moving to the first world, leaving worse opportunities behind, despite the immense privilege I enjoyed there. Being in Berlin hit the reset button. Today I don’t recognize that person anymore. Not only did I get in touch with myself and my queerness. Being here also allowed me to have a new perspective on my Mexican heritage, a part of my identity I had blocked for years. I could recognize classist, racist and homophobic behaviors that had been part of my upbringing in Mexican society and started a process of unlearning and healing. 55

I believe that all these learning experiences have impacted my work tremendously. Now I see and allow the influence of Mexican folklore in my work and love how it works within queer narratives. Something I wasn’t able to experience in Mexico, and I wish I had. What other work/artist do you find really inspiring right now? This is a hard question since there are so many incredible artists and activists out there and the amount of inspiring work is almost overwhelming. I find the work of the Berlin scene extremely touching. The storytelling of Hengameh Yaghoobifarah, the wise words of Emilia Roig, the fierceness of the Berlin drag queens, the bright colors of Navot Miller’s paintings, the magic in the photographic series Nachtzimmer of my friends Bela Lehrnickel and Dennis Ruf. Lastly, the bold aesthetic in the work of my sister Andrea Rojas, with whom I have the privilege of collaborating regularly. What is your ultimate goal? Looking at the world we live in, I sometimes feel like my art is a waste of time and get the urge to invest my privilege and resources into something more radical with a more direct and stronger impact. But then I remind myself that there is this huge potential to achieve change through art, design and storytelling. Especially if we work together and see ourselves as part of a bigger picture. I’m invested in reaching a point where I feel that I am making a difference with my work while at the same time enjoying the creative process and fulfilling my artistic needs. I’ve been working a lot on finding ways to speak up and become a more political person. I’m looking forward to putting myself out there more and draw attention to the causes I fight for through my art. My goal is to collaborate with more people who also seek the change and could use some visual storytelling in their own cause.

Follow José Rojas @jose_illustration joserojasstudio.com

Red Pill

Photography + Art Direction Karl Slater @slaterkarl Styling Lewis Robert Cameron @lrcfashionstylist MUA Martina Derosa using M.A.C Cosmetics @martinaderosa_mua Hair Marco Coluccio using Schwarzkopf Got2big Model Jacob Lyttle at PRM @jacob.lyttle @prm_agency

Choker - H.O.N Top & Trousers - FCLX Boots - Acne Studios

Shirt Dress - ELZINGA

Earring - HUANZHI Suit - Alvaro Mars Gloves - Honour Boots - Acne Studios

Shirt Dress - ELZINGA Trousers - Fiorucci

Earring - Raf Simons Top - House of Holland by Henry Holland Belt - Maharishi Trousers - Karl Lagerfeld

Suit Jacket - Matilda Aberg Harness belt - B Dodi

Earring - Raf Simons Top - House of Holland by Henry Holland Belt - Maharishi Trousers - Karl Lagerfeld

Choker - H.O.N Top & Trousers - FCLX Boots - Acne Studios

BIRTH OF Creative Direction, Design Arabella Romen @arabellaromen Photography and Postproduction Rianon Vran @rianonvran Videography and Video Direction Toto Stoffels @miss_toto_rodgers Sound Design Anton Filatov @antoonfilatov Styling Assistant, Hair and Make-Up Nadine Sahm @nads.studio Model is Kat Grube signed at Vivamodels @katjagru_ via @vivamodelsberlin 3D Design Hany Braisch and Hatice Keya @______hany @keyaha_ Red Flower Textile Print Collaboration 3D Design 11v151131_m06 @11v151131_m06 Sculptural Artwork Base with Stefanie Grau & Arabella Romen @arabellaromen @stefanie_grau Jewellery Lacuna by Annabelle Baldero Lacuna @lacuna__paris

VENUS Leather - Blazer Arabella Romen Trousers - Arabella Romen Jewellery - Lacuna Paris Shoes - Other Stories

