Fukt magazine’s 3D issue turns to nature’s “timeless bond” with the art of drawing

Since we last caught up with Bjørn Hegardt, editor of Fukt – the magazine dedicated to contemporary drawing – the publication has seen four new issues, each surrounding a different theme: Storylines, Faces, The Unknown and most recently for, Fukt 22, The Nature Issue. With each new title comes a renewed celebration of the power and versatility of the discipline – a pathway to “open up new angles on what drawing could be today”.

In this latest instalment, the team set out to explore the “timeless bond between drawing and the natural world”, bringing together artists from all six continents to capture different perspectives on the craft. In its pages you’ll find: conversations on queer ecology; stories of pioneering female botanists; and reflections on how drawing can deepen our connection to the environment, to name just a few features.

“We’ve been wanting to do a nature issue for such a long time” Bjørn tells It’s Nice That. “The tricky part was figuring out how to approach it – ‘nature’ is such a huge, open topic.” Broaching such a broad theme, Bjørn and Fukt’s co-editor and designer Ariane Spanier didn’t know what to expect from their ‘very open’ open call. But, as usual, they were “completely blown away by the response”, Bjørn says. Receiving enough submissions to create ten issues, the pair had a very hard time narrowing things down.

“Working with themes continues to be one of the most rewarding parts of putting the magazine together,” Bjørn shares. “Even when a theme is broad, there’s something really satisfying about diving in, exploring its layers, and curating a wide range of interpretations from artists around the world.” To help shape this issue the editors decided to focus on key threads that were starting to stand out. This time round that so happened to be “stories of pioneering female botanical explorers, ideas around queer ecology, and the intersection of land art and drawing.”

In a time of climate emergency, this issue’s theme also felt particularly relevant. Alongside submissions that celebrate nature as a resource for our creative expression, the issue also spotlights discussions that are steered towards the importance of nature’s conservation. By inviting us to reconnect with the beauty and significance of nature through the creative work on display, this edition was all about “recognizing what’s at stake”, says Bjørn.

Although the Bjørn and Ariane have put stronger emphasis on the editorial side – collating interviews, essays, and written content to add context to the drawings in recent issues – visuals are still very much at the heart of the magazine. If you’ve been reading Fukt for a while you’ll know that each issue comes with a unique cover designed by Ariane, and this cover might just be their most intricate and innovative design yet.

“For The Nature Issue, the design process started with a desire to make the theme of nature tangible, not just in the content, but in the physical experience of the magazine itself,” Araine explains. The magazine’s shell really is the star of the show with this idea – it looks like a living thing. Using die-cut leaves, its textured green cover features shapes that readers can fold outwards making the publication all the more 3D – “almost like the magazine is growing or blooming in their hands”, says Ariane. This approach continues the designers interest in making each issue of Fukt feel like a unique object – a work of art in its own right.