Welcome to the blog of Johannesburg creative agency Nicework. A fine selection of the best creative ideas, art, design and advertising.
Catherine is Nicework’s resident wordsmith/copywriter. She studied at the University of Witwatersrand, where she majored in History of Art and English. She went on to complete her honours in English literature. She likes men with beards, cheese and drawing (not necessarily in that order).Do yourself a favour and watch this.
“A 2012 BAFTA award-winning short by Royal College of Art thesis film of director/writer Mikey Please. It’s mostly made out of some strange white stuff, found in the back of a stress cushion. Mikey worked with his brother Benedict Please who composed the soundtrack and score, as well as the vocal talents of cult actor David Cann who lends his voice here to Peter Eagleman.”
A flexible lighting system designed by Ontwerpduo that consists of different parts, which can connected to the wall and ceiling. The lighting system is made from coated aluminium, pu, and copper lampshades.
Photography: Lisa Klappe, Joost van Brug
We want to go to this place so badly.
“Babylonstoren is a Cape Dutch farm with vineyards and orchards surrounded by the dramatic mountains of the Drakenstein Valley. It has an exceptionally well–preserved werf dating from 1690. A fruit and vegetable garden of botanical diversity supplies a remarkable restaurant.”
The site houses a luxury hotel, a 26m long new conservatory that also doubles as a tea house, a Wine tasting space, as well as a bakery, cheese & charcuterie shop and a garden spa.
via: yatzer
Ping Zhu is an illustrator from Los Angeles, who is currently based in London. She graduated in 2010 with Honors from the Art Center College of Design. Her latest project is an illustrated concertina book, published by Nobrow, that is inspired by Tchaikovsky’s most famous ballet Swan Lake.
“It features the experience of going to the ballet- one side shows the performance while the other shows the backstage. Side story: I obsessively watched the Swan Lake ballet as a child, had a dream of becoming a ballerina, failed at that and became an illustrator instead. In a way, I got the best of both worlds!”
Evelin Kasikov is the London-based artist and designer behind these stitched portraits and her famous CMYK embroidery.
“The Portrait Project is a set of 10 stitched portraits, all based on the same grid. Images are created by using different stitching methods and thread thicknesses. The grid consists of squares, crosses and diagonal lines. Each image is created by using some or all of the layers.”
You will be sorely missed.
“Maurice Sendak, widely considered the most important children’s book artist of the 20th century, who wrenched the picture book out of the safe, sanitized world of the nursery and plunged it into the dark, terrifying and hauntingly beautiful recesses of the human psyche, died on Tuesday in Danbury, Conn. He was 83 and lived in Ridgefield, Conn. The cause was complications from a recent stroke, said Michael di Capua, his longtime editor.” (via: New York Times)
Here are some of the amazing images he has produced:
Bold graphic backgammon and checkers boards designed by Fredericks & Mae, an art/design team consisting of Jolie Mae Signorile and Gabriel Fredericks Cohen. The look and feel of the boards are inspired by the Shahr-e Sokhteh archeological excavation site, where a similar game was known to be played.
A rad wine packaging concept by illustrator Lydia Nichols that celebrates the California lifestyle. Each bottle features something quintessentially Californian from the PCH to the Redwood Forest.
Gabriel Corchero Studio designed the facade and interior for this cool cheese store in Madrid, Spain. The design is inspired by nature and makes use of sustainable, environmentally friendly materials. The interior features a vertical garden and custom made chestnut wood furniture.
via: design boom
Magpie Studio created this slick identity for Jackson Gilmour, an award-winning catering company whose staff includes Michelin-starred chefs and whose list of clientele includes the Queen. Here is a rationale behind the design treatment:
“Focusing on their unique offer as a chef-led catering firm – we devised a brand language reminiscent of cookery books and recipes. Add a dollop of typography inspired by copper pot hallmarks, a twist of the diagrammatic language of family trees, a tablespoon of very luxuriant print techniques, heat at a high temperature and enjoy.”
Nicework | All work copyright Nicework communications 2010