“What are society’s beauty standards and how can one free oneself from them? Even before humanity was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a trend of people increasingly escaping into virtual worlds and alienating themselves from reality. Much like various other trends, social media is also reinforcing this escapism and the creation of virtual realities and false personalities. Arabella Romen is a Berlin-based fashion designer who graduated 2021 from Akademie Mode & Design (AMD) in Berlin. Fashion has always been one of her biggest inspirations. In a time when everything seems possible, it is even more important to ask what fashion actually still stands for. It is the reason why she often deals with socially difficult topics in her work in order to create added value. In her final collection “Birth of Venus”, the liberation from social stigmatisation is shown. She takes up escapism in fake realities and plays with sexuality in her own unique way. The birth of Venus serves as a stage to celebrate the new beginning of a visual release of stigmas. In the collection itself, sexuality is explained in a different way through various transmitters such as the optics of a birth through slippery designed prints and sexually represented flowers. The idea is to combine human needs and virtual dimensions to create a mental safe-space.” 69

Leather - Blazer Arabella Romen Trousers - Arabella Romen Jewellery - Lacuna Paris Shoes - Maison Margiela

Coat - Blazer Arabella Romen Trousers - Arabella Romen Jewellery - Lacuna Paris Shoes - Maison Margiela

Vest - Arabella Romen Dress - Arabella Romen Jewellery - Annabelle B. Lacuna Shoes - Maison Margiela

Dress - Arabella Romen Jewellery - Lacuna Paris Shoes - Maison Margiela

Vest - Arabella Romen Dress - Arabella Romen Jewellery - Lacuna Paris Shoes - Maison Margiela

Blouse- Arabella Romen Jewellery - Lacuna Paris Shoes - Maison Margiela

Fake Fur Coat - Arabella Romen Blouse- Arabella Romen Jewellery - Lacuna Paris Shoes - Maison Margiela

Being different in a world that doesn’t want you to be different In conversation with Wooly and the Uke Interview Johanna Urbancik @johannaurbancik Photography Kanella Petropoulou Wooly and the Uke is an audiovisual artist and writer from South Asia, previously based in Berlin. Born in Lahore, Pakistan, the artist’s socio-political backdrop has profusely influenced her artistic expression, with an ever-growing appetite for creative freedom. Her musical- and visual narratives are seemingly subconsciously placed within distant imaginaries around human fragility and perception and her sound can only be described as genre-fluid. Having recently released her single “Home”, Wooly and the Uke has shared her take on the question what and where is home? KALTBLUT caught up with Wooly and the Uke via Zoom and talked about her experiences in Pakistan, being different and how she incorporates all those experiences and emotions into her music.

Where are you right now? I am in my hometown Lahore right now! Pakistan is hot around this time – Berlin could need it a little! I can imagine! I really like your single “Home”. I am glad it resonates with you. Home is the intro to the EP These Days, actually! Oh nice, when is the EP coming out? When the producers are done with it! (laughs) At the moment, I am drafting the audio narrative along with some visual storylines. I believe this project must communicate the dialogue and plea clutched within – that is the only way it will encourage thought or a faint change where it is needed. Do you think your music is more influenced by western music or do you try to encompass South East Asian elements as well? I believe I am the embodiment of the sound I birth and nurture. In a colonial atmosphere of geographical restraint and questioned identities, I have found the influence selective and collective, yet fleeting - be the influence from South Asia, South East Asia, or the West. In South Asian society, especially Pakistan, most individuals, from a young age, are subconsciously ejecting themselves from their immediate context. The longing to escape often stems from societal policing. I have found personally that to have affected my levels of responsiveness, or appeal, towards those contextual elements you might be discussing. The art, however separate, becomes readily jumbled within the fight or flight. In the crucial time of my musical growth, the West had been more dominant in the narrative. In the naïve, black and white, and emotional mind of a young musician, what was less understood here felt easily communicated in the overtly “open” culture outside – the details seemed far less important than the freedom the outside world exhibited. Southeast Asia, too well like South Asia, seemed too close on the mental map – the colonial projection and consumption concealed much of the influence from elsewhere, which revealed as I grew outside that bubble. I want to embrace more. 83

