MAGIC WAND
Stroll through Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin and you may just hear the dainty pad of paws from a captivating pair of hounds. Meet Yōji and Viktor, two sleek white whippets who shine on Instagram as @_wand_wand thanks to their owner: designer and amateur photographer wandaMAN.
The feed’s minimalist aesthetic, combined with Yōji’s and Viktor’s highly photogenic sensibilities, creates a perfect balance between pet and muse—an attention that has earned nearly 70,000 followers.
This popularity isn’t just thanks to wandaMAN’s whippets. She happens to be a killer graphic designer. Born in Poland, she cut her teeth on posters for underground techno parties. Working with her brother, she used “distorted digital photos from [an] old and damaged Sony camera”. She created stickers. She made graffiti. She collected “defective laser prints from copy machines”.
Concerning whippets, wandaMAN was enthralled at first sight. “When Yōji came to us, I literally bombarded my family with photos of him until my sister told me about Instagram,” she says. “Whippets became more than just a dog to me; they’re addictive. They can change from lazy couch potato to a super speed machine… The classic ‘s’ shape of their sleek bodies reminds me of Japanese hiragana alphabet.”
_
You can enjoy the complete feature in Four&Sons, Issue Nine.
To buy a copy, click here
—
Photography byandaMAN
@_wand_wand
DOG-FRIENDLY: TAKE THE LEAD
We are thrilled to introduce Dog-Friendly, a collection of city guides for dog-loving people, created together with our long-time contributor, photographer Winnie Au, and fellow enthusiasts, indie publisher Hoxton Mini Press. Available for purchase here.
August 25, 2021
PACK OF DOGS
Have you ever imagined Amy Winehouse or Nick Cave as a Chihuahua, Neil Young as a Vizsla, or PJ Harvey as an Afghan hound? That’s exactly what San Francisco-based artist Michael Gillette has done through his unique illustration project, blending beloved, iconic music legends, both past and present, with their dog counterparts. Pack of Dogs, our first foray into book publishing, is a celebration of pup and pop culture for music and dog lovers alike.
August 25, 2020
NATURAL INSTINCT
In his series ‘Kinetic’, San Diego-based photographer James Lee celebrates dogs at full speed.
May 7, 2023
POODLE ELITE
Jouk Oosterhof photographs Amsterdam’s beloved family members (with a dash of lifestyle accessory).
May 3, 2023
TEAM EFFORT
What started as a fundraising effort to save photographer Kristoffer Paulsen’s beloved dog Josie, morphed into Melbourne’s most in-demand pet portraits.
March 31, 2023
KINGDOM OF HOUNDS
For decades, legendary Irish documentary photographer Tony O’Shea has captured the country’s annual drag hunt, and a country’s rich history along with it.
March 24, 2023
THE DOG MAKER
Thanks to hungry wolves and ancient humans, there are over 350 dog breeds in the world today. Artist Hosung Jang offers more.
February 27, 2023
FAR-OFF REALMS
Suspended between vintage past and surrealist future, The Brigadoon Dispatch is a portal to new realms of creativity.
February 24, 2023
POWER COUPLE
Pioneering ‘species-fluid’ fashion, THEANIMALS™ brings human and hound even closer together.
January 28, 2023
THE LONG WAIT
In his third and final instalment of The Waiting Game, artist Txema Salvans photographs dogs tied to lives of waiting.
January 26, 2023
LITTLE WONDERS
Clean-lined, minimal and irresistibly cute, Odile Ferraille depicts dogs living their best, carefree lives.
January 23, 2023
HOME AND DRY
Bath time can be a dignified affair with MiaCara’s new Groom collection, designed to bring luxe to wet dogs.
November 28, 2022
