With tea drinking continually on the rise, Fellow set out to make the process even easier with their latest product called Raven. The sleek stovetop kettle was designed to make the best cup of tea possible with its built-in steep-range thermometer that displays optimal brewing temperatures for green/white, oolong, and black tea.

Raven also comes with an integrated tea filter that lets you steep after the water is heated within the same vessel. That means three easy steps: heat, steep, and enjoy!

A weighted handle makes for an easier, more balanced pour.

Whit this vintage photo of a man with a stereoscope camera from 1904, I am kicking off my traditional two week summer vacation in the Swiss Alps! Look out for photos of green rolling hills, cheese and cows over on my Instagram.

Sagmeister & Walsh has completed a rebrand and visual campaign for New York fashion label Milly. The team has applied its rich and vivid art direction trademark to create a campaign that will be produced in print, digitally, and across social platforms.

Read more

The Heads of State have done it again. We’ve celebrated their work on DM before and this time we’re no less impressed…

The Philadelphia-based design firm has designed a collection of posters called ‘Funeral for a Home’. The purpose of the project was to commemorate the fall and subsequent rebirth of the Philadelphia housing stock.

Each poster was created for a city-wide event celebrating the architecture and neighborhoods of Philadelphia.

Uhm, yeah, I am definitely member of the Mixed Emotions Club.

Designer Benjamin Hubert, of Layer, designed the new Cradle collection in collaboration with Moroso that consists of a high-back chair, a low-back chair, and a room divider. What makes this trio of furniture stand out is the knitted mesh material that’s featured on each piece. Taking inspiration from materials technology used in the manufacturing of footwear, the flexible material is 3D knitted allowing people to choose the two colors.

The pieces utilize a new three-dimensional stretch textile that Layer developed with an Austrian textile factory that provides the necessary support with only a fraction of the material a traditional mesh requires. The new technology helps reduce the amount of material on the backrests while still providing comfort, much like that of Nike’s Flyknit technology, which can be found in the upper of its footwear.

The chairs have a knitted backrest that conforms to the body and provides the appropriate support to the person’s shape making it comfortable. The mesh is made with Trevira CS for support and polypropylene for elasticity.

The seat of the chairs is made of soft, cushioning foam, which absorbs the impact of sitting and helps support the user’s weight, like the foam sole of a shoe when running.

The room divider uses the same stretch textile on its simple frame providing a sense of privacy through a visually dynamic design.

Craft Combine is a Korean design studio focusing on creation during the design process, rather than starting with a final product in mind. In their collection Woo Ji, they use traditional materials found in Korea to investigate and create their own design language.

Instead of starting with a set idea of what the finished product should look like, Craft Combine is inspired by the raw material and design process itself. In Woo Ji, they use Hanji, a traditional Korean paper that’s tougher than normal paper and has thermal protection along with good air-permeability properties. They also use Hanji in the jumchi method, which is similar to laminated bending. They pile up several sheets of Hanji to make a tighter, combined wood veneer-like surface. They further complemented the paper with copper rods to improve the strength and add a sleek, metal accent. The results are a series of five small pieces, including trays, a pen holder, a vase, and lighting.

Photos by Park Yoon.

Josh Sperling’s work is the kind of art that makes you pause and try to figure out how it’s made. It also inspires all kinds of ideas as to what each abstract piece might be, kind of Rorschach-like. The New York-based artist’s work features bold, contemporary colors and structured shapes that form abstract paintings of interlocked canvases. The components of each sculptural painting are made from stacked wooden shapes with painted canvas stretched around them. The pieces then fit together into a geometric puzzle. The texture created from the stacked wood below gives each shape an extra layer of interest.

For more information, contact the Joshua Liner Gallery.

It’s hard not to be attracted to the Magnetica pendant lamp (nor refuse the opportunity for a good pun…). Designed by Vittorio Venezia in collaboration with Andrea Signoretto and manufactured by LUCE5, this modern lamp uses the force of magnetic attraction as the center focus of its design. Magnetica is made from blocks of solid aluminum with magnets at its extremities that pull the two components of the lamp towards each other. Its unique, airy feature makes this lamp almost like a lighting installation that explores the relationship between light and space.

