Strand Magazine (Summer 2020)

STRAND

SUMMER JULY 2020

ISSUE COVER FEATURING:
REPLIKKA!
BY HANDI KIM

CCONTENTS NINI
O HSTIHSTI
N THE DANGER OF ‘VIRTUE SIGNALLING’ WITHOUT INTENTION SSUISSUEI
T BY: KETKI MAHABALESHWARKAR
E
N STRAND’S FILM AND TV PICKS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND LEARN
T ABOUT THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT
S
CRAZIEST THING HAPPENED IN OUR FLAT – AN INTERVIEW WITH
ARDHITO PRAMONO ABOUT GLOBAL IMPACT, FILM, AND JAZZ
BY: KETKI MAHABALESHWARKAR AND CALLISTA SAPUTRA

A YEAR LATER: CHINESE TRAVEL AND COVID REOPENINGS
BY: KATHARINE TROJAK

TO READ IS TO ESCAPE
BY: GRACE VICKERS

ARTIST HANDI KIM ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-EXPRESSION AND
VULNERABILITY
BY: HALIM KIM

IS FASHION ART?
BY: CASSANDRA VAN DOUVEREN

HOW IS THE FASHION INDUSTRY AFFECTED BY COVID-19?
BY: JIAWEN MAO

LONELINESS AND THE CITY
BY GIULIA CALVI

SEEING AND LUSTING AFTER THE UNATTAINABLE: A NOT-SO-NEW
PHENOMENON
BY ALICE PALMER

MASTHEAD
MASTHEAD

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF - HALIM KIM FASHION - LIZA MIKHALEVA

DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF - KETKI MAHABALESHWARKAR FILM & TV - ELOÏSE WRIGHT, ANDRIANI SCORDELLIS

HEAD OF DESIGN + LAYOUT - MORGAN BAKINOWSKI FOOD AND DRINK - AISTĖ BAKUTYTĖ

HEAD OF DIGITAL - ALEXIA MCDONALD LITERATURE - GRACE VICKERS

PRESS AND MARKETING - FRANCES MCNAB MUSIC - AMIKA MOSER

EVENTS COORDINATOR - AMALIA HAJIEVA PHOTOGRAPHY - MOLLY BONIFACE

SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM - EGLANTINE CHAHMERIAN, SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS - ANNABEL FROST
GRACE VICKERS, MALINA ANIOL, SARAH SAEED THEATRE - OLIVE FRANKLIN

ART - GODELIEVE DE BREE TRAVEL - KATHARINE TROJAK
LONDON AND BEYOND - SHREYA SHARMA
DANCE - NADYA OPPENHEIM

ESSAY - ELLIE MUIR

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

DEAR READERS,

2020 HAS PRESENTED US WITH MANY CHALLENGES. FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
TO INCREASING POLICE BRUTALITY AND CONTINUED SYSTEMIC RACISM, THESE PAST

FEW MONTHS HAVE BEEN ONES FILLED WITH CONCERN AND HEARTACHE.

AS A PUBLICATION, THE STRAND MAGAZINE HAS BEEN USING OUR PLATFORM TO
HIGHLIGHT THE EXPERIENCE OF THOSE LIVING UNDER THIS SOCIO-POLITICAL
CLIMATE. THROUGH THE MODERN HEROES PROJECT WE MADE AN EFFORT TO

CELEBRATE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE CREATIVELY COMBATTING THE
PANDEMIC. OUR CONTRIBUTORS WHO ARE ACTIVE SUPPORTERS OF THE BLACK

LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT HAVE PUBLISHED INSIGHTFUL ARTICLES ENCOMPASSING
TOPICS SUCH AS RACISM WITHIN THE UK SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND THE

DEFACEMENT OF WINSTON CHURCHILL’S STATUE IN PARLIAMENT SQUARE. STRAND’S
EDITORIAL TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING WITH VARIOUS STUDENT PUBLICATIONS

ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO PUBLISH A STATEMENT IN SOLIDARITY WITH BLACK LIVES
MATTER, PROVIDING ANTI-RACISM RESOURCES TO SET A PRECEDENT ACROSS

UNIVERSITIES FOR COMBATING INSTITUTIONAL RACISM. WE BELIEVE THAT NO VOICE
SHOULD EVER BE SILENCED AND THAT ALL STORIES SHOULD BE CELEBRATED. AS A
PUBLICATION THAT BELONGS TO SUCH A DIVERSE STUDENT BODY, IT IS IMPORTANT
TO CALL ATTENTION TO BIPOC VOICES WHO ARE CONSTANTLY UNDERREPRESENTED
IN MAINSTREAM MEDIA. THE STRAND MAGAZINE WILL CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN

ACTIVISM AGAINST RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION.

THIS DIGITAL SUMMER ISSUE REFLECTS THE THOUGHTS OF OUR CONTRIBUTORS
DURING THIS PERIOD OF UNCERTAINTY. STARTING OFF WITH A PIECE ON THE

DANGERS OF ‘VIRTUE SIGNALLING’, WE PRESENT THOUGHT PROVOKING QUESTIONS
THROUGH ARTICLES ON THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 AND INTERVIEWS WITH ARTIST
HANDI KIM AND MUSICIAN ARDHITO PRAMONO.

I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL VERY SOON AND I WISH EVERYONE A SAFE AND MEANINGFUL
SUMMER.

WITH LOVE,
HALIM KIM
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

THE
DANGER
OF

‘VIRTUE
SIGNALLING’

BY: KETKI MAHABALESHWARKAR

WITHOUTEDITED: ELLIE MUIR
INTENTION.

IN THE MULTITUDE OF RELEVANT TWEETS, POSTS OF SOLIDARITY, AND
OPINION PIECES, IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE THAT CERTAIN POSTS HAVE THE

TENDENCY TO FEEL PERFORMATIVE.

FURTHER READING:
THE NEW JIM CROW
BY MICHELLE ALEXANDER
WE REAL COOL: BLACK MEN AND MASCULINITY
BY BELL HOOKS
BELOVED
BY TONI MORRISON
WHY I’M NO LONGER TALKING TO WHITE
PEOPLE ABOUT RACE
BY RENI EDDO-LODGE
FEMINISM INTERRUPTED
BY LOLA OLUFEMI
ME AND WHITE SUPREMACY: COMBAT RACISM,
CHANGE THE WORLD, AND BECOME A GOOD
ANCESTOR BY LAYLA F SAAD
“20+ ALLYSHIP ACTIONS FOR ASIANS TO SHOW
UP FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW”
BY MICHELLE KIM
“HOLY SHIT, BEING AN ALLY ISN’T ABOUT ME!”
BY REAL TALK: WOC & ALLIES

FUNDS YOU CAN DONATE TO: TO SUPPORT IN THE UK:
BLACK LIVES MATTER THE UNITED FAMILIES & FRIENDS CAMPAIGN
(COALITION OF THOSE AFFECTED BY DEATHS IN
MINNESOTA FREEDOM FUND POLICE, PRISON AND PSYCHIATRIC CUSTODY)
RECLAIM THE BLOCK
NATIONAL BAIL OUT RESOURCING RACIAL JUSTICE
FREEDOM FROM TORTURE
BLACK VISIONS COLLECTIVE
BLACK YOUTH PROJECT 100 AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF PETITIONS YOU CAN SIGN, FUNDS YOU CAN
DONATE TO AND RESOURCES TO SUPPORT IN THE UK ARE AVAILABLE UNDER OUR
ACTION PAC
SUPPORT BLACK OWNED BUSINESS ONLINE EDITION OF THIS ARTICLE:
HTTPS://WWW.THESTRANDMAGAZINE.COM/SINGLE-POST/2020/06/01/THE-DANGER-O

F-%E2%80%98VIRTUE-SIGNALLING%E2%80%99-WITHOUT-INTENTION

PICTURE: @DOMROBXRTS ON INSTAGRAM

FURTHER VIEWING:STRAND’S FILM AND TV PICKS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND LEARN ABOUT

THE BLACK LIVES MATTER
MOVEMENT

WHEN THEY SEE US (AVA DUVERNAY)

THE HATE U GIVE (GEORGE TILLMAN JR.)

