ËËN

Magazine & Art Collective

SUMMER IN STILLS

an original digital photo archive from and for our readers

Following our Fëëd me Fruit project of summer ’23, it was essential to archive this one as well. this time, we asked photographers of all experience levels and backgrounds to submit original, candid photos. throughout this digital album, you will see them submerged in water, sitting with friends, oserving their scenic surroundings, and most importantly, how brilliantly they’ve captured a snippet of their world…

entered heading with grid of images

birthday redemption // “When my twin sister and I turned 15, we went to the beach for the first time here with the whole family. We didn’t stay long even though my twin sister and I loved it. Seven years later, we returned to the same beach with the family members who didn’t want to leave earlier either, my mother and little sister, to celebrate our 22nd birthday.” ━ Deborah Olatunji (kDO), 22, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
visiting friends in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro(1) // “This black and white photo was taken on Praia do Leme, right next to Copacabana. You can see the Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf) mountain in the background. The landscape of Rio is fascinating with all the mountains that seem to just spring up out of nowhere in the middle of the city.” ━ Oliver, 28, New York, u.s.
Sunbathing // Zeynep Demirhan, 29, Cefalu, Sicilia
Beach snack // deli sandwich, held by Nebila as she tells a detailed story, right before a seagull snatched it from her manicured fingers. ━ Noor, 32, Ventnor Beach, New Jersey, U.S.
SaigotheEditor // “This is a picture i took of my good friend who is also a rapper from Botswana, Banzai” ━ Lerroy, 21, Botswana 
Cerek// Derek, Philadelphia, U.S.
Lila reading // Octavia E. Butler, Wild Seed. Biarritz, France, Summer 2024.
Clapham Junction // A 420 shoot where we was going around showing this sign and standing in the streets ━ ShaggyFilms
What landed in the pool No. 1 // “the water is crystal clear, yet the objects that have fallen in disturb its clarity, creating an intriguing contrast. The interplay of colors is captivating, with a mix of blues and shadows dancing on the water’s surface. The overall feel of the image exudes a summer vibe, evoked solely by the deep, vibrant blue of the water.” ━  KAKi, 25, Catalunya