Watch the Magnetica Lamp in action:

Photography by Francesca Ferrari.

Aside from not having more US distributers, Hay can do no wrong in my book. These reversible Mega Dot Quilts hit the target for lighter summer bedding. I recently purchased another one for my home, as it’s the perfect weight for summer nights, and was delighted to find the price has decreased quite a bit from a couple of years ago. That certainly doesn’t happen often. If you’d rather have a smaller size as a throw for the cooler evenings or for a smaller children’s bed, there’s the Baby Dot Quilt for $99.00.

Material: Cotton, poly fill

Mega Dot Quilt, $325.00 $165.00
Size: 92.5″ w x 96.5″ l

Mini Dot Quilt, $186.00 $99.00
Size: 49″ w x 69″ h

(note: an American queen mattress is 60”x80)

Updated; originally posted Jun 5, 2014.

Deux architectes Tomaso Boano et Jonas Prišmontas ont imaginé, Minima Moralia un studio d’artistes modulable à bas coût, à monter soi-même. Constitué de cadres en acier, de bois et de panneaux en plastique, cette création pourrait être une des solution destinée à des créatifs qui ne parviennent pas à se trouver un espace de travail.

Jon Burgerman is a UK born, NYC-based artist instigating improvisation and play through drawing and spectacle. He is a purveyor of doodles and is often credited and referenced as the leading figure in the popular 'Doodle' art style.

His work is placed between fine art, urban art and pop-culture, using humour to reference and question his contemporary milieu. His is a pervasive and instantly recognisable aesthetic that exists across a multitude of forms including canvases, large scale murals (indoor and outside), sculpture, toys, apparel, design, print and people (as tattoos and temporary drawings).

Jon studied Fine Art at The Nottingham Trent University, graduating in 2001 with First Class Honours. If you're a fan of his work, then you'll be happy to know that he's launching a colouring and sticker book today. Called Burgerworld and published by Laurence King, it's jam-packed with big personality and doodle artworks, where you can colour and scribble strange monsters and mind-boggling creatures.

We spent half an hour chatting to Jon about his new book, his life, the universe, doodles and everything...

Tell us a little more about yourself. Where are you from originally? Where did you study?

"Hello! I was born in the middle of the UK. I am a middle child. I don’t like sitting in the middle on the back seat of a car.

"I studied Fine Art in Nottingham in the East Midlands of the UK. When I graduated I didn’t know what I was going to do. I knew what I wanted to do - draw and make things, but I didn’t know how that could be a career, or what you’d even call it. In a funny sort of way I think I've carved out my own little career that I’m not sure existed before - I am a doodler!"

What was the main trigger for starting a career in illustration? Have you always drawn?

"Yes, like all children I drew. It’s just that as we grow up a lot of people stop drawing. It’s nothing unusual to draw as a child. It’s perhaps more unusual to keep drawing anthropomorphic pizza slices on skateboards well into your thirties.

"Whilst I do some illustration work from time to time I don’t think my career is in illustration. I don’t really do editorial pieces and the like (no-one ever asks me). If I relied solely on illustration work I’d of starved long ago."

Can you briefly talk us through your creative process, from planning (if this applies) to finished illustration?

"Thinking is the first thing. I think about what I might make and how it might feel. How it might feel to make it and how it might feel at the end of the process when the viewer is looking at it.

"Then I try and describe the feeling through drawings in ink. I take the drawings I like the best and, depending on the project and who it’s for, will scan them in.

"Once scanned I might clean them up at bit in Photoshop and then colour them in. And then it’s done. The process is very simple and often quite quick. The thinking and the feeling can take a long time though."

Did you find it tough to break into the industry? Or did you find success early on?