DO THE RIGHT THING (SPIKE LEE)

CRAZIEST THING

HAPPENED IN OUR

FLAT: AN INTERVIEW WITH
ARDHITO PRAMONO
ABOUT GLOBAL IMPACT,

FILM, AND JAZZ

BY: KETKI MAHABALESHWARKAR AND
CALLISTA SAPUTRA

EDITED: AMIKA MOSER AND HALIM KIM

DOES YOUR MUSIC AIM TO IN YOUR NEW EP, CRAZIEST THING HAPPENED IN MY BACKYARD, YOU EVOKE A SENSE OF
BREAK THE MOULD OF NOSTALGIA THAT COMES WITH THE BRIGHT TONES AND SLOW TEMPOS, AS SEEN IN THE
TRADITIONAL JAZZ? HOW DID SONG 925. TELL US ABOUT THE CREATIVE PROCESS BEHIND THE EP.
YOU START CREATING THIS
IDEA OF POP JAZZ?

“THE CREATIVE PROCESS IS MOSTLY DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM MY

“THE FRIENDS.”

INDONESIAN

LANGUAGE

ITSELF IS

SUCH A

COMPLICATED

YET

DO YOU THINK YOUR VERSION BEAUTIFUL
OF JAZZ IS THEN MORE
ACCESSIBLE TO THE YOUNGER LANGUAGE.
INDONESIAN AUDIENCE?
IT’S REALLY
WHAT AND WHO ARE YOUR
BIGGEST MUSICAL BEAUTIFUL,
INSPIRATIONS?
BUT SINGING

IN IT HAS ITS

OBSTACLES.”

WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH LANGUAGE, AS A
SONGWRITER WHO COMBINES ENGLISH AND INDONESIAN
LYRICS? IS IT DIFFICULT TO CONVEY ONE MEANING THROUGH
TWO LANGUAGES?

IN SOME SONGS, LIKE HAPPY, YOU CONVEY A SENSE OF MELANCHOLY AS WELL. DOES THIS REFLECT REAL LIFE
EXPERIENCES WHERE THERE CAN BE BOTH HAPPINESS AND SADNESS.

DO YOU GET INSPIRATION FROM ANY MOVIES AND FILMS YOU’VE WATCHED? WHAT FILMS ARE YOU
CURRENTLY ENJOYING?

YOU STUDIED FILMMAKING IN UNIVERSITY. DO YOU FIND THE MUSICAL PRODUCTION
PROCESS TO BE SIMILAR TO THE FILMMAKING PROCESS? DOES ONE INSPIRE THE
OTHER?

VHOW DOES YOUR CULTURE EMPOWER YOU AS A YOUNG CREATIVE IN THE
INDONESIAN ARTS INDUSTRY?

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE THEN, TO YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE ASPIRING TO WORK IN MUSIC,
FILM, LITERATURE, AND OTHER ‘ARTS’ INDUSTRIES?

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2020?

