Ayla Angelos
Author · Other
Studios:Creative BoomIt’s Nice That
In their own words
Still life, which he had deliberately kept at arm's length, suddenly opened up as a space for conceptual thinking and something immensely personal.
Articles & interviews
- Jeremy Liebman’s Debut Photobook Explores Family, Memory, and Language Loss
Photographer Jeremy Liebman releases his debut photobook 'Coincidence', published by Apartamento, exploring themes of family, memory, and the loss of language through black-and-white images captured over five years. The project juxtaposes his father’s decline from Alzheimer’s with his daughters’ early experiences of language, creating a poignant visual dialogue across generations. Developed in collaboration with Apartamento’s editors, the book reflects on the cyclical nature of communication and perception.
- Felix Schoeppner Builds Images From Scratch, Questions Work’s Future
Creative Boom interviews German photographer Felix Schoeppner about his conceptual still life practice and his new series 'Handle with Care'. The article explores his evolution from documentary to constructed imagery, his process of building images from scratch, and how illness and mentorship shaped his approach. Schoeppner reflects on labour, automation, and perception through meticulously crafted studio work.
- Mydollmallu Transforms Paper Into Wearable Art and Theatrical Worlds
The article profiles St. Petersburg-born artist Alla, known as Mydollmallu, who creates intricate paper costumes and theatrical scenes entirely by hand. Working from her countryside home studio, she transforms paper through tearing, folding, and crumpling into wearable sculptures that she photographs herself wearing. Her work is guided by improvisation, emotion, and a deep connection to nature and freedom of expression.
- Dora Abodi turns Transylvanian folklore into wearable fashion stories
Creative Boom profiles Transylvanian designer Dora Abodi, founder of ABODI Transylvania, who merges folklore and mythology into her fashion collections. Her latest project, The Chronicles, reimagines local legends through hand-painted gowns, sculptural headpieces, and illustrations inspired by her heritage. The article explores her creative process, influences, and the personal meaning behind her work.
- Sasha Yasov Paints Video Game Traces as Nostalgic, Eerie Memories
The article profiles Tbilisi-based artist Sasha Shayazov, who transforms screenshots from video games like The Sims, Second Life, and GTA into nostalgic, eerie paintings. Using Blender and airbrushing, she reconstructs digital environments to explore the traces players leave behind, creating dreamlike works that blur the line between memory and glitch. Written by Ayla Angelos, the piece highlights Shayazov’s anti-institutional approach and her fascination with liminality and human presence in virtual spaces.
- Joana Machado turns book offcuts into a one-of-a-kind book
The article profiles Porto-based graphic designer Joana Machado and her experimental book made from the offcuts of another publication. Created spontaneously during the printing of a catalogue for artist Noé Sendas, the piece transforms print proofs into a unique, unrepeatable object with a circular hole through its centre. The project reflects Machado’s balance between intuition and deep research, and her ongoing exploration of the book as a physical and conceptual form.
- Sohee Chae blends tactile experimentation with methodical graphic design
Creative Boom profiles Seoul- and London-based designer Sohee Chae, founder of Layer/Ply, whose tactile and experimental approach blends methodical structure with intuitive process. The article explores her projects including 'Letting Go in the Cycle', 'The Shape of Change', and the brand identity for fashion label Second Skin, highlighting her use of shibori-dyed typography and handcrafted techniques. It also discusses her dual practice between Project Room and her independent studio, reflecting on how Seoul and London shape her design philosophy.
- Gina Guasch Studio Creates Bold, Colorful Design Beyond Trends
Creative Boom profiles Gina Guasch Studio (GGS), a queer-led design studio based in Barcelona known for its colourful, activist, and identity-driven work. Founded by Gina Guasch in 2019, the studio creates branding, flyers, and visual systems for clients across culture, music, and activism. The article highlights GGS’s bold aesthetic, inclusive ethos, and commitment to design that goes beyond trends.
- Jiyung Lee turns everyday objects into catalogue-like illustrated grids
Creative Boom profiles Korean-French illustrator Jiyung Lee, whose work transforms everyday objects into grid-based compositions resembling catalogues. Her risograph prints and digital drawings explore structure, repetition, and the poetic potential of ordinary items. Collaborating with print studios in Paris and Hamburg, Lee’s work bridges illustration, design, and fine art.
- Taekhan Yun designs playful chairs with kids in mind
The article profiles Seoul-born, Cambodia-based designer Taekhan Yun and his project 'Chair for Kids', which invites children to design chairs suited to their own bodies. Through observation, collaboration, and material experimentation, Yun explores design as a process of relationship-building rather than object creation. The piece also touches on his 'Rebirth Project', which reuses discarded furniture, and his upcoming 'Birdhouse Project'.
