Komorebi Magazine

Editorial Design

Editorial design of Komorebi’s inaugural issue — an art & culture publication eclectically designed to reflects its diverse content.

Intro / The Brief

Komorebi Magazine is an independent publication named after the Japanese term for sunlight filtering through trees. It focuses on creativity, storytelling, and culture, covering subjects such as art, design, music, cultural movements, and social commentary.

The objective was to create an art & culture journal where every article was designed to reflect its story, aiming to produce a publication that is content‑driven, visually engaging, and immersive.

A two-page magazine spread featuring a grainy black-and-white screen grab from Stop Making Sense, showing abstract lighting and shadow that looks like a guitar headstock. A single white horizontal text strip overlays the centre, containing the first part of a quote that continues onto the next spread: “Some might say ‘why on God’s green earth do we need another person to write about 1984’s Stop Making Sense?’— and to them, I say ‘you’re not wrong.’ But in the words of our lord and saviour Britney Spears:”. The minimalist layout uses stark contrast and cinematic imagery to set the tone for the article, which explores a Gen-Z perspective on the 1984 concert film.

A continuation of the previous spread, featuring another high-contrast screen grab from Stop Making Sense, depicting a performer’s feet and shadow. The white text strip from the previous page continues across the centre of the left-hand page, completing the quote: “Oops, I did it again.” On the right-hand page, large white uppercase text reads “QU’EST-CE QUE C’EST?” with a brief introduction below, analysing the film’s legacy through a modern cultural lens. The typography is bold yet elegant, reinforcing the contemporary editorial design approach.

A minimalist layout featuring a horizontal filmstrip of small screen grabs from Stop Making Sense, running across both pages. Over the film strip images on the right-hand page, is a black-and-white illustration of a hand holding a phone displays a dating app message reading: “You probably haven’t heard of them… But I love Talking Heads. New Wave is kind of my thing x.” The left page contains a small block of justified text. The design playfully blends digital culture with classic cinema, reflecting generational perspectives on music and film.

A striking editorial spread that contrasts minimal text with bold illustration. The left page contains a justified text block, while the right page features a hand-drawn black-and-white concert scene with a band playing under stage lights. Above them, “LATE AT NIGHT” is displayed in a stylised, blocky font. The illustration includes lots of black black space at the bottom, where a white text block is present at the bottom, mirroring the blacl on white text on the left-hand page. The high-contrast illustration complements the screen grab imagery throughout the article, not present in this spread, reinforcing the theme of live performance and musical energy through this dynamic layout.

A continuation of the filmstrip aesthetic, with small screen grabs from Stop Making Sense spanning both pages. Over the filmstrip on the left-hand page, a hand-drawn illustration of David Byrne in his iconic oversized suit interacts with the imagery. The right-hand page features a justified text block analysing the performance. The layout merges photography, illustration, and typography to highlight the film’s visual and cultural impact.

A final spread maintaining the filmstrip aesthetic, with another sequence of small screen grabs from Stop Making Sense running across both pages. A hand-drawn illustration of a floor lamp appears on the right-hand page, positioned as if interacting and misplacing the film stills. The composition balances structured editorial design with playful, experimental elements, reinforcing the article’s discussion on performance, visual storytelling, and artistic expression.

A minimalist poetry spread with a green left page and a bold red right page. The left page features a centred poem titled "Ripples" by Haris Ahmed, set in an elegant serif typeface. The poem explores themes of intuition and personal transformation. The right-hand page is almost entirely red, with a cropped blue-and-white graphic element peeking from the edge, suggesting a transition into the next section. The contrasting colours create a striking visual break, reinforcing the power of words and their ripple effect.

A high-energy typographic spread with a bold red background. The left page features the words "CAPED CRUSADERS" in black uppercase text, while the main title, "A CULTURAL CROSSOVER," spans across both pages in oversized, blue-and-white comic book-style lettering with a dynamic drop shadow. Below, "& MIC MANIPULATORS" is written in black, grounding the composition. The design references comic book aesthetics, reflecting the article’s theme of hip-hop and superhero culture intersecting.

