I discovered Kinfolk through Bleubird Vintage. I have been searching for a magazine to call my own for a while now, Jon is subscribed to ‘National Geographic’ which is an excellent read but I wanted something more my style, something earthy, something simple yet full of sustenance & warmth and I believe Kinfolk has all these qualities and much more. It is beautifully presented with welcoming prose & breathtaking photography. The poetic words in each article roll off the page like a waterfall and you are enveloped in a world full of down to earth, creative individuals who value nature, organic food, the outdoors, simple pleasures like reading, the arts and gatherings. The magazine itself feels like a large paper back book and it’s pages have a matt,uncoated card like texture to them and it feels really satisfying to hold (unlike the usual flimsy paper quality of traditional magazines). Kinfolk are printed in Canada yet they are all about community & culture, they collects ideas from a growing international community of artists, writers, designers, photographers, cooks and others who are interested in creating small gatherings and finding new things to make and do, they even have a photographer & writer on the Kinfolk team, both are based in the South West, UK.
Each issue is like an exhibition filled with lush photography, lyrical essays, recipes, interviews, profiles, personal stories and practical tips along with a keen attention to design and details. I bought myself 2 issues to enjoy, the first one is all about weekend retreats, rest, idle day dreaming that is good for the soul & calming activities away from modern technology. The second one is about Japanese art & culture including beautiful Japanese sayings, recipes, the art of Japanese Gardening & Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging.) I thought even though this magazine is primarily for me I do think Jon would enjoy flipping through Kinfolk too; as an artist & photographer himself, I am sure he will savour the overall design & imagery and find it inspiring.
Kinfolk also have a beautiful website, short films & a stunning recipe book so if you haven’t already picked up a copy, I wholeheartedly recommend it. This magazine will be a treasure in my mini library collection for many years to come.
You can buy Kinfolk on Amazon.co.uk, here is the Japanese issue if you fancy treating yourself.
Other magazines I read on occassion are:
Geeked: This is both an online & printed arts & culture magazine, it’s compact and can easily fit in your side bag, it’s full of funky illustrations & designs and it’s articles has an urban feminist slant towards art, culture and gender. It also includes short comics, tasty vegan/vegetarian & organic recipes. This fire cracker of a magazine may be compact but it has a big voice and encourages it’s readers to be a part of a positive change towards others & the planet, engaging it’s readers to want to contribute to making the world a better place via cake, sarcastic comics & protesting against injustice towards gender, race, environmental issues via thought provoking articles and much more.
Tribe: An online Arts & media magazine. They are committed to collaboration, innovation and the promotion of creativity in all its forms. Tribe is a facilitator of new collaborations and creative ideas and is read in 142 countries and by around 250,000 people each month. It is jammed packed full of interviews with contemporary up and coming young artists, musicians and dancers, installation art and photographers. This is the go to magazine if you want to discover new projects, artists, exhibitions and art work you might like. They also support individual artists and enjoy collaborations, contact them to volunteer or even request to showcase your art through them?
Lionheart: A printed magazine and Blog that taps into my girly side. I am not very girly (although I am feminine) yet sometimes I like to take the plunge into my girly side sometimes and this magazine has a sweetness factor, like a cupcake it oozes pretty illustrations,Photography, cute stories, fashion tips and quaint interviews. This is where I discovered Bleubird Vintage because she was interviewed for Lionheart and thus through Bleubird I ended up discovering Kinfolk magazine (love it when that happens).Lionheart also includes cute dessert recipes & promotes art, craft, makers and locations ultra feminine readers may want to visit. It has a delicate warmth to it like a pretty lioness taking a bubble bath and drinking Chamomile tea from a vintage teacup yet it also encourages young women to roar with independence & vitality.