POOLFIE no. 2: In The Water Where I Saw Many A Self, Summer 2024 // “Poolfie is an ongoing series that started during Summer 2024 when my family brought my teenage niece to the city and I was left to be with her. From time to time, I would show off my “cool auntie” self through random activities including taking selfies underwater.” ━  Aevan Georgeline de Jesus, Manila, Philippines
POOLFIE no. 2: In The Water Where I Saw Many A Self, Summer 2024 // “Aevan is an interior designer whose profession is fueled by her true love: being outside and endlessly making what could be art. This year, she explores a childhood toy more deeply- the camera. Beyond documentation, she remains curious how images can open conversations on the ever-evolving human need to be understood or simply heard and to connect with the self, each other, and our planet Earth.” ━  Aevan Georgeline de Jesus, Manila, Philippines
What landed in the pool No. 2 // KAKi, 25, Catalunya
Cowtown babyyyy // “Hotties at the rodeo!!” ━ Noor, 32, Cowtown, New Jersey, U.S.
Becca and Shay // “The first photo is of my friends Becca and Shay at a party at an art gallery triple exposed with some other random people and a person doing rollerblade tricks that I met right before the party, in Praça Roosevelt. The art being made in São Paulo right now, especially the photography, is really incredible and deserves more recognition.” ━ Oliver, 28, NY, U.S.
Innosartworld // “Rainy day at Longwood Garden” ━  Inno, 25, Philly, U.S.
Serendipitous Solo Sunset // “This was taken after a long day of not feeling like myself. I decided to go dinner alone that night. After dinner, I ended up going to an opening night exhibition at a contemporary art museum, meeting new friends who spoke different languages, and going back to the same restaurant for hours before with a new crazy travel story to take back home.” ━ Deborah Olatunji (kDO), 22, Athens, Greece
Lerroy, 21, Botswana 
Sideshows by the Seashore// Sue Sanchez, Brooklyn, NY, U.S.
 Payaso Pamela // “Five feet deep into this tunnel and I was losing my mind. My guts were all tangled from anxiety, but the girl next to me kept laughing. I guess we were all clowns here, me, her, and the little painting created by her own hands.” ━ Electra Del Xielo, 18, Bosque Colomos, Guadalajara, Jalisco
Excelsior // Sue Sanchez, Brooklyn, NY, U.S.
Cabin fever // Clancy Tuhumwire, Kilkenny
Gone fishin. / “Juanita, focused and at ease, waiting for the big catch.” ━  Noor, 32, WIssahickon, Pennsylvannia, U.S.
Misty Morning // Caro choosing which direction to go during our walk on Kalahari Falls Trail. ━ Noor, 32, Poconos, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Black Trans Hands in bass river // L, 27, Philadelphia, U.S.
Clancy Tuhumwire 
POOLFIE no. 3: In The Water Where I Saw Many A Self, Summer 2024 // “Summer in a tropical country could mean heavenly for those who don’t actually live here. Our lives go on despite intense heat and rain. We are mostly working and dreaming of a break. But in the first year since graduating, I made a promise to try my very very best to retain much of my youth and wonder when I’m told to seek monetary opportunities like most adults. 
And so I swam every day at a communal pool until I started to notice I had legs and that countless hairs were attached to them and that there was a world I missed to truly hear in the water but at least I knew it existed. 
These were some of my findings. I don’t anymore take note of each. I just swim the moment the idea kicks in. And somehow I rarely fail.” ━  Aevan Georgeline de Jesus, Manila, Philippines
A body in water // Nani, 26, Northridge, CA
Serenity in the wissahickon // “I deeply cherish the way water holds us and moves through us. As water makes up most of our bodies, she carries us through grief, through joy, through fear, through the changes of life. She is a reminder of how natural it is for us to flow and evolve. When I submerge my body bare in the creek, there are no parts of me that can hide from it. There are no parts of me that don’t deserve to be held by the earth in this way. When I swim, when it rains, when I cry, when I dip my head into a waterfall, when I splash in a creek, I am held and I am loved. Very grateful for the waters of the Wissahickon!!” ━ L, 27, Philadelphia, U.S.
SaigotheEditor // “The photo and the message represents the beauty in the norm and starting afresh. I believe that every season is an opportunity to start afresh and this is what this picture communicates.” ━ Lerroy, 21, University of Botswana 
Clancy Tuhumwire
In Grandma’s garden // Nani, 26, South Central, Los Angeles, CA
Lerroy, 21, University of Botswana 
I see everything as art // “This seaside image is part of a collection that I have created. This collection focuses on exploring the world with the concept that art can be found in everything. I came across this scenery whilst on a hike in Cape Town.” ━  Ivana, Cape Town, South Africa
 a castle that is haunted by ghosts // “I don’t have an IG, I am over 60. My daughter told me about this open call. The first picture was taken in Duino, Italy from a castle that is haunted by ghosts. The ruins of the other castle that is seen in the picture; It is said to be haunted by a mother whose scream you can hear on the nights of a full moon.” ━ Éva, 60, Duino
Twins Point Beach No. 1 // “I was with my children swimming in the ocean from about 5pm. We stayed to watch the sunset. It was so beautiful we decided to take out our Nikon camera to snap a few shots. All photos were taken at about 7PM.’” ━  Susan, 44, Crescent Bay Laguna Beach, California
photo of a boat in the middle of the dam // “B&W really resonates with me as it can communicate so much emotion, with this picture i wanted to capture the calmness of the water and the boat.” ━ Lerroy, 21, Gaborone Dam
Montrose park // “usually on a Sunday some of my friends in my area and some skaters set up a tent and have a vibe with bbq, music, people playing football, cards, skating around. just enjoying everyone’s company” ━ ShaggyFilms
Brick lane park // “I saw these guys In this park watching the euros on a tv had to grab a picture of them.” ━ ShaggyFilms
visiting friends in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro No. 2 // Oliver, 28, NY, u.s.
Innosartworld // “Block party in Harlem during pride” ━  Inno, 25, Philly, U.S.
Memorable Scene // “At the same beach, a group of people, young and adults, were playing jumping in from the rocks. It was so joyful to see the scene, like witness of a fun and memorable moment in their lives.” ━ Carmen, 22, Tenerife, Canary Island
 Twins Point Beach No. 2 // Susan, 44, Crescent Bay Laguna Beach, California
My daughter told me about this open call // The second picture was taken in Bavaria next to Herreninsel. I like it as the picture nicely captures a calm and sunny summer day on a lake. ━ Éva, 60, Duino
an elegant woman laying and tanning // “she was surrounded by chic magazines, sun protector and fancy items. Looked like from a vintage movie.” ━ Carmen, 22, Tenerife, Canary Island

Founded in 2022 by a queer haitian poet/artist, ËËN was created to center the creative genius of our friends, lovers, and peers. In our current path to becoming an art collective, our mission is to inspire humanity and move culture through building a creative domain for emancipatory narratives, perspectives, and testimony.

ËËN’s mission is to ground analytical engagement in artistic autonomy, facilitating a rightful celebration of community, liberation and radical love, through storytelling, political education, creative curation and a total rejection of capitalistic markers of success and institution. 

Our guiding principles attend to our collective survival, joy, and freedom. Everything we do must challenge the daily threats to our survival, joy, and freedom.

“A love letter to my own stifled creativity and the muffling of my own voice. To the uncertainty. To the world that lives inside me that I want to bring to color. All the attempts to put out my own flames have led me here. To this burning bush. To the journey that awaits us between seas. To my peers and my lovers. May all the dreams we’ve ever dared to imagine grow taller than us. May we walk in the footsteps of our own desires. Stay awhile. See if we make it to the promised land.”