OOMK #6
Standing for ‘One of My Kind’, magCulture favourites OOMK are a London-based collective championing muslim women, and exploring faith, art and identity across a range of publications and mediums.
Alongside producing their magazine OOMK, founders Rose Nordin, Sofia Niazi and Heiba Lamara have published The Library Was; a reimagining of the function, aesthetic and user culture of the library, and A Study of Printing Practices in Malaysia: KL, Penang, and Ipoh, which details their research into Malaysia’s independent publishing practices and was featured on magCulture last year.
They also put on events that include ‘DIY Cultures’, which is one of the UK’s largest annual independent publishing fairs, and have founded a community Risograph printing press in East London, called Rabbits Road Press, which will be reopening for free weekly sessions every Wednesday throughout this January and February.
Their longest-running project, OOMK, was first conceived in 2013. A biannual zine, OOMK has always been a highly visual publication, with each issue devoted to a different creative theme. Past editions have looked at fabric, print, drawing, and the internet. For this sixth issue, they have shifted their focus to food. The link between food and family is synonymous; playful illustrations show the array of teas in an Aunty’s cupboard, and Lemara Lindsay-Prince’s beautifully written piece, ‘Hands’, serves as a powerful ode to her grandmother.
Throughout the issue are food-focused interviews, one with former Great British Bake Off contestant Ruby Tandoh (above), and another with journalist Pelin Keskin on the link between food and gentrification (below).
Acclaimed poet Momtaza Mehri’s ‘Buttermilk Bismillahs’ appear alongside colourful images of cakes, cloth, and fierce portraits of herself (above), one of which has been transposed into the monochrome cover image. The issue is a vibrant exploration of the cultural implications of food, as well as looking at food as a form of art, friend and refuge.
Listen to magCulture Meets OOMK, recorded at the Shop last year.