Boxed: Fabulous Coffins from UK and Ghana at the Southbank Centre during Death Fetival

This weekend the Southbank Centre is host to an interesting Festival called 'Death: Southbank Centre's festival for the Living'. Through music, workshops, literature and installations, and talking with everyone from philosophers to funeral workers, attitudes towards death and why we are so reticent to talk about it will be examined.
As part of the festival the exhibition 'Boxed: Fabulous Coffins from UK and Ghana' is a vibrant collection of bespoke coffins from the famous Pa Joe workshop in Ghana and Crazy Coffins in Nottingham on show in the foyers of the Royal Festival Hall. What beauties!
The exhibition is open until the 29th of January.

Made from solid elm, this egg shaped coffin was designed for a woman who plans to be buried in a foetal position as a symbol and celebration of birth and reincarnation.

This replica of the Oseberg Viking Ship was commissioned by a lady who believed she was from Viking stock. Before the order was confirmed, it was withdrawn, however due to its beauty and their often over-subscribed orders of boats for funerals Vic Fearns Ltd proceeded with the build.

specially created to commemorate an exhibition of 'Crazy Coffins' in Cork,  The Corkscrew imagines what a wine connoisseur may wish to be buried in

The family of a teenage boy, killed in a domestic accident, chose to bury him in a replica of the guitar he loved.

John Gratton-Fisher, a building contractor, plans to be buried in a skip in celebration of his livelihood.

Commissioned by ballet fan Pat Cox, a nurse and music teacher. 'I spent a lot of time with my grandfather as a child. He played the piano at Shepsherd Ballet School. I sat and watched the feet of the ballerinas going through their steps. It's my oldest memory'.

This is a replica of a coffin commisioned by the family of an eleven year old boy, tragically a victim of a skateboarding accident , in memory of the skateboard he loved playing on every day.

Commissioned by a former aurenautical engineer Malcolm Brocklehurst. He requested that the plane's wings and wheels could detach so that the 'coffin' could fit into his local crematorium.

David Longshaw fashion illustration for Amelia's Magazine

This is the latest fashion illo I did for Amelia's Magazine for a David Longshaw interview on his S/S 2012 collection - read the interview by Amelia Gregory here.

© 2011 David Longshaw by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

Album Cover for CSS 'City Grrrl' for Secret7" and Teenage Cancer Trust

Last week I entered my first submission on Talenthouse for Secret7"...It's the last day of voting today and you can vote for my submission here!
Secret 7" is an exciting project combining music and art in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. Seven bands and recording artists (CSS, Florence and the Machine, The Cure, DJ Shadow, Ben Howard, Bombay Bicycle Club and Noah and The Whale) are inviting creatives to design the artwork for a seven inch vinyl sleeve inspired by one of their songs. The project will culminate in 700 unique vinyl sleeves displayed in Idea Generation Gallery in London in the week leading up to Record Store Day 2012. On that day, each of the vinyls at the gallery will be available to purchase with all of the profits going to Teenage Cancer Trust.
None of the buyers will know who created the sleeve, or even which song it's for, until they are holding it in their hands - the secret lies within.
Secret7" on Facebook
Teenage Cancer Trust on Facebook
CSS on Facebook
Record Store day on Facebook
Idea Generation Gallery on Facebook

© 2012 'City Grrrl' by CSS album cover by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

Think Act Vote Futures Project

At the end of 2011 it was great to do a couple of illistrations for the Futures Project by Think Act Vote. The Futures Project is an inspiring book they are publishing. In the book, insightful interview responses and stories will be presented alongside the work of visual artists, designers, illustrators and photographers, and will feature among some leading thought pieces. 

The final book will be published in Spring 2012 and will available to buy in limited edition. We're also planning to present both the project and book to the British Prime Minister and leading politicians, to raise awareness of a new collaborative and creative future.

Anyone can contribute to the book by doing a Futures Interview (examples - http://thinkactvote.org/category/futures-interviews/). Think Act Vote also publish the interviews online and include a bio and links so they promote you and your projects in the process of sharing. The link to take part online here - http://thinkactvote.org/thefutureichoose/

You can read my Futures Interview here!

