SIMPLICITY
SIMPLICITY
Simplicity is non-excess. In Swedish, the word “lagom” describes something that is neither too much, nor too little, but enough. Nevertheless, although the concept describes something uncomplicated, there is, hidden in it, an unspoken complexity.
To exist, simplicity cannot lose itself in the unnecessary.
Once all the surplus is removed, there is only the essential, that in its wholeness it can shine. To create something simple, one needs special attention. Simplicity does not try to be what it is not. It is natural and genuine in its existence, it is the expression of essence.
Simplicity is non-excess. In Swedish, the word “lagom” describes something that is neither too much, nor too little, but enough. Nevertheless, although the concept describes something uncomplicated, there is, hidden in it, an unspoken complexity.
To exist, simplicity cannot lose itself in the unnecessary.
Once all the surplus is removed, there is only the essential, that in its wholeness it can shine. To create something simple, one needs special attention. Simplicity does not try to be what it is not. It is natural and genuine in its existence, it is the expression of essence.
FELIPE is a fine art and commercial photographer based in London, UK. A naturally curious person with an avid imagination, he is drawn to the stillness and depth of nature taking a lot of inspiration from its landscapes, textures, patterns and shapes and using them as a way to convey and express his internal world.
BIA is a cook based in Stockholm, Sweden. She enjoys slow cooking and the social aspect of food. For her food is meant to be appreciated as a shared experience. With her wide range of interests, spanning from martial arts to music; from travelling to writing poetry and beyond, she always finds inspiration for her recipes in the most unusual places.
ANNA is a creative director based in Stockholm, Sweden. Her socio-political awareness and interest in arts made her realise that images can change the world. With her avid curiosity, research skills and passion for visual arts, she always brings a fresh perspective to the projects she collaborates on.
OUR PROCESS
Text by Anna
When we decided to continue with Felipe and Bia’s project of combining food and photography, I suggested that we first start with some exercises. Although I enjoyed the initial result, I felt there was a lack of connection between the dish and the picture, being the concept the only link between them.
Since I have always been interested in food and art, growing up I would spend a lot of time testing out new recipes with Bia, going to exhibitions with Felipe or helping him out with his photoshoots, I got to learn a lot from them. Predicting that my role would be of a translator, given that neither of them had prior knowledge of each other’s professions, I quickly understood that our initial goal should be of establishing a common ground between them, getting them to speak the same language.
We started with short exercises - from making moodboards as a way to show our visual identities and references, to creating together based on my creative pitches and, using each other’s work as inspiration. Through these exercises, we worked on our communication, always discussing our results and giving feedback to one another, and got to learn about each other’s work and creative process.
We also saw this time as an opportunity for individual growth, where we allowed ourselves to try out new techniques, make mistakes and learn from them. Each one of us was faced with particular challenges, which we overcame with time - Bia, for instance, started focusing more on the recipe and its flavours instead of being stuck on a concept; Felipe learned to embrace and enjoy the process rather than fixating on achieving a certain result, whereas I got to improve my leadership skills.
As we learned more about ourselves and each other, our communication got much better and we were able to unite and balance all of these three different personalities and interests - we were finally speaking the same language! Hence, we could finally start the next chapter of TRES - creating a journal!