Do you like learning more about crafts and traditions from all over the world and you don't know Garland Magazine yet? Well, you should check it out now.
Based in Australia, Garland was launched in 2015 as a partner of the World Crafts Council – Australia, a national entity of the World Crafts Council – Asia Pacific.
The name of the magazine is inspired by the Indo-Pacific floral offerings: conceived as a mark of respect, the garland welcomes guests, honours individuals, adorns homes and decorates temples.
Yet, in the case of the magazine, the garland motif is also a metaphor for reaching out and connect writers, crafts, traditions and stories.
Indeed, it doesn't matter where we live, we are all connected and form a wonderfully unfinished human tapestry and Garland provides a platform to discover these connections through a wide range of stories about craftspeople and hand-made objects created all over the world (Garland has so far travelled from Australia to Japan, South Korea, India and Mexico, just to mention a few countries...), always keeping firmly in mind the strong bond human beings have with nature and without forgetting how technologies are having an impact on our lives.
Between 2015 and 2020, Garland shared 1,050 stories by 501 writers from 63 countries about textiles, traditional garments and techniques, jewelry, interior design pieces and objects. While the current issue of the magazine explores the relationship between humans and nature, in June Garland will look at the relationship between past and future, developing more juxtapositions throughout the rest of the year and exploring dichotomies such as East/West, rich/poor and the value of objects and their meanings).
While Garland is published quarterly, the Loop provides stories between issues, the Orbit lists major events, exhibitions, talks and tours while the monthly Laurel focuses on intriguing and inspiring objects that prompt readers to think.
Most content is free, but if you're part of the Circle of subscribers and contributors (the deadline for the next issue is 1st May 2021 and you can submit your story idea here) you will be able to access special sections such as the Quarterly Essays, ebooks and the monthly newsletter. And, if you're looking for exclusive presents, head for the Garland shop or book sections where you may find magazines, ebooks, but also pendants and quarterly issues with uniquely hand-decorated covers created by refugee artists who are part of Melbourne Artists for Asylum Seekers.
Garland also publishes podcast interviews and hosts live conversations and in April I was honoured to be part of one of these conversations and was interviewed by Kevin Murray, the indefatigable editor at Garland magazine and Irenebrination supporter (thank you, Kevin). You can listen to the podcast at this link.
Can't travel yet because of Coronavirus restrictions? Subscribe to Garland, get your passport to world cultures and learn to speak the lingua franca of crafts.
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