A continuation of the bold red background, this spread integrates large-scale typography as a graphic element. The spread contains a column of white text aligned diagonally in the centre on the spread, evoking the layout of comic book narration. The right page features an extreme close-up of an oversized letter suggesting continuation on the next page, reinforcing the visual rhythm of the design. The structured yet playful composition reflects the storytelling energy of hip-hop and comics.

The design maintains its strong visual impact with a large, comic book-style letter 'H' as drop-cap for the following paragraph. The large letter is in blue and white against a red background. The right page features a dense block of justified text discussing the parallels between hip-hop and comic book culture. The interplay between oversized, graphic typography and structured text reflects the dynamic, layered nature of both artistic mediums.

A magazine spread juxtaposing text and imagery in a structured yet dynamic composition. The left page introduces the article with a first-person reflection, set in a well-spaced column of text. A pull quote in a larger, bold, sans-serif typeface: "When Maggi Hambling’s statue of Mary Wollstonecraft was first unveiled in November 2020, my initial reaction was — to put it plainly — What the fuck is that?!" adds visual impact. The right page features a full-bleed photograph of the statue in its real setting: a silver, abstracted female form atop an amorphous base, standing in a green space surrounded by trees. The asymmetry between the image and text enhances readability while allowing the photography to take centre stage.

A magazine spread incorporating dual images to critique the statue’s reception. On the left, a smaller photograph is positioned centrally within the negative space, depicting the top portion of the statue against a blurred green background. The right page features a dramatic full-bleed close-up of the statue’s metallic surface, drawing attention to a real-life yellow sticker affixed to it, reading "THIS IS A DISGRACE – Factory Return CS", alongside a barcode. The real-world intervention disrupts the artwork, and its placement within the layout maximises its visual prominence. The spread’s contrasting image sizes create a sense of movement and layered storytelling.

A magazine spread exploring the nuances of public backlash. The left page features a well-balanced combination of body text and a pull quote in a soft grey hue, positioned in the upper third of the page: "But what exactly made this statue distasteful?". The right page presents a striking full-page close-up of the statue’s nude female figure, shot from a low angle to accentuate its scale and controversial detailing. The structured column of text contrasts with the organic photography, creating a refined yet provocative layout.

A concluding magazine spread that integrates thoughtful typography and photography. The left page presents the article’s final reflection in large, grey text, ending with the statement: "I think she would have been pleased.". The typographic treatment is deliberately understated, allowing the message to resonate. On the right page, a carefully framed photograph captures the statue from a distance, contextualised within its surroundings. The composition leverages depth of field and negative space to create a quiet, contemplative ending to the piece, reinforcing the article’s broader themes of public art, feminism, and representation.

A typographic design displaying the definition of "Komorebi", reading: "Komorebi (koh-mo-reh-bee) — A Japanese expression for the sunlight as it filters through the trees, is made up of the kanji characters for tree (木), shine through (漏れ), and sun (日)."

Two two-page magazine spreads featuring a serene forest scene with sunlight filtering through lush green trees. Large, white Japanese kanji characters spelling "Ko", "Mo", "Re" and "BI" are overlaid over the image, creating contrast against the natural background, visually representing 'Komorebi' — a Japanese expression for the interplay of sun-light filtering though the trees.

A copy of "Komorebi" AW21 Issue 01 placed on a marble coffee table, surrounded by a green houseplant, a half-empty wine bottle, a candle, and a metal book rack filled with various publications.

My Role

Collaborating with Komorebi’s founder during the magazine’s planning stages, reflecting his vision and developing the editorial design across the entire publication.

As the sole designer working on this, my responsibilities included incorporating the provided content, such as photography, illustrations and text, creating structured layouts, integrating typography and visual treatments to enhance the magazine’s features storytelling experience.

An open sketchbook displaying hand-drawn layout concepts for a publication. The pages feature a grid of thumbnail sketches, each outlining different arrangements of text and imagery, with shaded areas indicating visual hierarchy.