"I don’t think I’ve broken into any industries. I feel like a perpetual outsider. I’m not quite a proper artist, I’m not a designer, I’m not an animator or musician although I love to dabble, I’m not much of an illustrator… I’m a bit of all these things and don’t snuggly fit into any of these brackets. This is fine by me of course. I’m like Groucho, not wanting to belong to any club that would have me.

"I got a break early on to make an LP cover for Charles Webster. That was the first proper time someone paid me to make an artwork for them. I made a painting, it was photographed and then used as his record sleeve.

"Following that I did a bunch of other house music record sleeves and things, slowly, started to pick up. It was a whole new world for me, I had no idea you could be commissioned to make paintings and drawings for people to use commercially."

What challenges have you faced? And how have you overcome them?

"Most of the challenges are self-inflicted - when you feel you’re not good enough to do what you want to do. Confidence is a really tricky thing. Too little and you stop working and too much and your work will probably suck. It’s a bit like garlic. You need to have it, it’s great, it makes most things excellent but too much and no-one wants you around.

"Challenges also come as you change and grow and the world around you changes too. You get new responsibilities, your body starts to disintegrate, technology moves on, changing how you work and why you work. The only way to try and overcome them is to keep moving too. Keep learning, changing, switching and developing your sense of humour.

"A good sense of humour is paramount to overcome most challenges."

From your experience, what piece of invaluable advice would you give to a graduate or budding illustrator that you wish someone had given to you?

"Don’t worry so much. You think everyone cares about what you’re doing but actually they’re all too busy caring about themselves. You are not that important!

"With that in mind, there’s less pressure on you than you think, so relax and try and have fun! When you’re having fun you’ll be loose and freed up to make something good.

"Don’t follow trends and never ever try and be cool."

You've found much success on social media, what's your secret? Any tips?

"Have I? My secret is to try and be interesting and keep things fresh. Once upon a time people liked seeing photos of my salads. Then everyone started photographing their lunches so it was time to move on. Lunch photos became boring. I’m interested in engaging with people on social. I think bringing people together is one of the magical things it can do.

"That said, a lot of people do find success by posting the same old stuff again and again. The same kind of work, against the same kind of backdrop with the same kind of vague inspirational quotes.

"As marketing generally attests to, repetition works, so perhaps ignore what I’m saying and just keep doing the same stuff over and over until people just give in and go with it."

You've worked with a wealth of international brands during your career, and have even had your work exhibited at The White House. What's been your favourite project so far and why?

"That is a tough one to answer as I’ve been lucky to make a lot of fun stuff. Perhaps designing a race track for the video game WipEout is one of my favourites. I’d love to do more work in the world of video games!"

"Creativity exists everywhere... I don’t especially buy that it matters where you’re located to get noticed. If you make good work, and it’s easily accessible, people will find you."

You've worked on a colouring book with Laurence King called Burgerworld. Do you think the trend for adult colouring books has provided more commercial opportunities for illustrators like yourself?

"Colouring in books have existing for a long time. It’s fun that they’re now a thing for adults and I’m sure it’s opened things up for some artists and illustrators. My book is meant for adults but I think it’s for adults with a child-like sense of humour. Actually I don’t know who it’s aimed at, I just made it to amuse myself and I’m pretty immature.

"Anything that gets the general public engaged with art is a good thing. So if more grown ups are doing colouring in books and getting into illustration and design that way then I’m sure it’s going to open up more opportunities for illustrators in general."

How do you feel the creative scene differs between the UK and the US? Would you say there is more opportunity there?

"I think there’s more positivity in America. Everything is ‘awesome’ over here, whilst in London it’s a bit more ‘alright’!

"Creativity exists everywhere, there are opportunities everywhere. The bulk of my career was done whilst I lived in a tiny flat in Nottingham, so I don’t especially buy that it matters where you’re located to get noticed. If you make good work and it’s easily accessible people will find you."

Who or what inspires you?

"Nature and people, and how they love and hate each other."

Can you talk us through your essential illustration toolkit?

"A black pen and a white piece of paper. It really can be that simple."

What is the strangest request you've ever had?

"Someone asked if I could doodle on their breasts."

