FYI MAGAZINE by Victoria Chris

MAY 2018 | VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1

MAG FYI AZ IN E

FOR YOUR INFORMATION MAGAZINE

THE Travel Trash! THE LIFEP.IN 24

LONDON

MULTI

Avoiding the phrase «I don’t have time…», will soon help you OF to LONDONERS realize that FROM you TALES do have the time needed

AROUND THE GLOBE

MAGA ZINE JUNE 2015

ISSUE â&#x201E;&#x2013; 1 TA B L E O F C O N T E N T 2. Hope talks about graffitti and London 6. Marius and wha'ts behind his inspiration

10. Mum I made it in the UK! 12. From Greece to London 14. Christa talks creativity 17. Starting over and taking things in you own hands. Gery talks business 19. London's night life, clubbing and festival scene.

2. Hope talks about London and Graffiti and style 6. Marius Matulevicius talks about inspiration 8.Martina talks about hailing and success 12. Violet and Viktor about challenges and opportunities in London 14. Close up with Christa 17. Gergana talks about owning a business in London 19. Night life in the city 20. Cardoz talks illustration

ED IT

I have noticed that two things happen when you live through an era of rapid change, as we are now. Firstly, there is an inevitable surge of artistic creativity and second the rebels and anti heroes who need a drastic change and they bring it. We witness the rise of the rebel: those who don't play by the normal rules, who flourish in chaotic, unpredictable times and welcome uncertainty without fear. FYI (for your information magazine) is dedicated to those people, the curious revolutionaries who dare to think differently. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made a newer, bolder, braver magazine to celebrate them and give these important, varied new voices a place to talk about who they are and what they stand for. I am incredibly pleased o share with you the first issue of FYI that I have created. This issue's highlight is creatives from around the globe living in London, we will explore their challanges and inspiration they get from the city, why did they feel the need of change and why did they decide to come to London. I interviewed different people, asking some of them the same questions about the city in order to provoke stimulating debates. Hope you enjoy this first issue of FYI.

OR Viktoria Hristova

“ My artform can be very subjective so I realise what I create is not to everyones taste. ”

icky Nicky Whalen is a popular London based graffiti artist. He's writer name is 'Hope' , which he's used since the early 90's. Nicky is popular for his in 'The London Black Book', which is a popular book including all the best London based artists, including Nicky (hope), and the legends King Robo and Bansky himself. I wanted to see how Nicky feels about being a creative in London and how has this influences his work YOU’RE A NEW ADDITION TO THE CRAYON BOX. WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE AND WHY? Rainbow blue! – Just a favourite colour from a long time ago. It was hard to get hold of at the time so I guess it kinda makes me a limited edition! WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW? I’m not working on any specific projects at the moment but as an artist, my work is continually evolving as a work in progress. My work can be quite sporadic, drawing influences from day to do activities and thoughts invoked from my time at work. 2

HOW DO YOU INCORPORATE CREATIVITY IN YOUR FREE TIME? As my favourite art form is a form of typography, I find myself influenced by a huge amount of visual advertising. Even if something is in a different language, I can still see the shapes and connections between letters that can be a great inspiration for a piece. I will either take a picture to recap or even a quick sketch just to remember a certain shape! – That loop on the side of a Singhalese sign? – that may have inspired a great ‘o’! WHAT ARTISTS DO YOU ADMIRE AND HOW DO YOU THINK THEY HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR WORK? Graffiti artists I admire are mostly the ones I grew up with, Praise, Asia and Mean. My style is heavily influenced by the older generations of London and New York graffiti writers and it shows in the way I construct my letters. As a traditionalist I tend to link my letters together and use shapes such as arrows and heavy/thicker bottoms – this was influenced by artists such as Cast.

NICKY TALKS GRAFFITI AND TYPE HOW DO YOU KEEP UP WITH INDUSTRY TRENDS? I try not to! Hahaha! I try to always be different and do my own thing, I stay away from trends.

WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR THE FUTURE ? Just to try and create more. Maybestep back into more complex pieces.

WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE? My style (Hopefully!) I like the idea omy letters being my own â&#x20AC;&#x201C; like your own personal font.

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR LAST PROJECT ? My last project was painted in west London for a friends birthday. Something pretty quick!

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE 90'S JAM? Funkmaster flex The Mix Tape, Vol. 1 WHAT WERE YOU LIKE IN HIGH SCHOOL? A nightmare! Very rebellious. DO YOU THINK BEING A LONDONER HAS SHAPED YOU LIKE A PERSON? I think the way I am is shaped by living in London. I have tried living in other places but its where I feel at home. TEACH ME SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW IN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES! You can’t say mmmmm for more then 7 seconds if you hold your nose… Even if you puff out your cheeks! WHAT IS THE MOST INTERESTING THING ABOUT YOU? I am a work in progress, always changing….

everyone needs to be a work in progress. you have to always change, never fit in. HAS INFLUENCED YOU AND HOW? London graffiti has always had its own unique style – It was one of the first places the artform first travelled to outside New York so has had a lot of time to develop into something quite distinctive. DO YOU THINK YOUR STYLE IS A MIXTURE BETWEEN YOUR CULTURE + LONDON OR IT’S NOT INFLUENCED BY IT? Definitely. My style was developed with influence from both the need to be individual but also having a certain flavour that can be identified as something from London. WHAT ARTIST DO YOU ADMIRE AND HOW DO YOU THINK THEY HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR WORK? Graffiti artists I admire are mostly the ones I grew up with, Praise, Asia and Mean. My style is heavily influenced by the older generations of London and New York graffiti writers and it shows in the way I construct my letters. As a traditionalist I tend to link my letters together and use shapes such as arrows and heavy/thicker bottoms – this was influenced by artists such as Cast.

photo by Viktoria Hristova ; place of photo - Graffiti Tunnel London

AS A LONDONERDO YOU THINK THAT LONDON’S STYLE

How do you incorporate creativity in your free time? Being creative is not only working in the field of art. Cooking food is also a creative process which I enjoy a lot and it is my second passion! As a Lithuaninan do you think that London's vibe has influenced your work? No. I already had my style when I came to London to study so I guess London just inspires me and gives me more freedom to express myself and be who I am. Do you think that your culture has shaped your personal style of work? As I said before I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t thinks so. My work usually has either psychedelic or vintage feel. It is thorough and deep. So I guess it is not the place where I was born or I live, it is my brain and personality what makes me create something in a style that I have. em moresil hena Tell me about your last project? It was about visualization of creative writing piece. I made 5 illustrations about the existentialism text and printed them in silkscreen and Riso. I really enjoyed it. What makes you unique? The way of thinking, choosing deep themes and of course my illustration and graphics style.li What makes you unique? I'm a bit crazy!i And lastly can you teach me something I don't know in the next five munites. Labas, tu nuostabus zmogus ! Translated from Lithuanian it means Hello, you are a wonderful person! 6

AN INTERVIEW WITH MARIUS MATULEVICIUS

arius is a London based student doing graphic design at the London Metropolitan Univesity. Originally from Vinus, Lithuania Marius talks about his creativity and how has London changed his life and does it give him inspiration for his current projects.

''LONDON INSPIRES ME AND GIVES METHE FREEDOM TO EXPRESS MYSELF AND BE WHO I REALLY AM!''

photo by Viktoria Hristova place for photo London Metropolitan Uni 7

photo by Viktoria Hristova model Martina Kidikova

LOOK AT ME MUM! I MADE IT IN THE UK MARTINA'S STORY IN THE FIRST PERSON

Martina is an interior designer and a fitness instructor who graduated in London. She was originally born in Turkey but living is living in London for the past 6 years. In this interview she tells us what has changed for her since she's moved abroad, some of the challanges she had to overcome and how has London changed her personality and style of work.