IMAGES BY: ARDHITO PRAMONO
WE ENDED THE INTERVIEW LAUGHING IN ATTEMPTS TO SCREENSHOT THE FACETIME AND

THE HOPEFUL PROMISE OF ARDHITO VISITING LONDON FOR SHOWS. CRAZIEST THING
HAPPENED IN MY BACKYARD – EP IS ON SPOTIFY AND APPLE MUSIC.
ARDHITO’S INSTAGRAM – @ARDHITOPRAMONO
ARDHITOPRAMONO.COM

TT
R A YEAR LATER: R
A A
V CHINESE TRAVEL AND COVID V
E REOPENINGS E
LL

SS
EE
CC
TT
II
OO
NN

TT
RR
AA
VV
EE
LL

SS
EE
CC
TT
II
O BY: KATHARINE TROJAK O
EDITED: HALIM KIM

SHANGHAI
CHENGDU
CHENGDU

CHENGDU
BEIJING

PHOTOS BY: KATHARINE TROJAK

WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO RETURN TO EXPLORING THE CULTURES WE LOVE, TRAVEL
WILL MAKE AN EVEN DEEPER IMPACT THAN IT DID BEFORE.

I W C R W B I W C R W
M I U E H E M I U E H
P L L T E F P L L T E
A L T U N O A L T U N
C M U R W R C M U R W
T A R N E E T A R N E
T K E T A . T K E T A
H E S O R H E S O R
A A W E E A A W E E
N N E X A N N E X A
I E L P B I E L P B
T V O L L T V O L L
D E V O E D E V O E
I N E R T I N E R T
D D , I O D D , I O
E T N E T N
E R G E R G
P A T P A T
E V H E V H
E E

LITERATURE

TO READ IS TO ESCAPE

BY GRACE VICKERS
EDITED BY KETKI MAHABALESHWARKAR

“OPEN A BOOK AND EMBARK ON AN EXPERIENCE
THAT’LL TRANSPORT YOU FROM THESE SCARY TIMES IN

WHICH WE LIVE TO A WORLD OF PURE IMAGINATION.
KICKSTART YOUR MIND BACK INTO FIFTH GEAR, OPEN

THAT BOOK YOU’VE BEEN MEANING TO READ, AND
START A JOURNEY YOU WON’T FORGET.”

PHOTOS BY MORGAN BAKINOWSKI

ARTIST HANDI KIM

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF
SELF-EXPRESSION AND

VULNERABILITY

REPLIKKA! 3A3 BY HANDI KIM

BY: HALIM KIM
EDITED: GODELIEVE DE BREE

REPLIKKA!BYHANDIKIMGraphicDesignerHandiKimisa‘loud’artist.Shemakessuretosharea
partofherselfinhercolourful,vibrantartworkinordertoensureit
reachestheheartsofheraudience.Fromintimaterepresentationsof
theinnerworkingsofhermindinherproject‘Replikka!’tosensitive
conversationswithherfatherin‘DearAppa’,itissafetosaytheHandi
encapsulatesapartofhersoulinallherpieces.“I’mareallytalkative
personandIreallylikeatalkativeaudience,”shetellsStrand.“When

communicationisfacilitated,Igetinspired–it’slikeanendlesscircle”.
ThisloveofcommunicationiswhatinstigatedHanditomakethe
jumpfromstudyingceramiccraftatKookminUniversityinSouth

KoreatopursuingGraphicDesignattheRoyalAcademyofArtinthe
Hague.ThetraditionalteachingsofceramiccraftsinSouthKoreawas
notbigenoughtocontainHandi’sexpressiveideasandyearningto

collaboratewithotherartists.“WhenIstudiedceramiccraftsthe
schooltaughtmetofocusonmyselfandreachformyinnerselfto
makebetterwork.Thiswasagreatlesson,ofcourse,buttomeitwas
likeshoutingtowardsawall.Ijustreallyneededcommunication,I
wantedtocollaborate”.Handimentionsthatshethoughtthatgraphic

designwasthemediumthatcouldbestsatisfythiscraving.
Kim’sneedtoexperienceotherworldswasanotherreasonforher
movefromSouthKoreatotheNetherlands.LivinginDaegusinceshe
wasyoung,anareaofKoreaknownforitsconservatism,Handiwas
subjecttoanatmosphereofgenderinequality.“Therewasavery
prevalentideaofwhatmenshoulddoandwhatwomenshoulddo.