Titillating!... Sorry. So what's next for Jon Burgerman?

"Making more books! And more animations! And a trip to Seoul and Tokyo in August and September."

To discover more about Jon Burgerman, visit www.jonburgerman.com or follow him on Instagram or Twitter. If you're interested in Jon's new colouring book – Burgerworld – then visit Laurence King to grab a copy.

Image Credit: Bas Berkhout

Artist Endre Penovác (previously here and here) depicts mysterious cats and ethereal roosters with a carefully perfected watercolor technique using diluted inks. Instead of trying to control his brushstrokes, Penovac seems to let the medium run amok across the canvas as it bleeds in every direction, and yet even these happy accidents result in precisely rendered paintings. Seen here is a collection of paintings from the last year or so, but you can see more originals and prints on Saatchi Art.

Hyperrealist painter Kevin Peterson paints fairytale-like interactions of children and wolves, birds, and bears in scenes much different than the pastoral worlds of storybooks. Instead Peterson places the unlikely packs in distressed cities filled with decaying buildings and urban detritus. Despite the worn surroundings, the young girls in the paintings maintain a sense of innocence while they bravely explore the streets with their powerful compatriots.

“My work is about the varied journeys that we take through life,” explains Peterson in his artist statement. “It’s about growing up and living in a world that is broken. These paintings are about trauma, fear and loneliness and the strength that it takes to survive and thrive. They each contain the contrast of the untainted, young and innocent against a backdrop of a worn, ragged, and defiled world.”

The Houston-based artist studied at Austin College in Sherman, Texas where he received his BFA in 2001. Peterson is represented by Thinkspace Gallery in Culver City, California. You can see more of his work on their website and his Instagram. (via This Isn’t Happiness, Faith is Torment)

Jeremy Booth is a designer and illustrator from Louisville, Kentucky. His bold, cartoonish style is bright and colourful, with hints of pop art and 1960's influences. The images below portray a selection of Jeremy's work, taken from his Radio, Bar Maid and Joel Bear x Jeremy Booth collections.

Of the Joel Bear x Jeremy Booth collaboration, Booth explains: "About a month ago I met Joel Bear in Los Angeles. Soon after I began following his work on Instagram and noticed his love for harsh lighting and dark shadows.

"His style is very similar to mine but in a different context. I reached out to him weeks later to see if he had any interest of a collaboration. That collaboration consisted of taking three of his photos and creating my own illustrative interpretation.

"Those photos and illustrations are side by side below. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did creating them."

To discover more of Jeremy's work check out his portfolio on Behance.

Via Behance | All images copyright of Jeremy Booth

In her series The Masked Ball, Canadian artist Aganetha Dyck takes broken porcelain sculptures of 17th century characters and fixes them by collaborating with bees – yes, bees – to coat them in a protective layer of honeycomb.

With over 20 years experience working with beekeepers and scientists, Aganetha is interested in environmental issues, specifically the power of the small. She is interested in inter species communication, and her research asks questions about the ramifications all living beings would experience should honeybees disappear from earth.

In this particular series, she places each object inside a bee hive and allows its inhabitants to get on with their work, leaving nature to take its course. The resulting waxy sculptures demonstrate all that is possible thanks to nature's most efficient designers – bees, the very species we should try harder to protect. If you love Aganetha's work, discover more interesting creations at www.aganethadyck.ca.

Via Creators Project | All images by Peter Dyck

This bold poster series by Ingrid Picanyol is inspired by the Mexican architect Luís Barragá. Created during the designer's stay in Mexico City, the colourful architectural shapes provide a fun and unique approach to portraying landscapes through graphic design.

The Barcelona-based designer explains: "Each project is meticulously researched, every avenue explored, with a bespoke visual language being the end result. Design is a type of communication. It’s about the way an object or idea speaks to its audience."

Previous projects span the fields of graphic design and art direction, and Ingrid has lent her creative skills to all manner of client projects. Discover more of her work on Behance.