Nice! Coming back to your single, you’ve said that the dark setting is there to do justice to what’s going on in Pakistan. Can you tell me a little bit about that? There is violence. Then, there is desensitization. Then, there is an eerie yet familiar atmosphere of “but this isn’t new!” as if waiting to say, “well, isn’t this new!” The dark setting becomes almost dark comedy in such a turn of events. What is urgent in other societies is stacked lower than the lowest subcategory of human rights in countries where poverty overshadows and often excuses inflicted tyranny. In such a setting, commenting or revolutionizing through art can also effortlessly be measured in competition. “Of course, it is easier to show your nation’s flaws than to show the beauty of our mountains and rivers! Propaganda!” No. This is real. We need a mirror, just as much as the play of illusions. There is no one being entertained by becoming entertainment. I’m really sorry to hear that, and as you said, it’s really hard to imagine that, as we’re so privileged here. There are no words. Why I like sound – it is an instrument that follows its rhythm of communication and is relentless in its travel – the language spoken, your background or privilege are additional embellishments that give it color. For me, I am communicating my message to you through frequencies, which I can only hope you receive and understand. The message is universal. Do you see Pakistan as your home or Berlin? I am learning, slowly yet surely, I am home. In Pakistan, the class disparity makes some see others as aliens. In a foreign land, you are an alien. The difference between an alien and a fellow is that of conformity.

That seems to be the case when it comes to immigrants and refugees in Western countries. You see all those articles praising refugees who came here from Syria for example who learned German within one second and are juggling eight different jobs to prove that they’re “worthy” of being here. It’s horrible. Tell me a little bit about the video for “Home”. It’s a very dark video, too. Home is an ode, as much as it is a plea – to accept those less understood, less accepted, the unlucky to be deemed otherly. There are countless lives taken, shaken, or gently pushed under a veil. The cloth is grief turned shelter from inflictions and labels – outlander, suggestive, too less, too much, too strange, too sexual, too damn different. I want all of us to look around, to recognise the burden each carries in secrecy – the guilt, like shackles, heavy with each secret. We carry many homes away from home – homes within people, places afar, and within the clouds where we feel safer than reality. How would you compare the Pakistani music industry to the German? The local music industry of Pakistan squeezes more personal resources out of the musicians. There is art, there are artists, but also dwindling infrastructure to support music production and distribution. The previously popular record labels have exited, fundings make a rare appearance and piracy triumphs. However, globalisation has bridged the newer artists with the vision of musical achievements elsewhere. They are connected with the image of what could be and should be their future, too. This has stimulated a spike in creating those platforms that lack. In Berlin, music facilitation revolutionised as a long-held priority. In Pakistan, the industry is reinventing itself, and is adamant to get what it deserves.

“Being different can be like the arcade game where a mole pops up randomly, and someone has to whack them. If you’re lucky, you are noticed but go unscathed back underground.” If someone strikes, there might be applause and a reward on your fall.

And would you say that Pakistani musicians are singing in their native language, or is it still very Anglo-centric? The naïve or more intellectually colonized bubble is bursting. I have observed it to become increasingly “sexy” to take ownership of your origins. There is an atmosphere of fusion, and to use language as symbolism. I find that interesting, because European musicians are slowly embracing their native languages and are embracing their cultures again, such as the SouthEast Asian collective Daytimers in the UK for example. I find that inspiring! Isn’t being “different” very dangerous? The “differences” are treated in distinctive ways depending on if underground or screaming overground. There are preferences laid in concrete. However, most individuals are increasingly adapting to creating safer personas, channeling energy into finding loopholes. Being different can be like the arcade game where a mole pops up randomly, and someone has to whack them. If you’re lucky, you are noticed but go unscathed back underground. If someone strikes, there might be applause and a reward on your fall.

How can you pursue your music, which is quite personal, in a climate like that? In such conditions, the juggling of façades and play of words can be a smokescreen. This act can be called performance art supplementary to the art created! It can be frightening to dance in the face of danger, be it turned away from the monster or looking it in the eye. You can migrate or choose to express while staying – either case is still a reminder of the contextual presence. However, knowing that resilience and collectivity exist between you and what is ahead can be of consolation. I aspire to find a free voice. It’s awful, I have no words. You’ve mentioned your EP earlier, will the whole EP deal with those issues? The E.P. These Days hopes to instill curiosity and questioning while also putting tales of lost love and hopes of rejoicing on the table – a tale familiar to many regardless of borders.

