It’s the end of the sixth uchi album of T shirts. All but two of the designs on this as yet untitled album are music related. I am pleased that these last two designs follow the music theme, with a particular focus on vinyl.
There are a couple of new designs that were going to be included, but were not finished in time. On reflection it worked out fine. The two unfinished pieces are very illustrative and more like designs in the pipeline than the ones recently done. So, maybe the next album will be all illustration? We’ll see.
Here are the latest two uchi vinyl-related T shirts and the stories behind them…
Founded in 1968, the British founded Trojan Records has one of the most iconic and recognisable logos and a host of equally iconic and renowned artists under its belt.
From reggae, ska, rock steady and dub, its endurance is a testament to the music and culture. We haven’t included the complete list of all the artists that appeared under Trojan Records, but hope we’ve caught a few of everybody’s favourites.
For me, growing up in a house full of reggae records has made the Trojan logo as recognisable as the Nike swoosh, but with a ton of more meaning. It’s no coincidence that they also use a heavy robust and solid typeface like Rockwell Extra Bold.
Although a reggae specialist Payback Records have a great selection of non-reggae vinyl. Their HipHop section is featured on The Big Payback T shirt. Coincidentally, the record store is named after the 1989 EPMD track of the same name; perfect uchi. I was unaware of this connection before I added the type. The Big Payback is one of my favourite EPMD tracks and is somewhere in the stack of old school vinyl in the image. In the shot, I’m actually standing in Payback Records.
Looking for gifts, limited edition prints, Tees and hoodies. We’re spreading the word of uchi and you can now Shop uchi on Etsy. We’ve started added a collection of our screen prints and we’ll be adding more products daily. We need space to make room for the many new limited editions and new Tees, hoodies and other good stuff in the pipeline. Sleep is the cousin of death and we’ve slept on things far too long! Stay tuned.
Golden Section screen print
Golden section (fibonacci sequence) inspired by the art of Piet Mondrian. Hand screen printed on 300gsm somerset white paper.
Here are the first two T shirts from the new Gods on the Earth album of men and women’s tees. More buddha T shirts and other deities to come. Get in touch and let me know what you think.
Hotei 布袋
Known as the Fat Buddha or Laughing Buddha, Hotei is one of Japan’s Seven Gods of Luck. He is the magnanimous god of contentment and happiness, guardian of children, and in recent times, the patron of bartenders and restaurateurs. He carries a large bag of food and drink which never empties, which he uses to feed the poor and needy. The Japanese spelling of “Hotei” literally means “cloth bag.”
Hotei is usually shown holding a Chinese “wish giving” fan called an oogi 扇, and either seated or sleeping on his bag, but also dancing, walking or pointing at the moon. Sometimes, he is shown surrounded by a group of children, romping and squealing in delight around his jolly shape.
Once upon a time, in the beginning of the 3rd uchi album, there was a T shirt called Love and Hate. The designer loved this design and it was his favourite for a long, long time. He loved it so much, he made a limited edition art print, much bigger and more elaborate than the original design. The Love and Hate T was very popular and the print was well received by all who witnessed it. Over time, all but one of the screen prints sold out, but the T shirt was still quite popular.
