We at T Australia appreciate beauty in its many forms, which is why it’s always a joy to put together our annual Artistry edition — a celebration not only of work found in galleries and museums (though there’s plenty of that), but also of the deeper, more personal journeys of creativity and expression. As the Belgian designer Marie Adam-Leenaerdt says in our round-up of the fashion world’s favourite films (page 34), “art can and must be a space for experimentation”.
Our cover star is the actress Maia Mitchell, who describes her craft as transformative. “When you’re stepping into these costumes, you kind of shed your own skin,” she tells writer Ella Sangster (page 68). “[You’re] wearing a corset and four skirts and a wig, and something happens where you hold yourself differently.” The star of the hit historical comedy-drama series “The Artful Dodger” talks about holding out for the right part, what she learned in LA and why she’s happy to be home in the bush in Lismore.
The London-based fashion correspondent Divya Venkataraman profiles the designer and sustainability pioneer Stella McCartney (page 40), who has just bought back LVMH’s stake in the Stella McCartney brand, heralding a new era for her vegan clothing line — on her own terms. Still in the fashion camp, Victoria Pearson investigates raffia’s return (page 22), while Kara Hurry sits down with fashion and jewellery designers who are determined to show how artistry needn’t be in conflict with ethical production (page 38).
Columnist Lance Richardson shares his exhaustive search for the perfect boot following the demise of a beloved pair (page 26), warning: “If you are not careful, an exploratory plunge into the subculture of boot aficionados can leave you with choice paralysis. Or send you broke.” Artistry, it seems, doesn’t come cheap.
One place that springs to mind when we think about an enduring connection to artistry and craftsmanship is Japan, and chef Kazumasa Yazawa is bringing a little of that nation’s artistic spirit and culinary heritage to Cambridge House in Tasmania’s Huon Valley. Nola James reports from a weekend at his “restaurant with rooms” (page 54). Meanwhile, Fred Siggins explores the growing influence of Japan’s listening bar culture on our hospitality scene (page 28).
Speaking of international influence, Adam Bradley meets a group of women songwriters who are reinventing R&B, telling their own stories with gospel, hip-hop and pop accents (page 84).
Arts and culture editor Viola Raikhel ponders the role of public art in shaping our collective identity (page 50), a journey that starts on the gritty streets of 1970s New York before a two-airport detour to modern-day Sydney. And in “Off the Wall” (page 78), the writer Ute Junker taps artists, curators and gallerists to nominate their ultimate boundary-breaking Australian artworks.
Admire, reflect and consider the depth of your own creativity.
– Katarina Kroslakova
Publisher, Editor in Chief