Link to Think Act Vote's New Year Blog Post on why we ask these questions - http://thinkactvote.org/2011/12/31/how-can-we-create-the-future-that-you-choose-in-2012/ 

Think Act Vote is crowd funding for this book so if you would like to make a contribution or spread the word on this too, that would be very appreciated! Link here - http://www.indiegogo.com/FuturesProject?a=324364
Every week in 2012 Think act Vote are sharing online one of the illustrations that have been submitted for the book - you can see the first one of mine published here.
 I illustrated Shibin Vasudevan’s Future which is one “where the word waste ceases to exist in our dictionaries.” and also Lucy Siegle's Future which is: "I choose a future….where we’re reacquainted with the politics of equality and want to get involved. One where we’re no longer satiated with cheap goods made on the back of exploited workers in the developing world, trapped in poverty. There are lots of progressive pockets like this already, we just need to roll it out!”

Think Act Vote on twitter - @thinkactvote #FuturesProject

on facebook www.facebook.com/thinkactvote

Shibin Vasudevan's Future 'No More Waste' © 2011 Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

Lucy Siegle's Future 'Progressive Pockets' © 2011 Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

London Fashion Week S/S 2012

During the last London Fashion Week, where S/S 2012 collections were shown, I was really thrilled to be asked by Amelia Gregory, editor of Amelia's Magazine, to go to the event representing the magazine and write a few illustrated reviews for it!!! It was an honor and a fantastic experience... (for more photographic documentation of my time during the week have a look at my Plastic Seconds Blog!). Here I am posting some illustrations - you can witness quite well in this post my inability to develop one paticular style... - I did for some Fashion Week reviews written by me and other members of the Amelia's Magazine lovely team of contributors. You can also read in the magazine the Leutton Postle catwalk review, the Aminaka Wilmont catwalk review, the Asger Juel Larsen Vs t.lipop catwalk review and the Ecoluxe London showrooms review, all of which I wrote! I wish I had been to more shows and written more reviews but during the weekend I was exhibiting my recycled jewellery line Plastic Seconds at the Ecoluxe London showrooms, so I missed some gem presentations and shows........

© 2011 Asger Juel Larsen S/S 2012 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

You can read my Asger Juel Larsen Vs t.lipop catwalk review here

© 2011 FAD Awards S/S 2012 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

You can read Florence Massey's review of the awards here

© 2011 Elisa Palomino S/S 2012 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

You can read Akeela Bhattay's review of Elisa Palomino here

© 2011 'Eco Looks' by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

You can read my review of Ecoluxe London in Amelia's Magazine here

© 2011 'Outsider Fashion' S/S 2012 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

Rebecca Cluett and Kirsty Ward for Amelia's Magazine

Next up in Amelia's Magazine went two of my fashion illustrations; one for an interview with designer Kirsty Ward previewing her London Fashion Week S/S 2012 collection - I stopped by Kirsty Ward's space during London Fashion Week last September to see close up the collection in question and not only is she lovely but also her jewellery is delicious - and then another illustration for an interview with fashion designer Rebecca Cluett. I really enjoyed doing the illustration for Rebecca Cluett from a cheeky old pamphlet I found at a vintage stall - hilarious how what is considered sexy changes....

© 2011 Kirsty Ward S/S 2012 by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

© 2011 Rebecca Cluett tops by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

Illustration for First People's Festival, Montreal 2011, in Amelia's Magazine

This is another completely hand drawn illustration I did for a review in Amelia's Magazine of the First People's Festival, part of Montreal Festimania. The images of these amazing dancers with their complex, colourful costumes and accessories were very inspiring. I really wanted to convey the dance movement in this - I am not sure I did. You can read Amelia's review of the Festival here.

© 2011 'Mohawk Dancer' by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs

Francois and The Atlas Mountains for Amelia's Magazine

I have been extremely bad at blogging in the last few months... So here I am adding some illustrations I did whithin this period and pledge in 2012 to become a better blogger... Last September I did an illustration of Francois and The Atlas Mountains, who supported King Creosote and Jon Hopkins during a gig in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, for a review of the evening in Amelia's Magazine - I was actually at the ticket desk doing my part time job that evening and it was a lovely surpirse to see Amelia! I do not often do pencil drawings, though I love it, and here I think the contrast between the pencil and the collage is creating a nice effect. You can read Amelia's review of the gig here.

© 2011 'Francois and The Atlas Mountains' by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly The Eggs