Follow Wooly and the Uke @woolyandtheuke

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Photography Johannes Brauner @johannes.brauner Model Marcos Acheampong signed at Spin Modelmanagement @marcosacheampong @spinmodelmanagement Styling Marcella Verweyen @marcellaverweyen @agency_bigoudi @ligawest_melanie_klein Hair & Make up Marco Alecci @marcoalecci_hh @ballsaal_artist_mgmt Assistent Ibrahim Cavas@ibrahimcvs

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Let’s celebrate the spiritual and mystical, the non human, alien and cyborg In conversation with Ford Kelly Interview Naikee Simoneau @naikee_simoneau

Ford Kelly is an Artist using mixed media to express rage, pain, joy and feelings experienced blackness as a Black Trans queer Alien living in this world. Using an Afrofuturism frame for their digital collages, Ford Kelly is sharing a Blackness reality wrote and made by Black people and reclaiming the basic right to just be. Hi Ford, tell us a little about your creative background, when did you first start doing collages and how did you come to it? As long as I can remember I have been into art and making things. Some Children found their worlds in books and I found mine in Art and designing. I liked the idea of a being able to see the creative things I imagined come to life whether it was through drawing, making clothes or craft work. I was fascinated with how things were made. It has been the easiest way for me to express myself, find myself within, or merely getting lost inside. Art was the most natural path I felt to take when deciding what to study. I studied Fine Art and then went on to doing visual effects work,... However a few years ago I got into more consistently working with Digital Collages within an Afrofuturist frame. What medium/tools do you feel most comfortable with when creating your work? You could say that I’m drawn strongly to everything DIY. I don’t feel like I’m bound to one medium or one project, or even one area. I’m fascinated with many aspects of art and design and want to explore as many areas and mediums as I feel like. But currently for the collages the digital world suits me. Your illustrations refer to politics, gender, race… Do you think that as an artist it’s your duty to be engaged? I’m not sure it’s possible to create art as a Black (Trans Queer) Alien without this coming up in the work in someway or another. I don’t have the luxury of being able to pick and choose when or how I’m seen by the outside world so these identities become quite present in my day to day life. Sometimes my rage fuels me to keep engaged sometimes my hope does the same. 102

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I think often as Black artists we are looked on to create work that gives room to the personal and political. Art seems to be an acceptable platform in which we can be as candid and confrontational without being deemed too much. My art is the vessel in which I use to narrate or start a dialogue and exchange. I find it very cathartic to illustrate these worlds in my head without having to heavily theorize them. What does Afrofuturism mean to you and how is this reflecting on your work? I work within Afrofuturism as a way of visualizing the endless possibilities in which we as Black people can reimagine our histories and stories that led to the Now. Afrofuturism for me is a dreamscape and a form of resistance. It can portray a side of the past, present and future that is not only filled with hope but is also about devastation. A way to give space to both the optimistic and pessimistic narratives. Afrofuturism is still an artform that centres and belongs to us as Black People. It’s about linking the diaspora beyond the usual US, dominant narrative, bringing elements of the Caribbean and beyond into focus. It’s about the celebration of the spiritual and mystical, the non human, alien and cyborg. There is space within Afrofuturism to look into gender variant, queer and Dark skin Black representation. To look into narratives beyond the Black Kingdoms and Wealth as excellence. But also how we can just exist. How is your creative process, could you take us in the different steps when you start a new piece? It starts and moves into late night musings… What is the message you want to get across to viewers of your work? That there is no one form a path of Blackness! You just released your second Coloring Book – The Afrofuturist Coloring Book: The Dreamscape Edition. How did you come up with the idea to create a coloring Book. I used to work as an Early Childhood Educator and would create my own worksheets and coloring pages for the kids. It was important for me to have material that was gender fluid and racially diverse. One thing I noticed back then was that most of the material available for kids were very normative even when trying to show a life outside of the box. 107

