OOMK #3
It’s great to see OOMK (One Of My Kind) is going strong. The third issue of the small-press publication, a zine that especially emphasises the inclusion of Muslim contributors and a range of women from diverse ethnic backgrounds, is themed ‘Drawing’. The cover has changed its tone, the previous two were lighter and more airy, but the new design works - it’s iconic and cool and certainly one of a kind. They’ve dealt with their theme smartly and showcase a lot of interesting projects, and their varied range of contributions make for an intriguing read. Some of the imagery reminds me a little of the handmade and earthy illustrations for Amelia’s Magazine, and the content is a blend of the lifestyle articles found in magazines like Oh Comely and the spirit of the 90s riot grrrl zines.
Highlights include:
Editor Sofia Niazi draws images based on videos of ‘War on Terror’ victims (above). She uses line drawing as a medium to distinguish the images from all the other kinds of video content up online. It’s evocative, beautiful work.
A thought piece by Hannah Habibi Hopkin considers the strange interplay between self-portrait and the selfie.
An interview with Vibha Osbon of Madras Café, a food tent that sets up shop every year at WOMAD festival, gives insight into the café’s fundraising schemes, and details their work in supporting the land rights of marginalised communities in India.
A piece about being vegetarian in Vietnam detours slightly from the theme, but it is an intriguing blend of cookbook, memoir and travel diary, and the accompanying photography by Luke Walker is playful like some of the best kinds of drawings.
As ever, the hand painted headlines create a nice sense of cohesion throughout, and overall it’s a very pretty object – the kind of magazine that you find yourself picking up to rummage through over and over again, always keeping you delighted by a new thought or engaging idea.
Review by Madeleine Morley
Read our interview At Work With Sofia Niazi and Rose Nordin, OOMK