Categories

Monthly Theme

Editor writes a few words about the selection of the the theme for the edition. Explains the choice

The Spotlight

A monthly drop on the most intriguing creatives/creative movements

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Culture

This column treats culture as an archive: layered and shaped by histories of power and feeling. Beginning from images, texts, or everyday moments, each piece traces what the familiar makes possible—and what people continue to stretch through culture. Rooted in the conversations fostered by The Brief, the column is driven by close reading and a sustained attention to tension over resolution. Rather than offering conclusions, the work invites us to think alongside the writing—to consider where we are situated within these cultural formations, and to ask what remains to be done by those of us who comment on, contribute to, and move within culture.

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Art

Like many of you, dear readers, we at The Brief think ourselves to have a deep-seeded passion for the visual (arts). But what really are the visual arts and how do we interact with them? For some of you, that might mean that you love going to the museum and stare at the most miniscule details of your favourite painter’s artworks. Others might fi nd joy in roaming their neighbourhoods with cameras, freezing the world they see in still images. We also suspect that a fair share of you would reluctantly call yourself cinephiles. We sincerely hope that all of you will fi nd The Brief’s visual arts column to refl ect your passions, however obscure others may think they are. Our mission is not just to discuss big picture issues in the world of visual arts, but also to highlight the work of local artists. We, therefore, invite you to get in touch with us at Instagram and share your work and thoughts on the realm of the visual.

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Politics

As the writer of the political column of The Brief it is highly important for my writing to bear truth and scope, but also value that is not solely suspended in a superficial or prescriptive writing of politics. For many people political writing can sometimes come with strong or objective opinion, or for some it can exist tied to neutrality, along this spectrum of political positionality my writing aims to remain a space of interpretation and critical understanding. Approaching politics in a way that does not ignore the underbelly of the unspoken and invasive elements, in our society, that chisel our political world. All the domineering structures and undetected power plays that are designed to make us feel weak in the face of mainstream political language are deconstructed here. Talking about politics in this peeled back manner replants the seeds of autonomy and sort of brings us back to ourselves, transcending our own personal subjectivity and typing cultural phenomena to our current political world.

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Philosophy

As the philosophy columnist for the Brief, I seek to break down philosophical ideas and ground them in our everyday lives, connecting theory to the moments unfolding right in front of us. Philosophy, as I approach it, is not meant to live solely in footnotes or abstract arguments, but in the texture of ordinary experience—in moments of hesitation, in the habits we follow without question and in the quiet realizations that surface when we stop long enough to notice them. By translating complex ideas into accessible language, I hope to show readers that philosophy is not distant or intimidating, but deeply human and relevant in our everyday existence. My writing is driven by a belief that philosophy becomes most meaningful when it meets us where we are—amid uncertainty, contradiction and change. Ultimately, I hope my writing gives readers permission to slow down and linger with a piece, allow space for contemplation in a world that often demands quick opinions and clear answers. The readers should not leave with conclusions neatly tied up but with a heightened sense of curiosity and an openness to ambiguity. My goal is to cultivate reflection as a practice, one that feels gentle, accessible and quietly transformative.

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Fashion

To me, fashion has never felt superficial. Growing up I’ve always understood it is a theory that can be understood as a shared language spoken through fabric, gesture and texture. Fashion has been shaped by history, migration and memory. It lives on the body and carries meanings far beyond. It reveals who is seen, celebrated and who stories can endure through what is viewed as mere pieces. Growing up between cultures, I’ve become aware of the way identity and expression is constructed and performed. Clothing is an immediate expression: it reflects a negotiation of belonging, of heritage and visibility without needing to utter a word. Writing about fashion in a broader cultural world allows me to slow these moments down and to view garments as cultural texts where social and political conditions can be traced with justified meaning. For The Brief, my writing lays at an intersection: where fashion meets art, theory and lived craftsmanship and experience. Through this I can explore the questions of representation, authenticity, identity and creativity. These are the quiet powers of a craft that is enabled through culture and memory.