Magazine spread featuring a bold, high-contrast opening for an article on Clarence L. Cooper Jr. On the left page, the title, The Rebellious Literature of Clarence L. Cooper Jr., is rendered in an elongated, condensed typeface in white against a black background, with custom ligatures subtly interwoven into the typography. This typographic treatment is inspired by the cover of Black, one of Cooper’s seminal novels, where the "LA" in Black forms a distinctive ligature. The right page features a grainy, halftone black-and-white photograph of a man in a buttoned-up work shirt, his hand resting on his lap. The raw, archival texture of the image complements the typography, creating a spread that visually embodies Cooper’s defiant literary voice.

Magazine spread with a striking, grainy close-up image and text-heavy layout. The top portion of the spread features an extreme close-up of a man's eye, cropped horizontally across both pages in a rough halftone treatment. Below, a dense two-column text layout unfolds the article, beginning with an oversized drop cap on the left page. The stark black-and-white colour scheme, heavy text flow, and grainy textures enhance the spread’s archival and documentary-like aesthetic.

Magazine spread with a minimalist, editorial layout that highlights a powerful quote. The left page is almost entirely black, with a centred white quote in an elegant, elongated typeface that reads: "Cooper is not an imitator; his words come from the people and sting with the impact of truth." The right page features a small, centred black-and-white portrait of Clarence L. Cooper Jr., wearing the same buttoned-up shirt seen in the opening spread, his gaze serious and direct. The restrained, high-contrast layout gives a sense of weight and reverence to Cooper’s literary legacy.

Magazine spread featuring artist Ivana Stefanova. The left page has a minimalist layout with a white background, a block of black body text at the top-right, and the artist’s name in bold, earthy-toned typography at the bottom. The right page presents a richly painted digital artwork depicting a woman floating in a pond among water lilies, her dark hair fanning out as she appears to sink into the murky water. The atmospheric composition evokes a dreamlike aesthetic.

Magazine spread. The right page features a full-page, hyperrealistic digital portrait painting of two figures with their faces resting on top of each-other, gazing directly at the viewer. The left page is mostly white, with a small column of body text on the bottom-left, and the image caption on the top-right.

Magazine spread featuring two portrait paintings by Ivana Stefanova. A stark white background allows the artwork to stand out. On the left, a small portrait of a red-haired woman against a dark blue background exudes an introspective mood. On the right, a portrait of a woman with an orange-toned background is more expressive, posed with her head resting on her hand. Sparse text in coloured accents sourced from the artworks on top of each painting provides context, enhancing the balanced and airy design.

Concept / Strategy

The term ‘Komorebi’ refers to the Japanese expression for sunlight filtering through trees, creating unique strands of light every time they appear. Drawing inspiration from this concept, the design focused on balancing individuality and cohesion through:

Creating a cohesively eclectic visual language through structured yet flexible layouts, typography, and visual treatments that reflects the magazine’s stories and exressions.

Reflective Layouts: Each article was designed to reflect its unique story, employing varying typographic and visual treatments to create an immersive and dynamic reader experience.
Structured Flexibility: Developed a flexible layout system that integrates structured grids with expressive design elements, allowing each piece to maintain its distinct identity while contributing to the magazine’s overall aesthetic.
Visual Storytelling: Integrated photography, illustrations, and typography to enhance the narrative, ensuring that the components effectively complemented the written and visual content.

A visually structured magazine spread that reinforces the article’s wider argument. The left page is text-heavy, with a soft blue pull quote reading: "Moreover, the controversy surrounding the statue has done more than simply draw attention to the Wollstonecraft legacy.". The right page features a full-page close-up of the statue from behind, with the small, naked female figure appearing delicate atop the abstracted, sculptural base. The symmetrical layout enhances the contrast between text and imagery, allowing the reader’s eye to move fluidly across the spread.

A vibrant and expressive final spread. The left page features a block of text, with a highlighted blue section reading: "This cultural crossover has seen some of Marvel’s most proficient with the pencil reimagine Hip-Hop’s quintessential covers – including Dr Dre’s The Chronic, Nas’ Illmatic, and A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders, all with a superhero slant." Set on its side, and beginning from the second half of the left page, spanning to the right page, is a surreal, psychedelic-style illustration of the artist Little Simz seated in an exaggerated throne, with speech bubbles saying, "Sometimes I might be” and "Introvert.” The illustration’s bold, hand-drawn aesthetic contrasts with the structured text, echoing the dynamic relationship between hip-hop, identity, and comic book culture.