Via Behance | All images courtesy of the designer

In his series Vacancy, German photographer Ralph Gräf documents the empty rooms, staircases and corridors of abandoned houses and military bases, all waiting for a new lease of life. Looking at the decay and emptiness, he paints an eery picture of what humans can often leave behind.

Opposing aspects in his images generate real suspense. For instance, the almost clinical cleanliness of some rooms contrasts enormously with signs of dilapidation, while many are flooded with soft light, but contrast heavily with deep shadows. With a symmetric, central perspective – Ralph's photographs reveal the serenity of these interiors. Bright windows, with no visible structures behind them, only add to the mystery.

Ralph was initially captivated by abandoned and decaying buildings more than twenty years ago when he was still living in south Germany. His job-related move to Potsdam in 2006 quickly awoke his interest in the subject again, as the withdrawal of the soviet military forces in Germany, the annulment of the NVA (army of the GDR) and the end of the cold war left behind numerous empty, often historic buildings.

Speaking of his fascination with these places, Ralph said: "When taking photos of such buildings I don't just want to keep records of them. Rather, my aim is to capture the special mood of these abandoned, quiet rooms, which due to their vacancy and darkness evoke associations of an emotional mind trip."

If you love this kind of genre of photography, make sure you visit Ralph's website at www.graef-fotografie.de where he often shares his latest discoveries.

Via direct submission | All images courtesy of Ralph Gräf

In his ongoing body of work, New York City-based artist Adam Lister – featured previously – loves to create watercolour paintings of cult movies inspired by classic Atari and Nintendo 8-bit video games.

Breaking down each image into geometric abstractions, his pixelated artworks pay homage to some of the world's best loved films – everything from The Shining and Jaws to Alice in Wonderland and Edward Scissorhands. And if you grew up in the seventies or eighties, you'll feel a huge sense of comforting nostalgia, not just from enjoying his chosen reproductions, but from the 8-bit approach that will only remind you of happy days spent with your console.

His limited edition prints are available to purchase via his website. All prints are signed, numbered, and dated. Shipping normally takes between seven and 10 days.

Born in Fairfax, Adam currently resides in Beacon, NYC. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York, he has exhibited all across North America and Europe. Discover more at www.adamlistergallery.com.

Via direct submission | All images courtesy of Adam Lister

Photographer and graphic designer Paolo Pettigiani recently took a stroll through New York’s Central Park armed with an infrared lens and took a number of fantastic shots that show the iconic park in a whole new light. The usual green grass and trees are transformed into a bright cotton candy pink which vividly contrasts with the aquamarine sky. The 24-year-old photographer moved to New York from Turin, Italy only two weeks ago and has been busy documenting his views of the city on Instagram. (via Behance, This Isn’t Happiness)

Motoi Yamamoto (previously here and here) meticulously sculpts large scale installations formed from salt, tiny lines delicately arranged on the floor of galleries and museums. In his latest exhibition titled “Univer’sel,” Yamamoto has created two pieces in a 13th-century medieval castle in Aigues-Mortes, located in the south of France.

The first piece, ‘Floating Garden,” is installed in a circular room, appearing like swirling clouds or thick ocean foam. Without a walkway it is impossible to view the piece up close, viewers only able to view Yamamoto’s labor from afar. The second piece, “Labyrinth” is arranged in a stone passageway within the castle’s ramparts. The appearance of the work mimics the title, a maze that becomes more detailed the further it grows from a mountain-like pile of salt towards the back of the installation.

“Univer’sel” opened May 17 and also includes the salt works of Jean-Pierre Formica. Their work will be on display through November 30. (via Designboom)

Milan-based tattoo artist Mirko Sata focuses on serpentine designs, snakes that twist around his clients’ arms, hands, and legs. The snakes he creates are typically done in just two shades— stark white and deep black. Layering and curling these creatures around each other, Mirko Sata produces a sort of yin and yang, placing opposite colors together with a force that seems to transcend traditional black and white tattoos.

