Whether it’s visiting studio spaces, frequenting local galleries, bouncing between international art fairs or simply looking up and admiring a building, passion for art and design forms COOL HUNTING’s foundation. No matter where you are in the world, art is around. But to have art in your own home is truly a gift. We’re not all able to afford the pieces we covet, but books about our favorite genres, artists, designers, buildings, styles, or photographers are a way to surround ourselves with beauty. Further, the pages and pages of history and insight serve to educate and fuel our insatiable curiosity. With books spanning photography, architecture, design and more, this guide will have something for everybody.
I Can Make You Feel Good is the first monograph of filmmaker and photographer Tyler Mitchell and presents his vision for a Black utopia. Each page is full bleed, entirely subsumed by Mitchell’s loving photographs. Encompassing contributions by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Deborah Willis and Isolde Brielmaier, as well as Mitchell’s candy-colored palette, I Can Make You Feel Good reimagines the Black experience as one that’s …
Brooklyn-based artist and designer Piera Bochner’s Romanesco candle is a study in maximalism and eccentricity. Handcrafted by the artist, this beeswax candle is modeled after Romanesco broccoli in custom, spirited colorways. As the candle burns, the wax drips down unconventional paths, forming new color patterns and structures. An investigation into the multiplicity of wax, wick and fire as well as a functional art piece, Bochner’s …
In collaboration with French illustrator Marylou Faure, the playful brand Art of Ping Pong created Blossom, a whimsical paddle in line with Faure’s cheeky and colorful graphics. The paddle, carved from FSC certified Ebiara wood, features different floral patterns on each face and a concave handle. Paired with the Blossom ball and ZigZiag Blossom convertible table, this paddle completes a spirited, joyous table tennis set. …
Just as ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, emphasizes observing and appreciating the beauty of nature, Lauren Doughty’s “Ikebana Practice #1” print celebrates the forms and shapes of bouquets through warm yet lively hues. Printed on Hahnemühle Museum Etching paper with a matte finish, this London-based illustrator’s giclée print is packed and signed by the artist and comes in protective cardboard. Price is in …
Handmade by Toronto-based ceramic artist Julie Moon, this leaf-shaped pipe swirls with abstract patterns and subtle hues. Whether in use or on display, this pipe contributes a touch of whimsy.
Tender yet subversive, dreamy yet introspective, Tengo un Dragón Dentro del Corazón is the first book of self-taught photographer Carlota Guerrero’s enchanting imagery. The collection—which includes text by renowned collaborators and the artist herself—spans her early photographs of women in nature, her renowned work for Solange’s A Seat at the Table, visuals from her project documenting the transgender community in Cuba and more. Altogether, this young …
A celebration of pastel as an art medium, Swiss-born artist Nicolas Party’s Pastel exhibition at NYC’s The Flag Foundation was a delightful, immersive experience. For those who didn’t have the opportunity to wander the venue—with its Rococo-inspired murals, patterned walls and rich, elaborately framed paintings—the book Pastel commemorates the show. The 216-page hardcover serves as a look through the exhibition (featuring artists like Mary Cassatt, …
From LA-based independent publisher (and coffee roaster) Deadbeat Club comes this limited run 2022 calendar, featuring photography, color washes, custom lettering and personal doodles by contemporary artist and professional skateboarder Ed Templeton. Measuring 12 by 13 inches, with a Wire-O binding, the pages within vary between full color and black-and-white duotone offset artworks.
From Luca Antonucci and David Kasprzak’s Colpa—a collaborative art practice, publishing house and curatorial team—comes NY Rave Flyers 1990-1995 Volume 2, a 76-page collection of clever, often colorful vintage imagery. Measuring 5.5 by 8.5 inches, the book acts as a design documentary of rave culture at the time, and the posters within the slender volume often surprise.
Produced for The Heirloom Project—designer Madeline Weinrib’s initiative to honor the 10th anniversary of the Islamic Wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and to preserve historic techniques and design principles through partnerships with global artisans—this set of four fine bone china dinner plates invokes a floral motif attributed to late-17th century India. Each plate is made in India by Good Earth, the studio founded …
Biannual magazine SALIMA tackles art and culture with an intersectional feminist perspective, meaning they center the voices of Black people; Indigenous people; people of color; queer, trans or nonbinary individuals; and those with low incomes or disabilities. To that end, their magazine is pay what you can, and they offer issues in three different price points ($18, $28 and $48) to be accessible for those …
When artist Judy Chicago was researching and developing her iconic 1974–1979 work, The Dinner Party, which commemorated influential women throughout history, she studied early goddess-worship within various cultures. This large, gloriously curved candle—A Goddess Glow—stands 10 inches tall and promises some 100 hours of burn time. Made in an edition of 1500 by Prospect New York, the goddess will change form through use, but remains …