Peoplewerenotusedtooriginality”.
Fortheartist,however,thisclimatecatalyzedherloveforthearts.
“WhenIstartedwatchinganimations,theworldonscreenlookedso
idealanddifferentcomparedtothereality.Fromthatmoment,I

startedmakingart,drawingcharactersandcomicsasaformof
escapingfromreality,”shesays.Handiaddsthatcontrarytoher

childhood,theKoreanartsceneisgrowingandthriving.
AftermovingtotheNetherlands,herloveforvariousmediumsgrew:

shebeganexperimentingwithdigital,photography,animation,
videography,andtheanalogue,textileandacrylic.Sheeventaught
herself3DmodelingwatchingtutorialsonYoutube.Sheisunafraidto

experimentwithdifferentmediumsto ndtheonethatbest
communicatesherideas.“Ireallyliketoexploreanddiginto
somethingexcitingiftheconceptisreallygood,”shesays.

“DEARAPPA”BYHANDIKIM
Handiusesthemediumofgraphicdesigntoexploreherthought
processaroundthequestion‘whereismy rstinternetaccount?’inher
projects‘Replikka!’and‘Replikka!3A3’.Whenwe’reyoung,itcanbean
amazingexperiencetocreateyourown rstaccountonlineandbegin
surngtheinternet.Soonerorlater,however,theseaccounts,andina
wayaversionofourselves,areforgotten.OnedayHandiattemptedto
uncoverherrstinternet‘self’butwasdisappointedtohearthatshewas
notallowedaccess.“Iwaslike,‘It’smyaccountthatImadewithmy
identitynumber–howcomeIcan’tndit?”.Sheexpressedherfeelings

invisuallanguagescreatingthe‘Replikka!’series.
Whenaskedifshefeltasifshecouldevercometoaconclusioninthis
explorationofthe‘self’sherepliesthattherearestillmorequestionsto
beaskedasitisavery“philosophicalproject”.“Ithinkthisprojectwillbe
accumulatedandaccumulatedandIdon’tthinkI’mgoingtoanswerthis

questionanytimesoon,”sheanswers.

KIM ALSO REALISES
THE IMPORTANCE OF
USING HER PLATFORM

AS A WOMAN OF
COLOUR. “AS AN
ASIAN WOMAN LIVING
IN THE WEST UNDER
PATRIARCHY AND
GENDER INEQUALITY, I
WANT TO SPEAK OUT
LOUD”. THROUGH
EXPRESSING HERSELF
VIA HER ARTWORK
SHE HOPES TO
CONTRIBUTE TO
SOCIETAL CHANGE.

ODD LAND BY HANDI KIM





HOW IS
THE FASHION
INDUSTRY
AFFECTED BY

COVID-19?

P
H
O
T
O
G
R
A
P
H
Y

BY MOLLY BONIFACE

LLOONNEELLIINNEESSSS
AND THE
CCIITTYY

LONDON AND BEYOND

BY GIULIA CALVI
EDITED BY SHREYA SHARMA AND KETKI MAHABALESHWARKAR

“There is something very empowering in
loneliness, or that’s what I have always
told myself. I have always needed to make
sense of this state of being that I have

known my whole life.”

AND THE THING IS, THERE WAS A ‘ME’ BEFORE NEW
YORK AND THERE IS ME, AFTER. AND IF THERE IS ONE
THING THAT THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS HAS TAUGHT

ME, IT’S THIS: LONELINESS IS A BEAUTIFUL,

XXXCOMPLICATED THING.

PICTURES BY: UNSPLASH

SEEING AND
LUSTING

AFTER THE
UNATTAINABLE:
A NOT-S0-NEW
PHENOMENON

“THE
AUDIENCE
HAS ALSO

BECOME
THE

CRITIC”



SSSTTTRRRAAANNNDDD

https://www.thestrandmagazine.com