Mirko Sata tattoos at Satatttvision in Milan, and you can see more of his designs on Instagram and Satatttvision’s Tumblr. (via @thefoxisblack)

Designer and founder of Misawa Design Institute, Haruka Misawa (previously), has designed a series of minimal aquariums titled “Waterscapes” that include 3D printed objects inspired by undersea plant life. These works mimic coral and other aquatic flora that small fish use as hiding places, yet are all manufactured digitally. The objects are ones that would normal topple or crumble because of their own weight, yet because of their underwater location are able to exist as buoyant additions to the aesthetically pleasing fish homes.

Within the series Misawa has also designed bubbles of air within the aquariums that allow plants to thrive at the center of her creations. These meta environments appear like miniature fish bowls within larger aquariums, with plants floating at the top of the inner enclosures. These works were displayed recently in Taiwan in an exhibition titled “Waterscape” and you can see them in action in the video below. (via Design Milk)

Good luck trying to find an item of clothing not covered in cat hair.

Using your laptop before getting a cat:

Using your laptop after:

imgur.com

Doing laundry without a cat:

reddit.com

Doing laundry after:

imgur.com

---

View Entire List ›

I finally got around to watching Iris on Friday night. I was feeling particularly blue about the loss of Prince, one of the most original creatives to have ever graced us with their vision. While Prince made it OK to play characters in work and life, he reminded us that the weirdest parts of ourselves are the parts to be cherished rather than banished. Iris Apfel is one of the few living creators who speaks that same language.

Perched on a pedestal built from 90+ years of travel, style, and wisdom, Iris is an ultimate authority in breaking all the rules. In her eyes, there’s one way to approach life, and that’s as a maximalist. Iris’ approach to style was born at a time when a woman’s place was at home with the kids, when her bag had to match her shoes and they both had better match your outfit. When you think about the career she was building in the 50s, you really begin to understand what is at the heart of her style. It’s all about gut. It’s all about finding your own way through high expectations, tenacity, and a good dose of common sense. 

What struck me the most about the film was her take on beauty. It seems her maximalist aesthetic is partially the result of a lifelong wrestling match with the traditional definition of “pretty.” She was told at a young age that she’d never be pretty, so she might as well find another way to “make her way” in the world. Well, Iris defied those expectations in every sense of word, finding true love both in a partner and in her work, and in her twilight years breaking into the cookie cutter it-girl scene as the coolest if not the most authentic “geriatric starlet” in town. Bow down, ladies. 

At 94, Iris knows a thing or two about aging. Aging has never been easy, and if you’re a woman reading this, please nod with me knowing this is both a gross understatement as well as a very broad generalization. When my skin was glowing and I was hovering around 105 pounds, I hated my nose and was obsessed with my weight. When I was voted “Best Figure” in high school (please tell me they don’t allow that anymore) I was mortified and thought it was a practical joke.

In my mid-20s my first gray hair saluted itself to me in the mirror, and panic rose in my throat over what I was inevitably going to lose, and what this “loss” would mean for my small footprint in this big world. For most of my life, I had been “lucky” in not being hideous. What was I going to do when my looks went? Who was I going to be? It was a sad realization, and one I have spent many years avoiding and later decided to address head on with the tenacity and metaphorical speed of a 220lb linebacker.

A little older and wiser, when l beat myself up about things I should be grateful for, I remember that my looks are only a fraction of my being, and that I’m smart enough to rationalize my irrational thinking. And yet, this irrational thought, it is understandable…because it’s what we’ve been taught. It’s what our mothers were told, it’s what our mothers hoped we wouldn’t be told, but here we are. Pretty is good. But pretty, it fades.

This is where Iris Apfel nails it: she talks about how not being pretty made it necessary for her to be interesting. She said her friends who had gotten by on looks had a difficult time handling the aging process, so much so, it may have played a role in their demise. 

She has a point. Those with substance are generally survivors. They know how to fight for what they want, how to work for it. The best thing that can happen to a hungry, young creative is the word: no. To grow into a woman when there were so few options for free-thinking females, Iris’ tenacity for life and sticking it to the beauty & style industry have made her a magnet for those of us trying to navigate the modern rules of beauty and style.

