January 2008
16 posts
Masaru Tatsuki’s Decotora Photo Op →
On a dark and rainy night, bright and blinding lights approach a vacant lot, off a Japanese highway - just if Shibuya’s blinking neon signs decided to move themselves past you… However, it’s some proud and lonely trucker halting for a rest! Welcome to the world of Decotora, short for decorated trucks! This pretty colourful […]
Mr. King – The Malaysian Seal Engraver →
While visiting the Malaysian city of Melaka recently, PingMag was lucky to stumble upon a small gallery in the middle of historical Heeren Street, aka Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock: King’s Seal Engraving is utmost proficient in the wonderful art of seals. PingMag shows you in very detail, how craftsman Ze-King Tham, often called only […]
Boogie: Bleak Street Lifes →
Serbian photographer Boogie grew up in the war-torn region of former Yugoslavia, documenting protests and the disturbing portraits of skinheads. After moving from Belgrade to Brooklyn in 1998, he started observing New York’s bleak street side of life with monochrome shots. Distinctively, his work isn’t emphatic. He doesn’t judge. He is more reporting on a […]
Control: Life of Ian according to Anton Corbijn →
On May 18th, 1980, a 23-year-old man hanged himself in his flat in North West England: Ian Curtis, front man of legendary Joy Division. What since has become another tragic footnote of rock music history has finally been made into a biopic. Control is the first feature film of acclaimed Dutch photographer and video director […]
Wonderful Matchbox Art! →
Tokyo’s Omotesando district is known for its chic shopping mall and boutiques, but in the quaint Opa Gallery on a quiet side street a fascinating, albeit small, world of art can be found. An exhibition of matchboxes hand-designed by 100 different artists presents a world of mini-art. Today PingMag zooms in on the tiny works […]
Kakuyasu Uchiide’s Eyelash Creatures →
In Tokyo, you can wear these every night - in other cities, there will soon be Carnival. How about false eyelashes by Kakuyasu Uchiide! The brilliant Japanese head make-up artist of renowned Shu Uemura cosmetics will give you beauty obsessed people a tour through his current false eyelash collection for instant transformation into a mysterious […]
The Ghetto in Shin-Okubo: A Love For Skate Culture →
The first time I stumbled upon The Ghetto it was actually not in its physical environment of Shin-Okubo - but in a vivid Flickr group. The thing is, you encounter Love Hotels, Asian restaurants and loads of shops selling star stickers of Korean singers in this diverse neighbourhood. But you wouldn’t fanthom finding a former […]
“Oshiri Kajiri Mushi”: Attack of the Bottom Biting... →
Have you ever been bitten by the mysterious “Bottom Biting Bug?” In Japan, many children and adults alike have caught the bug, so to speak, and have fallen for this misbehaving, animated bug known as “Oshiri Kajiri Mushi” since it aired on the “Minna no Uta” programme on NHK last year. PingMag had a chat […]
Chim↑Pom: An Art Squad of 6 →
Who would make a video of a cute young woman spewing up bright pink vomit? Who would pull a it’s me scam and direct the money into a complete stranger’s bank account? In the name of art, such interesting projects are being carried out by Chim↑Pom, a group of 6 artists who got together in […]
Wally Yacht: Stealth Bomber Luxury →
It’s not that we are getting elitist here. But today PingMag shows you a fashion mogul’s favourite luxury water vehicle - the Wally yacht from, where else, Monte Carlo. Developing super sleek, hi-tech powerboats and sail boats for the last fifteen years, Wally crafts boats from carbon fibre, with silhouettes that bring to mind […]
Chindogu: Form or Function? →
Headwear equipped with a loaded toilet paper dispenser?! What in the world for? Who came up with this and why? More importantly, who in their right mind would walk around with a bog roll on their head? Welcome to the world of chindogu. The Japanese phrase literally translates as “unusual tools,” but what is it […]
Guerilla Flowerpots in Tokyo’s Public Spaces →
Tokyo is not known for its greener pastures but for hypermodern architecture and a cityscape that looks like a future preconceived in the early 80s. “Wow! Amazing!” is how tourists usually react. But how do people actually live in this concrete urbanity? Given the lack of vast green spaces, Tokyoites are taking action: First, reclaim […]
WORLD DISC: A Run for Japan’s Province →
The annual Hakone Ekiden marathon relay is undoubtedly one of the major sports events of Japan’s New Year: More than your average share of TV couch potatoes usually cheer on the runners in their challenging heat through the hills of Hakone, showing that, throughout Japan, this sport has become pretty popular recently. That is exactly […]
Takao Sakai’s Bean Love →
Takao Sakai does food art. To be precise, he uses sticky red beans which he smears digitally on other people’s faces, if not literally on a Darth Vader helmet! One hilariously weird and simply awesome idea of referencing pop culture’s insignia with this very essential and traditional Japanese ingredient! PingMag wants to know all about […]
Holiday Special #3: Mari Kubota →
Our peaceful winter holidays are slowing to an end (too bad!!) In case you are still recovering from a New Year’s party - here is #3 of our Holiday Series to give you some energy through illustrations with a romantic touch: Look into these deep eyes surrounded by mountains of undulating hair… This mysterious girl […]
Holiday Special #2: Peepshow →
Happy New Year, everyone! We hope you had a nice bash, didn’t you? Now, to the second wonder of our Holiday Series - and first guest in 2008: London-based Peepshow started their career as illustrator collective. However, since their range keeps getting wider and wider, they deal now with almost everything from animation to art […]