Magazine spread featuring bold typographic and geometric design. On the left page, a massive letter "A" is displayed in a minimalist, high-contrast style against a black background, its sharp lines forming a striking visual anchor. On the right page, a structured grid of capital letters presents the statement: "HOUSE IS NOT A HOME IF THE CEILING IS MADE OF GLASS." The bold, modern typography reinforces themes of restriction and visibility, creating an impactful opening spread.

Magazine spread. A dramatic nighttime skatepark scene fills the spread. A girl wearing a helmet with a skull design make-up is captured in action, leaning into a turn under artificial lights. The right-hand page features a large, bold orange number "4," tilted at an angle, with the phrase "make room for more girls" written along its edge. The text block in the top right corner discusses inclusivity and representation in skateboarding.

Magazine spread featuring large green text set in a Blackletter style font covering the top part of both pages, with four column of body text below.

A monochromatic magazine spread featuring a dramatic black-and-white close-up portrait of Theodor Black crouching, dressed in a leather coat and layered accessories. His gaze is direct, exuding intensity and depth. The left-hand page contains a structured text block with a highlighted pull quote that reads: “A lot of people won’t be able to see that Virgil Abloh fucks with skating heavy and is doing so much to support the skate community.” The combination of photography and typography reflects the article’s discussion of skate culture’s impact on fashion, music, and identity.

A black-and-white two-page magazine spread featuring documentary photography from the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in London. The left page captures a dynamic street scene with protesters marching, while the right page highlights a woman in a headscarf raising her fist in the air against the backdrop of a city skyline and protest signs. The bold, full-bleed photography immerses the viewer in the moment, with minimal text along the edges crediting photographer Caroline Hasy and contextualising the images. The layout emphasises raw emotion, activism, and movement, aligning with the visual storytelling of protest culture.

With multiple contributors and varied content styles, the challenge was to balance consistency with the individuality of each article, creating visual narratives with ideas derived from the articles’ visuals and written content.

Through the development of a flexible layout system that integrates structured grids with expressive design, each piece was designed to maintain its distinct identity while contributing to the magazine’s overall aesthetic.

Magazine spread featuring a large, grainy, monochromatic, muted lavender, close-up of a woman's face, framed from below with her gaze looking directly at the viewer. The title "SPACE AND TIME" is positioned in bold, all-caps white type on the left page, interacting with the contours of her face. The right-hand page contains the article’s introduction, set in a justified serif font, subtly blending with the desaturated image beneath. The layout creates a dreamlike, immersive atmosphere, setting the tone for an exploration of sound, memory, and place.

Magazine spread with a soft, ethereal composition, featuring two hazy, low-contrast portraits arranged against a muted lavender background. The left page carries a semi-transparent, blurred close-up of the subject’s face, partially obscured by shadow. The right page features a similarly diffused portrait, cropped at an angle, with a column of text positioned directly under the image. The overall composition evokes a sense of transience, aligning with themes of reflection and time distortion.

Magazine spread dominated by a moody portrait of a woman bathed in soft natural light, positioned near a window with delicate horizontal blinds casting faint shadows. The left-hand page carries this large image, while the right page balances it with a small square inset portrait aligned to the bottom of the page next to a justified block of text. The interplay between light and shadow, along with restrained typography and thoughtful white space, creates a calm, meditative reading experience.

Magazine spread featuring a close-up, out-of-focus image of a woman's face on the left page, her features blurred into soft abstraction. The right-hand page contrasts this with a sharply defined, framed photograph of the article’s subject, embedded within a column of text. This juxtaposition of clarity and distortion visually reinforces the themes of presence and memory. The cool lavender hues and understated typography unify the spread’s airy, contemplative feel.