You’re so much better off being interesting.

---

SHOP THE POST

Image Sources: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

The post What Iris Apfel Taught Me About Being Pretty appeared first on Wit & Delight.

In her ongoing body of work, Japanese artist Mariko Kusumoto loves to use polyester fabric and assemble it into three-dimensional wearable and sculptural jewellery pieces. Inspired by various sea creatures, her translucent forms are crafted into necklaces, brooches and even rings.

Speaking of her work, Mariko said: "My work reflects various, observable phenomena that stimulate my mind and senses; they can be natural or man-made. I 'reorganise' them into a new presentation that can be described as surreal, amusing, graceful, or unexpected. A playful, happy atmosphere pervades my work. Many of my pieces come from accidental discoveries. During the experimentation process, a breathtaking moment often happens. I catch those moments and develop ideas from that point.

"I love the translucency of fabric. Working with layers and adding moving parts creates playful, mysterious and ethereal atmospheres. I feel endless unlimited possibilities in these materials."

Born and raised in Japan, Mariko now lives and works in Massachusetts. She received her BFA in Painting and Printmaking from Musashino Art College in Tokyo, Japan, and her MFA in Printmaking from Academy of Art University, San Francisco, California. Her work is included in the permanent collections of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Kock Collection at the Swiss National Museum, the Racine Art Museum, and Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Florida.

Discover more at www.marikokusumoto.com. Or find her on Facebook.

Via direct submission | Photos by Mariko Kusumoto, courtesy of Mobilia Gallery

Picking out the enticing patterns and symmetry of Tokyo's streets and surrounding architecture, while playing with light and shadow – Japanese photographer Hiroharu Matsumoto's minimalist images form beautiful compositions that pay perfect homage to the world's largest city.

Instead of the usual hustle and bustle that we've come to expect from Japan's pulsating metropolis, Hiroharu captures lone individuals against dramatic backdrops, perhaps depicting the loneliness that one can often feel – even in such a busy, vibrant place.

Amazingly, Hiroharu only picked up a camera in 2015 – and opts for minimalist street photography where "light and shadow are felt in beautiful composition". You can discover more of his dramatic works at www.hiroharumatsumoto.com. Or follow his progress on 500px.

Via Ignant | All images courtesy of Hiroharu Matsumoto

After giving it some thought, I've decided I'd like to move into the candy-coloured world created by photographer, Pawel Nolbert.

Filled with bold blocks of neon, his images are a utopia for design lovers. The vibrant series provides a visual discussion on the topics of human memory, our perception of reality and the creation of a subjective, distorted reality on social media.

The New York-based photographer explains: "I took my travel photos and just like we all do before posting it, I messed around with them a bit...trying to create my perfect version of reality.

"We construct our reality in our own way. We do that everyday on our Instagram, blogs and other carefully curated outlets. Knowing that the world around us doesn't look like this, we somehow want to believe that all those often extremely filtered and post-processed images in our IG stream are actually the real thing.

"We never recall things exactly as they happened. We remember them in our personal way. One, true version of reality doesn't exist."

Check out more of Nolbert's work here.

Via Behance | All images courtesy of Pawel Nolbert

Holly Fox describes herself as a "Pantone loving, lipstick wearing, jewel collecting gal that's not afraid of a little leopard". A graphic designer by trade, the LA-based creative – originally from Chicago – loves to bake and ice colourful sugar cookies during her spare time.

Using her design skills and her obsession for bright colour, she crafts her own coloured icing to then paint on to the biscuit base, creating cookies based around various themes. From ice creams and swimming trunks to watermelons and flowers – you can see everything she hand-makes over at her Esty Shop where you can also purchase some for yourself.

There are even some cookies based on her creative career, with Pantone-inspired treats and miniature artist palettes. And if you need something in particular, Holly can custom-make your own set of sugar cookies.

If you love these sugar cookies as much as we do, give Holly a follow on Instagram where she regularly shares her latest colourful creations.

Via Etsy | All images courtesy of Holly Fox