Novel Projects is a studio duo by artist Nikkolos Mohammed and designer Sam Danan. They deconstruct the cultural narrative of objects that deal with identity in order to reconstruct a new narrative in a contemporary melting pot society.
Burning Benjamins
Burning Benjamins (Mike Reese & Roy Sugihara) take listeners on a unique audio journey of clashing sounds and experimental drops but visually, they’re a team that’s opposite and alike at the same time—the abundance of both silence and sound. Sam Danan and Nikkolos Mohammed, by the studio name of Novel Projects, have the ongoing honor of concepting, designing, and producing their costumes for performances. Their super-hero-like / costume-like / mask-like visual identity is brought to life and celebrated through these dynamic iterations.
DREAMHAUS by Dreamhaus Burning Benjamins Set
Inang’s Jersey
This jersey is an homage to Sam’s late grandmother (called, Inang), who passed while Nikkolos and Sam were on a trip to the Philippines and Korea. It was modeled after the Phoenix Suns Jersey — a Phoenix bird being a symbol of kindness and grace. The sun we would convert into the Philippines sun/flag. The #11 represents the 11 children Sam’s grandparents have. The LCA patch is a homage to her family business. The Kapampangan (Filipino dialect) phrase, “King pusu ning pamilya” translates to “Heart of the family”. It is created using Filipino piña fabric — very delicate and sheer and traditionally used to wear during celebrations and events. Two jerseys were created — one that stays in Inang’s house in Sam’s ancestral home in the Philippines and one is hanging at DREAMHAUS, like a retired basketball jersey would hang in the rafters of a gym.
