New Surreal Illustrations From the Mind of Simon Prades

Illustrator and graphic designer Simon Prades (previously here and here) creates illusion and intrigue through old school methods of illustration, choosing to loyally stick to pen and ink as his go-to medium. Despite choosing to clean up and sometimes color his work digitally, Prades’ physical mark making remains apparent, such as in the realistic details provided in his subjects’ faces.

The German illustrator tends to focus on select colors when creating work for clients such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and The Atlantic, staying within a palette of bright greens and yellows, and muted blues. You can see more of Prades’ recent editorial work on his Instagram, Tumblr and Behance.

Mirage: A Collection of Architecturally-Inspired Handles and Knobs

We’ve featured the concrete wares of Material Immaterial studio, who up till now has designed a collection of earrings, cufflinks, and mini buildings that we still covet. Now, they’re launching a series of concrete components, called Mirage, that can be used as door handles and drawer knobs for those looking for something a bit different than the big box store options.

View fullsize

Similar in design to their previous collections, Mirage offers architectural-inspired details that play with light and shadow, much like you’d experience when viewing the works of architect Carlo Scarpa. The step-like patterns reduce the visual weight of the material giving them an almost delicate appearance, which is juxtaposed with the more solid areas of the handles giving an opposite effect.

New Sculptural Eyewear Produced From Salvaged Street Metal and Found Objects by Cyrus Kabiru

Self-taught Kenyan artist Cyrus Kabiru (previously) fashions extravagant eyewear from pieces of found metal and other salvaged materials on the streets of his hometown of Nairobi. Kabiru has been building his futuristic glasses since childhood, and dedicates much of his time to producing works for his C-Stunner series of eyeglasses and coordinating photographs. Recently Kabiru has begun to expand his work to include large non-body-based sculptures, installations, and collage.

Kabiru’s practice is deeply tied to Afrofuturism, a genre that combines science fiction, magical realism, and historical fiction with the culture and politics of the African diaspora. His work was featured in the newly released Gestalten publication Africa Rising: Fashion, Design and Lifestyle from Africa. You can see more of his eyewear and larger sculptures on Artsy and SMAC.