A two-page magazine spread introducing the article "Diaries of a Skate Rat." The left page features a bold, uppercase title in black, set against a stark white background. The right page presents a large, lightweight sans-serif text block with an anecdote about being kicked off a football team for skateboarding, partially overlaying a small, cropped photograph of a young man. The anecdote says: "I got kicked off of my football team for breaking my ankle, I broke it skateboarding. They were like you're not serious about football, you can't be out here trying to do both! I haven't played football since." The design uses contrast, typography, and layering to reflect the personal storytelling of this article about UK rapper and skater Theodor Black.

A contemporary editorial spread featuring a full-page photograph of Theodor Black crouching, dressed in an orange vest and relaxed-fit trousers. The left page contains a justified text block introducing his background and artistic approach, while the right page presents a minimalist typographic treatment — large, spaced-out sans-serif text reading: “UK rapper, music maker, and sound creator Theodor Black doesn’t need to be told he can’t do something.” The layout balances bold portraiture with airy, spacious typography to evoke confidence and individuality.

A magazine spread with a close-up, portrait of Theodor Black on the right-hand page, showing him from behind wearing a light-toned shirt. The left page contains a structured text block with a smaller inset image of Theodor standing on a wooden pallet, reinforcing themes of self-expression and skate culture. The typographic layout remains clean and minimal, allowing the photography to take centre stage.

A full-page portrait of Theodor Black sitting shirtless on a stool dominates the left page, exuding a sense of quiet confidence. The right page features a justified text block discussing his artistic influences and thoughts on culture, activism, and the role of music. A pull quote subtly integrates into the text, reinforcing key ideas. The design prioritises striking imagery with thoughtful, structured editorial layout, mirroring the subject’s introspective yet bold presence.

Magazine spread featuring a bold typographic opening. The left page displays the article’s title in large white capital letters on a muted blue background: "THE FUTURE OF COMEDY CLUBS", with the words "IS NO LAUGHING MATTER" scrawled underneath in smeared red lipstick, as if hastily written by hand. The right page features a portrait of a woman in a red satin pyjamas-style blouse applying lipstick in an exaggerated, messy manner, pulling a playful grimace. The design suggests she is the one who has completed the article’s title in lipstick, reinforcing the irreverent, comedic tone of the piece.

Magazine spread featuring an introduction to the article. The left page has a minimal design, with a single paragraph in white text against a muted blue background, introducing stand-up comedian Alexandra Haddow’s piece. The right page begins the article with a structured single column layout, integrating a highlighted pull quote in red italics, breaking up the text.

Magazine spread featuring another performance shot. The left page includes a smaller inset image of a stand-up comedian on stage, bathed in warm red lighting. The right page carries more of the article’s body text, with a pull quote in red emphasising the connection between humour and social bonding.

Magazine spread featuring a final performance shot. The left page captures a candid moment of Alexandra Haddow performing on stage at a comedy venue, framed by red curtains and two warmly lit floor lamps. The foreground includes silhouettes of audience members watching attentively. The right page concludes the article with a personal reflection and a sign-off in red text reading, "See you Friday, 11 pm."

Komorebi Magazine Issue 01 credits spread.

Close up of one of Komorebi Magazine spread, showing a grainy close-up image of a face at the top and text-heavy layout with a drop-cap letter 'H'.

Close up side view of the magazine closed pages, showing slivers of the inner pages textures and colours.

Close up of Komorebi Magazine spread featuring a bold typographic opening. The left page displays the article’s title in large white capital letters on a muted blue background: "THE FUTURE OF COMEDY CLUBS", with the words "IS NO LAUGHING MATTER" scrawled underneath in smeared red lipstick, as if hastily written by hand. The right page features a portrait of a woman in a red satin pyjamas-style blouse applying lipstick in an exaggerated, messy manner, pulling a playful grimace. The design suggests she is the one who has completed the article’s title in lipstick, reinforcing the irreverent, comedic tone of the piece.

Featuring essays, interviews, and original stories, Komorebi Magazine presents a diverse range of voices and disciplines, aiming to speak to an audience drawn to visual culture, in‑depth storytelling, and creative discourses, as well as those interested in contemporary culture and curious about independent publishing.