DREAM BIG

stydy hard, party harder, fail, do it again and succeed

arti let's start with a little bit about yourself? Introduce yourself, tell us what you do, what are you supporting and what are you against?

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m painter , personal trainer , pescetarian, smoker, animal lover , dancer , wanna be a stay at home mummy, for the abortion , against violence towards man. What's your favourite 90's jam ? That's a really hard question, all the best songs are made in the 90's! Probably 3 Doors Down -Kriptonite and Santana - Smooth ft.Rob Thomas What makes you unique? Nothing makes me unique. Why did you decide to move to London? It has always been a big dream of mine to one day live in London. It wasn't something I planned but I happened to get an opportunity to come here and study so I didn't think much and came to follow my dream of living here! It was very impulsive!

Did you have to face any challanged when you first came here? Oh yes, definetely. I came here studied hard, partied even harder, failed, did it all again, succeeded so it has definitely been an emotional rollacoaster but I don't regret anything at all! What is your dream? I want to make my mother proud and I believe that I can finally say I did! What have you learned and how has London influenced you so far? For me London has those heavy vibes you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t avoid. The mixture of people and ideas and that everything is possible in the same time is so chaotic that it shock you ,distracts you , then slaps you and when you think youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen everything it shocks you again ! London made me more extravagant snd aggressive in my style . On another hand Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve grown as a person and learned how to deal with different ideologies . How to not lose my path and London as a multi population city is working like a small simulation of the world and you can test your ideas !

TAKE THE RISK

iktor and Violeta are best friends who come from Greece. They came to London together where they both finished their education and continued to work. Why did you decide to move to London from all places? There's just endless opportunities here â&#x20AC;&#x201C; says Viktor, the whole city is awash with creativity. If you want to break into an industry like singing, writing, acting, photography, art or design, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re more likely to make a mark here than anywhere else in the UK or Europe. London is great for all types of creatives. How do you think London has changed you? I'm now obsessed with weather - says Violet. I'd never thought I'd talk about the weather so much or be so bothered by which side of the escalator people stand on! Like every Londoner tourists really bug me when they're on the wrond side, it's absolutely crazy! How and why did you decide to move abroad? Like many people we were facing challanges back home. We were looking for a solution of our problems and we thought, just do it and go! The Life has taught me one The solution of every probimportant belongings - allow the lem is just getting out of your comfort zone, think of crazy people on distance of the extended solution and GO FOR IT! I'd advice anyone looking to hand only.So their more simply move abroad and experiment to just do it, life's too short. 13

REAL TALK WITH CHRISTA Christa is an illustration student in London Metropolitan University. Originally from St. Luicia she's spent most of her life in the U.K What projects are you working on right now? I am working on my studio project called ‘Visual Proposal’. I also work on my private projects in my free time. How do you incorporate creativity in your free time? I create every day. When I have an idea, I write it down. My creativity is a constant part of my life. As a caribbean how do you think that London’s style (vibe) has influenced you and how? I am originally from St. Lucia so when I finally moved in to London my mind became even more open to different cultures and ways of thinking. This was influenced by the cosmopolitan environment in London. Do you think your style is a mixture between your culture + London or is it not influenced by this? I think that my style is unique. My style alone is enough to describe me. How do you keep up with industry trends? Well, I don’t really keep up with industry trends. I’m quite ‘old school’, so I’ve developed my own style and I mix things up. What is the biggest creative challenge you have faced in your career? University has been my biggest challenge so far, but I knew it would be before I attended. What makes you unique? My creativity. You’re a new addition to the crayon box. What colour would you be and why? Black because black is a mysterious colour.

don't wait for

opportunity

Create it 16

it's when you had everything to do, and you've done it.

WHAT KIND OF ARTIST DO YOU ADMIRE?

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF, WHAT DO YOU DO AND WHY DID YOU MOVE TO LONDON? My name is Gergana but everyone calls me Gery, I'm a business owner and I moved to London from Bulgaria to try and grow my own business and I decided to do it in London because I feel like this city allows me to do things in a bigger scale.

