DALE BERNING SAWA
Journalist, writer, editor
My stash of old stamps is beautiful. Why make them unnecessarily obsolete? The Guardian
Royal Mail has given us 100 days to use or exchange them, but we stand to lose a lot more than we gain. Read here
‘This is our voice’: The Uyghur traditions being erased by China’s cultural crackdown The Guardian
Ancient shrines, oral folklore and hip-hop cyphers are all part of a rich artistic heritage being ‘hollowed out’ in Xinjiang, say Uyghur exiles and scholars. Read here
Mohamed Bourouissa on France’s identity crisis: ‘We’ve got catching up to do!’ The Guardian
The French Algerian artist uses photography, rap music and the frequencies of trees to shine a light on marginalised communities. Read here
Back in the frame: the extraordinary artists Britain forgot The Guardian
Combing through musty studios and garrets has become a way of life for specialists Liss Llewellyn, whose Hidden Gems exhibition lays bare museum-grade works that have fallen into oblivion – more often than not by women. Read more here
'When we play, everyone dances!' Benin girl group Star Feminine Band The Guardian
In the west African country, not everyone likes girls to play instruments – but this group of seven ultra-cool musicians are ripping up those expectations. Read here
Kissing cowboys: the queer
rodeo stars bucking a macho
American tradition The Guardian
Photographer Luke Gilford could not believe his eyes when he first stumbled across a gay rodeo. He set about capturing the joyous, tender, authentic world he saw there. Read here
Home Bass: How Music Helps Us Work & Create Through Lockdown The Quietus
During the Covid pandemic many of us have had to start working from home. But how does the music we listen to affect our labours? And what impact can it have on creativity? Read here
Jena Friedman: the outrageous talkshow host women have been waiting for The Guardian
Provocative and very funny, the comedian’s satirical chatshow specialises in taking on white men who have never had their values questioned. Read here
Deadly appetite: 10 animals we are eating into extinction The Guardian
From eel and sturgeon to pangolin and turtle, hundreds of species are threatened by human hunger or greed. Here are some of the most at risk. Read here
‘I’m doing what may be my last paintings’: Frank Auerbach on his new self-portraits and turning 92 The Guardian
He has painted the same people over and over, sometimes for 40 years, dabbing, rubbing out, then starting again. Although the great artist now has to hold on to his easel to work, he still hopes to die with a brush in his hand. Read here
Escape your comfort zone: I have always been the quiet one. Could learning to shout change my life? The Guardian
I can endure anger, pain and frustration without the need to scream. But I realised that that could, in fact, be a problem. So I travelled to the countryside to try yelling. Read here
‘My parents’ trauma is my trauma’ – Veronica Ryan on making first Windrush monument The Guardian
With a solo show, a commission to make UK’s first Windrush monument and an OBE, the British artist has stepped out of the shadows. Read here
The Atlas des régions naturelles: France as you've never seen her before The Guardian
They set out to capture the forgotten France, the everyday architecture of emptied towns and overlooked villages – before their uniqueness is lost for ever. Eric Tabuchi and Nelly Monnier talk us through their vast photographic atlas. Read more here
Uyghur civilisation in China continues to be erased as part of chilling mission The Art Newspaper
Australian think tank data reveals that two-thirds of the region’s mosques have been either destroyed or damaged.
Read here
An oral history of the AIM away message (by the people who were there) Inside Design
Online chat was the thing no one knew they needed then live without. And AOL Instant Messenger is where it all started. Read here
'Art history isn’t the neat package you think it is': first look at MoMA's $450m expansion The Art Newspaper
How the New York museum has remixed its unrivalled collection ahead of its 21 October re-opening. Read here
‘You need to prepare yourselves’: how a good review can destroy a restaurant The Guardian
A US food critic has revealed how his power list of burgers led to the closure of the restaurant at No 1. It’s an experience his fellow critics can relate to. Read here
'Tech CEOs are like cult leaders' – the artists taking on Facebook and big data The Guardian
Langlands and Bell are celebrating their 40th year together – by taking an uncompromising look at Silicon Valley’s utopian promises. Read more here
The person who got me through 2021: Ami Faku sang the break-up track I listened to on a loop The Guardian
I’ve spent 12 months of the pandemic obsessively listening to the song Uwrongo, with its line: “This is not working, go home.” I’m very grateful to its singer. Read here
Tunnel visionary: why was land artist Nancy Holt never given her due? The Guardian
Holt made mesmerising works that filtered stars and vanished in the desert heat. But land art was seen as a male preserve. A new exhibition redresses the balance. Read here
Ballaké Sissoko: picking up the pieces after US customs broke his koraThe Guardian
In February 2020, Sissoko’s historic instrument was disassembled on a flight home to Paris. Bolstered by a new kora, his latest album revives their borderless journey. Read here
‘Kawaiiii!’ Chai, the Japanese girl band reclaiming cuteness The Guardian
The indie pop quartet might not be overtly political, but their new album – ‘an amusement park for insecurities’ – has a radically positive vision. Read here
How Lockdown Allowed London’s Local Neighbourhoods to Shine Elephant Magazine
Street corners, pavements and front doors have taken on a new significance this year in London under lockdown. Artists have long celebrated the quiet joy of the city and its local communities, telling a story of political upheaval, power and transformation. Read here
Monumental loss: Azerbaijan and 'the worst cultural genocide of the 21st century' The Guardian
A damning new report details an attempted erasure by Azerbaijan of its Armenian cultural heritage, including the destruction of tens of thousands of Unesco-protected ancient stone carvings. Read here
An oral history of the hamburger icon (by the people who were there) Inside Design
Users the world over know what those three little lines mean: how a throwaway icon became a staple of information architecture. Read here
Seeds, kale and red meat once a month – how to eat the diet that will save the world The Guardian
A complete overhaul of what we eat may be the only way to meet the needs of a planet in crisis. So what’s on – and off – the menu? Read here