- 'Imperfection that feels alive': Jo Iijima designs from a cosmic perspective
Creative Boom profiles New York-based graphic designer Jo Iijima, whose work blends digital and analogue techniques to express a 'cosmic' visual language shaped by his global experiences. The article explores his journey from fan art to personal projects, his embrace of imperfection, and his belief in maintaining human creativity amid AI-driven design. It highlights his use of Risograph printing, vibrant color palettes, and bespoke typography to create emotionally resonant, tactile work.
- How Alix Bortoli builds her sculptural films by hand, millimetre by millimetre
Creative Boom profiles French director and set designer Alix Bortoli, known for her handcrafted, sculptural stop-motion films made from wood, fabric, paper, and clay. The article focuses on her recent campaign for organic perfume brand Ffern, exploring her tactile process and philosophy of staying true to handmade craft in a digital age. It also traces her career from art school to collaborations with major fashion houses and her representation by Soixante Quinze.
- Melanie Gandyra believes you can't protect what you don't understand
Creative Boom profiles Innsbruck-based illustrator and artist Melanie Gandyra, whose work explores the intersection of art, ecology, and science. Known for her detailed illustrations and installations like TRIMMT EUCH, she uses mixed media to highlight environmental issues and the beauty of the natural world. The article traces her journey from Hamburg to the Austrian Alps, her influences, and her evolving practice that makes nature impossible to ignore.
- Irina Werning on photographing the sacred power of long hair in Latin America
Creative Boom interviews Buenos Aires-based photographer Irina Werning about her nearly two-decade-long project 'Las Pelilargas', which documents the cultural and spiritual significance of long hair among Indigenous communities in Latin America. The conversation explores her process, the evolution of the project, and how hair serves as a symbol of identity, ancestry, and resistance. The book, published by GOST Books, features 88 portraits captured across Argentina and Ecuador.
- Georgia Merton is trying to hold onto the light before it disappears
The article profiles British artist Georgia Merton and her cyanotype-based exhibition 'Out of the Blue'. It explores her process of capturing light through traditional photographic chemistry, blending photography, drawing, and botanical forms. Merton’s work reflects themes of memory, nature, and the passage of time, using handmade, tactile methods to create emotionally resonant images.
- Philippa Coules illustrates the outfits she wishes she owned
Creative Boom profiles Oxford-raised illustrator Philippa Coules, who merges graphic design sensibilities with fashion and interior-inspired illustrations. Her digital works, often created on an iPad with textured pencil detailing, explore femininity, simplicity, and personal storytelling through everyday scenes and outfits she wishes she owned. The article highlights her journey from graphic design studies to a flourishing illustration career with clients like Brochu Walker and Apartment Therapy.
- Yoli wants you to stop, look and fall in love with the world around you
The article profiles South Korean illustrator Yoli, who lives and works on Jeju Island, creating paintings inspired by the natural world. Her work, including the Nature Collection and self-published series like Birdwatching and Slow Walk, reflects a deep appreciation for slow living and observation. Through her art, Yoli encourages viewers to reconnect with nature and find beauty in everyday surroundings.
- Space Dawg reimagines the spirit of '70s psychedelia
Creative Boom profiles Kuala Lumpur-based artist Michael Lim, known as Space Dawg, whose frame-by-frame animations channel the psychedelic and textural spirit of 1970s and 80s animation. The article explores his creative process, inspirations, and notable commissions for Adult Swim and Galeries Lafayette. Lim’s work blends nostalgic aesthetics with contemporary digital tools to produce vibrant, joyful motion pieces.
- The algorithm erodes the travel recommendation: what comes after?
Written by Ayla Angelos for It’s Nice That Insights, this opinion feature explores how algorithm-driven travel recommendations on platforms like TikTok have led to overtourism and cultural homogenization. It contrasts this with alternative approaches from Trippin and Lonely Planet, which emphasize authenticity, local voices, and slower, more meaningful travel experiences.
- Manjit Thapp finds the whole universe in a cosy, quiet room
Creative Boom profiles UK illustrator Manjit Thapp, exploring her distinctive blend of analogue and digital techniques that capture quiet, introspective moments. The article highlights her process, colour palettes, and recent personal projects such as a sticker mailing club. It reflects on her tactile approach and the emotional warmth of her work.
- Derek Abella got laid off on Valentine's Day
The article profiles Miami-born, New York-based illustrator Derek Abella, whose career took off after being laid off on Valentine's Day 2020. It explores how his Art Deco-inspired, emotionally resonant illustrations gained traction during the pandemic, leading to collaborations with major media outlets and brands. Abella reflects on resilience, creative growth, and his evolving artistic direction as he approaches a new decade in his career.