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I don’t have the luxury of being able to pick and choose when or how I’m seen by the outside world so these identities become quite present in my day to day life. Sometimes my rage fuels me to keep engaged sometimes my hope does the same. Then last year I set myself a project of Blackness in its darkest hues represented more and more here in creating a coloring book for a friend which Berlin. led me to thinking again about what kind of Coloring books were available for Black What do you wish for the future? Kids and Adults and what kind of book I I wish for rest as a means of Black reparations would have appreciated when growing up. What other work/artist do you find really inspiring right now? The past few years there is a lot of new Iki Yos Piña @ParchitaPower conversation hitting the mainstream, N.K Jemisin Black lives matters, colorism, … As a Nalo Hopkinson dark skin person living in Berlin, did you Paul Lewin feel, see any evolution arounds you? Peng Black Girls - Enny feat Amia Brave I think it’s mainly going in cycles Dj Bone Black @dj.bone.black and trends. Somehow there are now more events and discussions around What is your ultimate goal? AntiBlackness, Rest, Rage and Colorism To have a space for Black Queer and Trans people to come together and rest, dream and create. from groups and Organistations who had never touched on the topic. It’s almost like they are catching up with the Black people who have been doing this work Follow for a longtime. I like that Blackness and Ford Kelly its nuances are framed in the center @SoyFordKelly and there isn’t room for Blackness to be a second thought. I love that we see @ theafrofuturistcoloringbook

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Olli Hull Act Normal Words Lewis Robert Cameron @lrcfashionstylist Fashion by Olli Hull @ollihull Photography Todd Oliver @todimusic_ Models BJ Mcneill @beejmcneill Konstantin Zemskovas @knstntn_222 Amaan Zabir @amaanzabir Patryk Kostrzewa @edgabe95

Fresh from his introspective exhibit of his own experiences as a young, queer, British designer, artist Olli Hull talks to KALTBLUT about his recent installation Act Normal and what it means to be a queer creative in a world filled with constant conflict, fear and isolation. Hi Olli, first of all congrats on the exhibition and thank you for inviting Kaltblut to come along. We loved it. How have you found the response? It was a bit overwhelming! I don’t think I had fully prepared myself for how it would feel to have all of my insecurities, thoughts and feelings on display for everyone to see like that. There was a funny moment on the day I was setting up, my parents walked into the exhibition whilst I was trying to hang a naked portrait of myself with the words “I can’t say how I feel but I can send nudes to strangers online” written across it in big pink writing… The whole thing made me feel super vulnerable but I was really moved by some of the conversations I had with people who had related to some of the themes in my work, and that made it all worth it. What made you create the Act Normal exhibition and how did it come about? ‘Act Normal’ was about deconstructing and challenging the concept of ‘Normality’. As someone who grew up thinking

that I wasn’t ‘normal’, and who was bullied for being different, I really wanted to turn the question around and ask everyone else “well what is ‘normal’ anyway?”. I wanted to reveal some of the hypocrisy in the things that our society has accepted as normal and rejected as not. Let’s go back further and talk about when you realised you wanted to become an artist/designer. Was there a light bulb moment for you and what was it like? I’ve wanted to make art since I was a child, but around 2 years ago whilst I was working as a hairstylist I made the decision to pursue a career as an artist full time. I’d been reading this book and there was a chapter that basically said that any career you choose to pursue inevitably comes with a shit sandwich. For example, you could be working in a really well-paid office job and the perks might be amazing but the shit sandwich you have to eat every day is that you really wanted to be a writer. However, the shit sandwich you’d have to eat if you chose to be a writer would be that statistically you would probably never write a best-seller, and you might be consistently broke, but on the flip side you’d get to do the thing you loved… so which shit sandwich would you rather eat? I know it sounds a bit whack and maybe obvious to a lot of people, but it was a pretty big lightbulb moment for me. I quit my hairdressing job that week. OK. All I can think of right now is Ross from Friends and ‘’MY SANDWICH’. I’m glad it has worked out for you as it can be a huge risk.. Where is your safe space as an artist? 113

