ISSUE NO. 40

A June Issue

I’m trying a new rhythm in my creative process: compress and release. Compress is pulling inward, feels focused and grounded. It’s that part of the process where I’m thinking deeply, editing carefully, or just sitting with tension—allow the pressure build. Release is pushing outward, feels loose, open, a little messy. It’s the part where what I’ve been holding finally gets to move—breathing and spilling into the work. I’m using it as a way to navigate both my creativity and mental health with greater intention.

ARCHITECTURALLY CURIOUS

Free by the Sea

Located off the coast of Long Island—Fire Island has long been celebrated as a sanctuary for the LGBTQIA+ community. Since the mid-20th century, it has drawn artists, designers, and creatives with its stunning coastline, sense of freedom, and welcoming atmosphere.

Out and About

In celebration of Pride Month and the beginning of summer, an architectural tour took place this weekend in the Pines—a historic beachside enclave on the southeastern stretch of the island. As much a cultural event as it was an architectural one, the tour shines a light on how design shapes and supports inclusive communities.

Rooted in Pride

This tour was a celebration of the identity, creativity, and resilience that the Pines represents. By honoring this legacy, it reaffirmed the role of design in preserving and evolving spaces of belonging.

GLOBAL GLIMPSE

Accra: Pause & Effect

In recent years, a new wave of artist residencies has emerged across West Africa—shifting away from fast-paced, production-driven models toward spaces that emphasize reflection, rest, and meaningful exchange.

Calming Canvas

Located on the edge of Accra, Ghana—one artist residency provides a peaceful setting for artists and thinkers to live, share ideas, and pause from their usual routines over several months. Serving as both home and studio—the residency allows guests to settle into a slower rhythm, focusing on contemplation, leisure, and creative growth.

Elegant Engineering

Designed with sustainability in mind, the residency uses passive systems to stay cool and energy efficient. Reducing heat with deep-set windows and cross ventilation, the building keeps interiors comfortable without heavy reliance on machines. Gathering rainwater for gardens and using solar power for lights and water heaters—the space works with the climate rather than against it. Interior and exterior finishes draw from local traditions and natural materials—reinforcing a holistic approach that ties sustainability with beauty and cultural resonance.

VISUAL COMFORT

Purposeful Paper

Emerging from the evolving landscape of contemporary art, paper sculpture has become a medium for storytelling, identity, and healing. Once seen as delicate or disposable—artists are now using paper to craft complex, meaningful works that speak to identity, history, and social experience.

Layered Identity

A Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist—Karina Sharif—merges fashion, sculpture, and paper artistry to celebrate and explore themes of divinity, Blackness, and femininity. Her work is deeply rooted in care, rest, and sensory engagement—offering a form of therapy and restoration for Black bodies and minds.

Femme Form

Her work defies easy categorization, blending fashion, fine art, and craft into bold expressions of self and community. In a society that often commodifies and overlooks Black femme experiences, her art asserts the sacredness of our identities. Using this material in fresh and meaningful ways, she’s reshaping how we view both the medium and the message.

MUSICAL INTERLUDE

What I'm Listening to in June

This compress and release rhythm forms a cycle—one that balances intensity and ease. So far, I’ve found it helps me stay both creative and deeply self-aware—without burning out or running on empty. So in this, I’m learning rest. I’ll see you next week, my friend.

Warmly,
/shane