- Harriet Yakub finds the funny in the everyday, and turns it into cartoon-like illustrations
Creative Boom profiles Irish-Ukrainian illustrator Harriet Yakub, whose work transforms everyday observations into humorous, cartoon-like illustrations. The article explores her process, from word associations to hand-drawn etching, and highlights her clients, awards, and evolving projects such as her self-published series Makewatch. Yakub’s practice is rooted in finding meaning and humor in ordinary moments.
- Julia Fernandez hand-painted 300 ceramic tiles to make a music video
Brooklyn-based animator Julia Fernandez created 'Dirt', a stop-motion music video for LA musician Emory, using 300 hand-painted ceramic tiles. The project took three months of daily work, combining digital storyboarding with meticulous ceramic craftsmanship. The result is a spellbinding fusion of tactile artistry and emotional storytelling.
- Berta Vallo sees the stories hiding inside your kitchen drawer
Creative Boom profiles Budapest-born illustrator Berta Vallo, whose maximalist, detail-rich works explore nostalgia, identity, and everyday clutter. Trained at Central Saint Martins and represented by Pocko, Vallo has created editorial illustrations for major publications like Die Zeit and Rolling Stone. Her self-initiated pieces, such as 'Lunch' and 'Still Life', reflect her experiences between London and Budapest and her fascination with the stories hidden in ordinary objects.
- Annie Frost Nicholson paints the people she's lost back into the same room
The article profiles London-based artist Annie Frost Nicholson and her deeply personal new body of work exploring grief, memory, and family. Through paintings that merge past and present, she reimagines lost loved ones within shared spaces, using vibrant colour and analogue photographs. The feature also highlights her exhibition 'No, No, Nothing I can Think Of' at Wilton Way Gallery and her ongoing collaborations with the Fandangoe Discoteca and Juicy Booth teams.
- Béla Bezold designs eyewear inspired by lava and symbiosis
The article profiles Béla Bezold, a Design Academy Eindhoven graduate and founder of ITURA, who creates sculptural eyewear inspired by natural processes like lava and symbiosis. His designs merge art and product design, using 3D printing and digital modeling tools to produce metal sunglasses that explore the relationship between nature and the human-made world.
- Hugo Rocci paints the tools we forget to see
Creative Boom profiles Amsterdam-based artist Hugo Rocci, whose latest series of paintings celebrates everyday tools like paintbrushes. Inspired by a Tokyo shop display, Rocci explores the overlooked beauty of functional objects through careful observation, pigment layering, and material experimentation. The article delves into his process, influences, and ongoing fascination with collecting and reinterpreting humble items.
- Marie Holst is reweaving tapestries for the digital age
Creative Boom profiles Copenhagen-based artist Marie Holst, who uses digital jacquard weaving to reinterpret traditional tapestry techniques for contemporary storytelling. Her works, such as 'Cry Me a River' and 'Lost & Found', blend handcraft and digital processes to explore overlooked narratives and modern motifs. The article delves into her creative process, materials, and conceptual approach to weaving in the digital age.
- Art history has always been obsessed with cats – now there's a book to prove it
Creative Boom reports on Phaidon's new book 'Cat', edited by Olivia Clark, which compiles over 200 artworks exploring the cultural and artistic fascination with cats throughout history. The book features contributions from curators, artists, and writers, and a cover designed by Phaidon's creative director Julie Hasting. It celebrates the feline’s enduring presence in art and pop culture through diverse mediums and visual pairings.
- Closer Look: Callum O'Keefe on photographing niche communities and collectors
Creative Boom interviews Welsh photographer Callum O'Keefe about his project 'Antiques of the Future', which explores the psychology and emotional resonance of collecting. Through portraits and documentary photography, O'Keefe captures niche communities and collectors across the UK, reflecting on how collecting connects to memory, identity, and mental health.
- From pizza boxes to oversized handbags: The playful world of Maya Golyshkina
Creative Boom profiles London-based artist Maya Golyshkina, known for her playful, sculptural self-portraits made from everyday materials like cardboard and paper. The article explores her collaborations with Ed Curtis, Luncheon magazine, and Marc Jacobs, highlighting her whimsical approach to art and self-expression. It captures her journey from Moscow to London and her philosophy of creativity through ordinary objects.
- Monica Loya paints the surreal side of everyday life
Creative Boom profiles Mexico City-based painter Monica Loya, whose surreal and pastel-toned artworks reinterpret everyday life through dreamlike and humorous scenarios. The article explores her intuitive creative process, inspirations, and upcoming oil painting series on the modern 'deadly sins'.
- Laura McCluskey Captures the Intimacy of Returning Home
The article profiles London-based photographer Laura McCluskey and her decade-long project 'Close to Home', which documents her grandparents and the Isle of Sheppey. Through intimate portraits and scenes of domestic life, McCluskey explores memory, grief, and reconnection with her family and birthplace. The piece delves into her process, emotional journey, and the eventual publication of the work as a book by Guest Editions.