Artist Brendan Lee Satish Tang gets much of his inspiration from his multi-cultural background and international upbringing. Born in Ireland to Trinidadian parents, Tang has studied in the United States and Canada, where he is a naturalised citizen. These cross-cultural experiences means Tang is no stranger to diverse environments, a concept that is reflected in his The Swimmers series.

The term "fish out water" is often used to describe the mixed emotions that can come with being out of one's depth due to new and unfamiliar circumstances and surroundings. This feeling of culture shock is familiar experience for many and The Swimmers series plays with the idea that we - the fish - are always finding our way through our greater culture and history. The series symbolically explores the ways in which people immerse themselves in cultures from around the world. The detailed drawings that make up this collection reimagine traditional blue and white 18th Century English earthenware and Delftware porcelain plates as undulating swimming pools enjoyed by a pair of swimmers of various ages.

Including a duo was a deliberate decision on Tang's part as it emphasises the idea that we learn traditions and cultural practices from one another; these things are not hard-wired. As they swim and splash in the symbolic patterns, the swimmers appear unaware of the complexities that surround them. From this nonchalant attitude can be inferred either a type of ignorance or a sense of optimism, perfectly encapsulating the mixed emotions we feel as we wade through uncharted territory.

Like something out of a science fiction novel, IKEA's newest product aims to improve the health of your indoor environment while also making it beautiful. 

The Swedish ready-to-assemble furniture retailer has developed a type of fabric that can actively purify the air in your home. Called GUNRID, the curtain uses a technology IKEA has been developing over the last few years in collaboration with universities in Europe and Asia. A mineral-based, photocatalyst coating is applied to the surface of the fabric and, using a process similar to photosynthesis, it breaks down particles of common indoor air pollutants such as odours and formaldehyde, thereby cleaning the air. For the photosynthetic process, either artificial or natural light can trigger the effect, but details as to exactly what type of particles it can act on, and how large they need to be, have not yet been released. 

While the GUNRID curtains are the first product to use the textile, the newly developed technology is not restricted to curtains. It can be used on other soft furnishings such as bedding and cushions. 

In colder climates where fresh air may not be available all year around, the application of this fabric could be tremendous.  But don't rush to your nearest IKEA just yet; a prototype of the curtain will not be released until 2020.

These beautiful, sculptural clothes by Israeli designer Noa Ravi are inspired by computer glitches and digital errors. Ravi crafts her pieces by creating "defective" digital images in 3D using a command that the native software in unable to execute. Called the Hard Copy collection, the pieces swirl and envelop the body. She keeps to a limited palette - mainly monochromatic - which allows the form to take centre stage.

The textiles used in the collection were developed in conjunction with Stratasys.

Easter's on the way, so why commit to standard elliptical offerings when you could try the reinvented chocolates of Melbourne/Hong Kong-based artist and designer Ryan L Foote instead?

Known for his food art installations, Foote's chocolates are for the digital age. For the last three years Foote has been living between Melbourne and Hong Kong, traveling back and forth for various projects and his chocolates aim to capture the signature flavours of these regions such as unique Australian botanicals, traditional Hong Kong inspired flavours, and a range of single origin chocolate from the Asia Pacific region. This collection combines his love of chocolate with innovative 3D-printing technologies to create a truly unique range of contemporary chocolates. The chocolates are visually engaging and reflective of contemporary design. They take culinary inspiration from around the Pacific including geological formations, natural minerals and the built world of architecture.

This simple, but sensible small space fix is from designer Michael Hilgers who has cleverly created a shelf-cum-desk called Twofold. Hilgers is on a mission to create furniture for small spaces that maximises every possible inch of space. Designed for Müller, Twofold uses an integrated hinge mechanism to turn a narrow bookshelf into a great little work desk. It's clear Hilgers has thought of everything: there is even a small notch in the shelf for charging cables.

The single colour of the Midtone calculator by Selek Design helps it meet its aim of creating as little visual fatigue as possible. The design unifies the LCD display with the main body of the device creating a monochromatic look.

We have been following with great excitement Naomi Chin Wing's turn on various runways in the US and Europe last season starting with the couture shows (which we don't feature here) as the nineteen year old hails from the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. Represented by IMG, she has already walked for some of the best fashion houses in the world including Valentino, Dior and Versace.

I've always promised myself that I'd sign on for one of these 100 day creative projects, but until such time as I get may act in order, have a look at British ceramicist Anna Whitehouse's take on the popular concept.

Starting on January 1, 2018, Whitehouse created a decorative clay bottle every day for 100 days. Each press-moulded bottle in the #100bottles100days series is uniformly shaped and sized and formed the perfect blank canvas for her to experiment on. From perforations to floral motifs, the now completed collection of 100 clay vessels showcases the artist’s fascinating array of experimental techniques.

For her, developing the patterns was fairly easy. To come up with her designs, Whitehouse referenced her sketchbooks filled with the many unexplored pattern and texture ideas she had accumulated over many years, and used anything she could to make the patterns and impressions including non-standard clay tools, pen lids, tweezers, scissors, and even a string of beads. In some instances, she would use the same tool each day but in different ways: pressing it at different angles, scraping in through the surface, or layering it with a different texture. This experimentation enabled her to create particular marks and she either referenced her sketch book to decide on what she wanted to make each day, or continued with an idea from a previous bottle. The project was a great way for Whitehouse to experiment without the fear of making a mistake as there would always be another bottle to play with the following day. 

She chose to record the 100 creations on Instagram, creating a visual digital record and a way to review her progress, but making her pieces public in this manner also meant she had to be accountable as people were following her progress. Whitehouse feels this sort of creative challenge can be constructive as it pushes development of skills and ideas and moves the artist away from the compulsion to produce something perfect. Having a more experimental mindset and the freedom to create mistakes can lead to new and exciting ideas that would never have come about any other way. 

The 100 bottles in 100 days project is being exhibited at The Craft Centre and Design Gallery, Leeds, UK from January 8 through to April 20, 2019.

These lamps are actually 3-D printed lighting created by a coterie of emerging international designers. This type of printing technology is rapidly democratising design and manufacturing as it offers luxury-quality lights at an attainable price with little to no waste.

Our favourite of the group is the Float lamp by designer Viviana Degrandi who wanted to create a light that was flexible, simple, and would fit in any room of the home. The lamp was inspired by Japanese glass fishing floats which rest on the surface of the sea and help attract fish to the nets. The lamp was created to be versatile. It can be hung on the wall or lain on its side.