A holiday message from us to you

Hi 3rd Wrld Fam, happy holidays! 

What a year it’s been. We stayed in more, found new ways to connect, new hobbies, new house plants to keep us company. 

Since our launch, we’ve had multiple conversations with creatives from different parts of the globe; discovered new talent; and gained an ever-growing bunch of dope people who vibe with it. We can’t thank you enough for your continuous support. Without you, there would be no conversation. You give meaning to our mission, therefore, you’re a special variant to our  equation. 

As you’re reading this, some of you may be in the Holiday spirit, while for some, this may be your least favourite time of year. We get it. December broods a battle between what brings us joy, with what equally condescends us. We live in a commercialised world where gifts come with conditions, and we lose our purchasing power due to what is deemed as ideal and the perfect gift for our loved ones. 

This holiday season, we present you with a different approach. This is not a gift guide nor is it a plea to consume. Instead, we ask that you consume, consciously. Every year, larger corporations make millions of dollars during the holiday season, and for most artists, this is their least busy time of year (in addition to already having a very unpredictable year). 

To start you off, we at 3rdWrld would like to share some of our favourite artists, whom you can support this season (and, hopefully, always). By supporting creatives, the gift is two-fold. 

Sending you all the love and we hope that wherever you are, you are safe and have the best end of year.

Daniela Elorza: Columbian Artist based in Berlin. Easily one of our favourite artists, as her use of materials and confident brush strokes lure you into the story she tells in her pieces. Shop her prints via Studio Inuat or her original work through her website.

Jae Jolly: More than a swimwear brand. The founding designer, Janel Jolly, struck beauty with her vibrant pieces, originating from Jamaica. The line has been seen on the likes of Gabrielle Union, and many other A-list celebrities. Shop her most recent collection here.

Toyin Ojih Odutola Catalogue: The Nigerian-American visual artist is well known for her unique style of layered and complex mark-making. While many have referred to her as a portraitist she works from photography, and her creative process is more similar to that of an author, crafting elaborate narratives that play out in a series of works.

This illustrated publication offers an insight into her more recent body of work, and features a new text by writer Zadie Smith, along with an interview with the artist by exhibition curator Lotte Johnson. Shop for the perfect coffee table book via the Barbican here.

Dai Ruiz: Argentinian illustrator Daiana Ruiz, celebrates diversity, liberty, and the female body through her work. Each piece begins as a sketch which is then digitized and brought to life with minimal details and bold colours, giving each character a unique identity. Feel that energy? Shop her prints here.

CB Hoyo: Quite possibly the highlight of our year. Hailing from Cuba, Hoyo’s work is both the laugh and the slap in the face we needed. It’s no surprise that his online shop is 99% sold out! Need the print of a lifetime? Snag yours before it’s too late!

Plastic Paper: Founded by Sho Shibuya, and possibly one of the most innovative solutions we’ve discovered to date! Their featured product, The Biodegradable Bamboo Bag, is made from 100% bamboo fiber, a sustainable and renewable resource that can be safely disposed in any municipal waste system. (Cheers to the team for having sold out their Bamboo Bag on their site!)

Still curious? Their merch is so much fire, we’re certain there’s a keepsake for you / a loved one in there. Subscribe to their newsletter and take a look at their online store here.

Lazy Cake, a collectable sweatsuit series by Sarah Bah Bah: You may know the Palestinian-Austrailian artist from her viral photography that’s captured the hearts and minds of internet users out there. From her iconic series Sex and Takeout to Dear Love, Bah Bah lays her personal thoughts and experiences bare, while pairing them with riveting, looks-like-a-scene-from-a-movie visuals.

This year, she dropped her latest cozy creation, and to us, this makes all the sense. According to Lazy Cake, “I give myself permission to do absolutely nothing today, and to be okay with it. To indulge and delight in the pleasures of life without feeling shame or guilt.” Can we get an Amen?

We Dream in Colour: If you enjoy being adorned by organic shapes and bold colours, @wedreamincolour would be an instant follow. Founded by Trinbagonian author, illustrator, and designer @jadegedeon, the jewelry line reimagines classic pieces in delightfully artful ways, inspired by the designers nomadic upbringing. Each piece is carefully assembled in-house, by an all-female team. Shop here for a little piece of magic.