I admire many amateur artists and creatives who take they time to develop and post they creations to the internet DO YOU THINK YOUR STYLE IS A MIXTURE BETWEEN YOUR CULTURE AND LONDON'S STYLE OR IT’S NOT INFLUENCED BY IT ? I think my style is becoming more London than Bulgarian, but I can definitely want to keep my culture alongside.

AS A BULGARIAN DO YOU THINK THAT LONDON’S VIBE HAS NFLUENCED YOU AND HOW? As a Bulgarian I feel that London style had influenced my mindset and my style. I’ve got into London’s style witch influence is me in my day to day life. WHAT PROJECT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT? At the moment I'm working on new ideas for my own personal business and ways of expanding it

HOW DO YOU INCORPORATE CREATIVITY IN YOUR FREE TIME? I like to enjoy myself while creating things for my home with inspiration from the internet and also shows and events. WHAT IS SUCCESS FOR YOU? It's when you start from nothing, you had everything to do and you've done it all. This is what success is.

photos by Viktoria Hristova

I think London can change anyone. It’s a city that is alive and have it’s own vibe… everyone who lives here for a while can really feel it and even miss it when not in London. So yes, I think London had changed me, it made me even more open and positive person.

W I T H E V E R Y YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH IT E X P E R I E N C E FAMOUS NAMES AND BIG NIGHTS

One of the greatest things about London is the nightlife. It is one of the top places in the world where you can see every

mega DJ and musician or act.

London is home to some of the biggest nighclubs like Ministry of Sound, Fabric and many others but you can also enjoy a chilled night at a bar, british pub or just an afternoon cup of tea.

GRIMEY FESTIVALS

Festivals might not look as sunny as Coachella but London offers world class lineups, the biggest acts and undoubtely plenty of fun.

Londoners are also some of the friendliest people you'll get the chance to meet so you won't leave the party without a story to possibly regret the next day!Places that definetely need to be visited are Vibe Bar, Madame Jojo's, , Fabric and others. 19

Murals Joao Cardoz has done in 2017 at Novotel Hotel, Waterloo in London. The bottom one is drawn by him and coloured in by children.

JOAO CARDOZ Joao Cardoz is an illustrator based in London, UK and Lisbon Portugal. He graduated London Metropolitan Univercity doing illustration.

this is my dream job i am where i want to be

He does portraits, posters but mainly murals, which take a very large scale. He creates a design and then hand draws everything straight on the wall using nothing but a sharpie for most jobs! I asked Joao how he feels about working in London and what has it given as an experience. He said that London has been nothing but a wonderful experience for him, it was very key for his career as he became more independent and learned a lot while studying here but he would like to return back home, even though he's still sometimes traveling back here to work. He is happy with where he is now with his career

DREAM COME TRUE I asked Joao if this is what he wants to do for the rest of his career and he said that he couldn'r imagine himself doing anything else. Doing art is what makes him the happiest and he doesn't want to change anything about it, he feels lucky to have this chance.

LONDON AND HIM I asked him if London has in some way changed and shaped his style. He said that it has in a way that he's had the chance to collaborate with other artists and see how other people work but he rathers to work on his own on projects. He's also got illusrtations of London Landscapes , including the ones on this page which are of course influenced by the city. But he says that his style is his own creatinon and he is of course influenced by other artists he likes but not so much for this to change his work, it's more of an appretiaton than anything.

Images are taken of two separate murals done in Southside Novotel Hotel, London UK, photographed by Viktoria Hristova. 21

FYI Cock Lane, near Holborn Viaduct, didn't get its name due to any association with poultry, but because it was the only street to be licensed for legal prostitution in medieval times. More unusual street names in London include Ha Ha Road in Greenwich, Hooker's Road in Walthamstow, Quaggy Walk in Blackheath, and Cyclops Mews and Uamvar Street in Limehouse, east London.

ISSUE #1 FYI MAGAZINE