friends of maiden: Machiko Motoi.

where i am.

wehere i'm going.

"MACHIKOmotoi's first ceramic collection is an honest representation of the moment.

The pieces are left unfired exposing the raw material and leaving them in their fragile state.

A drop of water can soften the surface... they are incomplete, vulnerable and comically inconsistent.

This is the moment of her ceramic practise that is growing with passion and determination.

The paintings have been made with hope to compliment the ceramic pieces.

This is where she is. This is where she's going."

Machiko is a dear friend i met through work, back in 2010. i clearly remember wanting to be good friends with her because i believe that the Japs are one of the coolest beings on this planet! haha, true story. being in Machi's apartment feels like you've just stepped into her own personal gallery. and i love it. i admire this girl's passion for art, social skills, and the fact that she looks like Jane Lane from Daria. did i mention that i'm going on an inspirational trip with this girl? drawing, capturing and discovering the world in all its 'ugliness'. the perfect person to share this journey with. bring. it. on!!

friends of maiden: Francisco Vernal.

 "Drawing is the only logical path for myself.

From when I scribbled it as a boy, till now and will continue to be.

This is a preview of what is to come from my minds eye."

out of all the artists in this show, Francisco would be the first one i crossed paths with (back in '97). but the thing is, i wasn't really aware of his talent until we re-met over a decade down the track. i have no idea what his piece for the exhibition looks like, so i'm crazy excited to finally see it in exactly a month's time. and it just so happens that it's my dear amigo's birthday today :) i adore this creature very much, for his energy, good company and positive guidance. he's like a wizard, a hippie, a nomad, and a giraffe all rolled into one. happy birthday my Chihiro!

where you want to be.

i want to make things look awesome, for the rest of my life. that is all :)

the summoning.

look what i have in the palm of my hands. freshly delivered. keep an eye out for the Friends of Maiden invite in an awesome hub near you, find us in and around town! or tag along on the official FB invite here.

friends of maiden: OS Accessories.

OS, a street accessory brand by multidisciplinary creatives AJ Omandac and Paul Jatayna in Manila, Philippines, revolves around the versatility of polyurethane bone reproduction as accessories. Raw and edgy, OS produces painstakingly handcrafted necklaces, bracelets, harnesses, and caps that are completely wearable -- giving your personal style some teeth.

not quite sure how i came across this label, but i'm crazy grateful that i did. not only do i own some bone pieces in my family of suicide wristwear, but i got the chance to meet and dine with the kids behind the wicked label back in February on my visit to the homeland.

what was meant to be a quick trade turned into an unexpectedly fun night over sushi and endless conversation! naturally, i cliqued with these two guys straight away. i honestly, for the first time in my life felt like i belonged and didn't feel self conscious. we all got to know each other pretty well in a course of a few hours. they've only been at it for a year or so, and they're already spreading their osseous matter crazily over in Japan! i adore these two for their humbleness, off-centred nature, their love of black and daringness to dream big! here's how they came about...

insert title here | OS designer (& founder)    

age | 22, 26

how did the both of you come together to create OS?

[AJ & Paul]: A trip to Baguio. We were walking along Session Road when we saw a snake spine - real one. We tried to wear it & wrap it around a regular Topman metal chain necklace & surprisingly it looked so good.

what were your inspirations behind this bone collection?

[AJ & Paul]: Initially we wanted to combine metal & bones. Now we want to experiment with combining bones with leather, or acid, or whatever that looks good with it.

what have been your biggest achievements to date?

[Paul]: I finally created my own fashion brand!

[AJ]: Creating something that moves (sells!) haha. A brand that we (I) totally believe in and could represent Philippine creativity.

describe your "style".[Paul]: I get inspired with anything 90's. I love the music, the fashion, the culture...[AJ]: I don't think I have a personal fashion style. Maybe in design or art I like natural, organic & something macabre.

were you outcasts in school?

[Paul]: Very much but I always hung out with other "outcasts" so I don't feel alone.

[AJ]: Yes! I was the fattest kid in school haha! And back then I was in the closet, so that probably outcasted me more.

FASHION is...[Paul]: more fun now because kids like me are into trying to create something new.[AJ]: a lifestyle, not just clothes & fashion accessories.

plug your label here:                                www.os-accessories.com

fall face first.

 if this is anything to go by, this exhibition will be nothing less than unconventional.
get excited, something wicked is coming around the bend.

friends of Maiden: Gin Francis.

Been fascinated with art pretty much all my life. Grew up with aspirations of becoming an animator and had a big passion for drawing. After high school, was very indecisive about going to uni so decided to just teach myself different things as long as it involved art: from dancing, visual arts, multimedia and now photography. Passion for photography stemmed from trying out an alternative way of portraying people as I felt that I was quite limited in doing so with drawing. Photography gave me much more freedom when it came to help convey my creative side and ideas.Took a chance and invested in my first camera end of 07. I love working with people, which is why my main focus is portraiture. I rarely use flash. I enjoy working with available light and always see it as a challenge in doing so.

My aim is to have my photos differ, yet at the same time still retain a certain style. I post process my work, with the goal of complimenting them rather than abusing them. 

 I always go by this saying from photographer Rodney Smith:
"choose photography for love rather than for fame, fortune and glory."

i met Gin through a shoot i styled for last year, which was used for Create Cosmetics online portfolio.
i chose him to join the circle of artists because his dark comic book style of photography intrigued me.
no professional training, just raw talent.

friends of maiden: Alexis Andrea.

"I am aspiring to be an awesome  children's book illustrator/author!

I absolutely love drawing and being creative... most of all, I love big belly laughs!" -A.

and so the press work begins... one of my favourite friends in the world is joining us once
again to collaborate on this momentous project. i've known Alexis since 2001, where
we met  in biology class. i like her because she shares her chip sandwiches with me. 

picture this.

 this is what i've been working on the past couple of weeks. our proposal for Gaffa Gallery. 

t'was proposed, considered... and now, accepted! 

280612.