shashasha

The first issue of “Unlirice”, a culture-crossing eclectic new magazine project featuring emerging Asian artists in music, fashion, photography, video, literature and art.

Based in Tokyo, the Unlirice project covers a range of artists and contributors from Asian cultures, such as Mall Boyz from Japan to Mong Tong from Taiwan, Gabber Modus Operandi from Indonesia, musician Soi48 from Thailand, Singapore-based journalist Nyshka Chandaran or photographer and director Amani Azlin from Malaysia. While the focus is on visuals in the form of photographic art, portraits, drawings, contemporary paintings, landscapes, blog-style images and graphics, “Unlirice” goes deep into the information sphere with interviews, essays and other writings exploring the backgrounds of covered artists and works. Each feature oozes with passion, energy and love, and it may be a long while before we see a project introducing emergent creative culture from all over Asia in such a comprehensive (and, quite simply, fun) way again.

“We are neither concerned with unifying the diverse images of Asia, nor calling for pan-Asian solidarity. Instead, it seems that we still don’t recognize each other for who we are. So we’ve tried to sketch a map that makes it possible for us to notice one another. This is a map that didn’t exist to begin with, is constantly being revised, and will always remain a work in progress. But that is why it should help us to encounter new things that were heretofore unknown to us.
UNLIRICE #00 is a sort of rough sketch, one that we hope to continue to fill in together with everyone in any way that comes to mind. The magazine format itself is only one, provisional form of UNLIRICE. I hope that this project gives rise to new contexts and new connections, and unlocks some part of Asia’s untapped potential.”
— from the editors’ statement