My safe space is when I’m alone in my studio, I’m disconnected from social media, my phone is on airplane mode, and I’m playing my ‘Safe Place’ playlist which is full of my favourite John Martyn and Joni Mitchel songs. Oh, and if it’s raining outside then even better! Sounds like a dream. Can you tell me what queerness mean to you? Queerness for me is making decisions that aren’t influenced by what other people think. It’s looking in the mirror and not saying to myself ‘Is this acceptable? Does this make me worthy of love?’. It’s setting my own boundaries and making my own rules about my life, relationships, career and sex. Rules that are based on my own judgment of love and kindness, in line with my truth and not what society has told me to be true. What inspires you as a designer and as an artist? Inspiration comes at me from everywhere. I can be listening to a song, or in a session with my therapist, or watching The Real Housewives and I’ll think ‘I need to paint that’. I absorb lots of pop culture, podcasts, internet memes, and the news, mix that all together with my own inner chaos, chew it up and I spit out a wedding dress covered in graffiti. We love a graffiti moment. Speaking of moments, how has the last year impacted or influenced your creative process? I was fortunate enough to have a roof over my head and a space to create, so I decided I would spend isolation improving my craft and making the most of this time without distractions. I tried to go back to basics with my creative process and focused on making art that was just for me and not influenced by the approval of others. I also tried to let go of the idea that my work had to be ‘perfect’ or ’finished’ which helped me to fall back in love with the process of making art rather than always focusing on the outcome. The current climate is pretty challenging, how have you been able to evolve and adapt in your work? My art is my coping mechanism. When the world is on fire and those who are supposed to be doing something about it aren’t doing so, that’s when I get my paintbrush out and take all of that anger and frustration out on the canvas. Or if there’s something challenging happening that I don’t understand or can’t process, I’ll scribble down ideas and doodles into my sketchbook. It helps me to create meaning from the chaos of life. 114

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Your work is super expressive and adaptive in that it can translate across a multitude of formats. Do you have any plans to expand? The sofas looked amazing. We need an Olli Hull sofa at Kaltblut HQ. Absolutely! I’d love to create more furniture and household objects as well as my clothing. I love the idea that art doesn’t need to be on a white wall or in a posh gallery. In fact, I think right now with everything going on in the world, that is one of the last places art needs to be. We need to be wearing art, sitting on it, eating off it! I believe art has so much power to open up conversations and influence positive change. Your designs have featured heavily in music videos, most recently the wonderful James Indigo’s video ‘Van Gogh’ wearing the Annulment Dress. Who would be your all time dream collab with any musician dead or alive and why? Dolly Parton! That woman is a saint sent from queer heaven. I have so much love and respect for pop artists who manage to stay grounded, humble and remain a positive force in the world that goes beyond their music. A Dolly stan we love to see it. Tell me more about how you incorporate the themes of consumerism and the impacts of fast fashion and social media within your work? I like to use lots of pop culture references and symbolic imagery such as iPhones, masks, crowns, demonic faces and exaggeratedly proportioned bodies. I use these in an attempt to form a visual language that represents our societies decaying human nature, that is masked by the spectacle of consumerism, fashion, beauty, reality TV, and social media. There’s a lot of text in my work too, which I use as a way to parody the ‘shadow self’; the part of us that’s trapped inside an egotistical bubble of materialism, greed and entitlement. How are you working sustainably? I really try to keep sustainability at the core of my brand. Everything I sell is up-cycled or reworked from second hand pieces and scrap fabric. All my wedding dresses came from eBay or Depop, and I love raiding charity shops! It’s estimated that 92 million tonnes of textile waste are created every single year globally, and 85% of that ends 116

up in landfill. There is so much fabric and clothing that already exists that could be reused or recycled. There really is no need to keep producing new things other than to satisfy the unhealthy need to consume. I want to try and help to change that and normalise wearing upcycled, vintage and second hand. As a designer you are big on wearable art, how do you find the balance between creativity and commerciality as a brand? I’m constantly re-balancing. As much as I like to create work that is totally from the heart and not influenced by the approval of other people, it’s obviously really rewarding when people want to buy my work, and ultimately, it’s people buying and wearing my work that is going to get my message out into the world. I’ve found that listening to my audience has helped to influence and push my work in ways I may not have considered, and if anything, this has contributed to my creative process. I have to pull myself back every now and again and ask myself ‘what message am I communicating and is this in line with my values?’. Finally, what can we expect to see from Olli Hull in 2022 and beyond? I feel as though ‘Act Normal’ was both the end and the beginning of a stage in my career and my life. It was my first collective body of work, and when I stood in that room and looked around I could see so much progress and so many different avenues for me to explore further. I’ve also got some exciting collaborations coming up over the next few months so I can’t wait to take everything I’ve learned from my exhibition and apply it to these new projects. I can’t wait to share it with you all! We can’t wait for you to share it with us and we will be holding out for that Dolly Parton collab.

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