Photos: thetaable.com
‘The Taable’ is a multidisciplinary creative hub founded by Axel Oswith and Amanda Kusai who devoted themselves to art and photography, their works also are the intersection of art and design. Their clever, meaningful and sometimes weird interpretations of everyday-life, transform well-known, casual things to something extraordinary. Since Amanda and Axel create such an interesting art, we were curious to find out more about what is going on in their minds.
E: How long have you been working together?
AA: Almost Two years now.
E: How did you come up with the idea of creating ‘The Taable’ ?
AA: The idea itself was based on our expression for creating a visual culture and the name itself came from the literal word ‘table’, from our own experiences and observations we came to understand and believe that an exchange of great ideas and conversations happen when people gather around a table. The double letter a’s were representative to both our names (Amanda and Axel) and illustrative to our peculiarities of art and aesthetics. Hence, the name ‘The Taable’.
Amanda Kusai
E: What personal traits do you like the most in each other?
Amanda: Axel is almost like this crazy science genius who always has some insane idea up his sleeves, and a perfectionist who is detail oriented.
Axel: Amanda can read minds. She can visualize the photos I imagine in my head, very useful when I find it hard to explain in words. She’s also very positive minded about everything, to the point of finding beauty in the most ugliest of all things.
E: Do you first see an image in your mind and then try to create it in reality or you don’t know what a final result will look like and achieve it on working process?
AA: We plan our images almost always in our minds and even have them sketched out, at other times they just go unplanned but that’s the best part of it.
E: Who is your most inspiring person (-s) in photography?
Amanda: Isabella Connelley, Phebe Schmick.
Axel: Guy Bourdin, Carl Kleiner, Henry Hargreaves.
E: What personal traits helped you to achieve your career?
AA: Our weirdness.
E: If not photography, what other career path you would like to take?
Amanda: something to do with wildlife conservation and research, or tourism /education ministry or maybe a product designer perhaps?
Axel: art critic or magazine editor.
E: Where do you find inspiration for your works? Who is your muse?
Amanda: I would probably take the space of a whole encyclopaedia to list my inspiration.
Axel: I find inspiration in everyday objects. My muse includes Wayne Thiebaud and Claes Oldenburg.
E: If you had two superpowers what would they be?
Amanda: Teleport, please.
Axel: Time traveller.
E: If you had all the money in the world what would you be doing right now?
AA: We would travel to all corners of the world, travel outer space, build an institution and help the less fortunate. But first of all we would use the money to complete building and renovating our space and studio.
It was a pleasure talking to these amazing and inspiring people. We wish success for your further career!
