[ZINE] WE THE WEST X THE WESTERN

Front cover of We The West (Image: Riyel Vallido (@riyel.photo)

We The West is the latest publication from one of The Western’s very own content creators, Riyel Vallido. Outside his work for The Western, Riyel specialises in diverse areas of photography - this includes editorial and commercial works, and interior and exterior visuals. With a tasteful eye for graphic design, portraiture, and street photography, Riyel collates these skills into a stylish, powerful zine with a voice that ‘shine[s] a light on Sydney’s West’ and empowers locals without the need for compromise.

A 50-page masterpiece, We The West is not just a one-man project. The zine is a collaboration with The Western’s editorial team. In the same fashion as our online publication, we share stories from the West to showcase the talent we have to offer. Stories include hip-hop duo INQ. and singer-songstress Nardean, local beauty entrepreneur Bless Khin Beauty, and the mastermind behind opsrc.co, Ricky Tana.

A page-spread preview of Riyel’s zine, featuring Ricky Tana (Image: Riyel Vallido (@riyel.photo)

Riyel’s portfolio and design skills play a significant role in presenting the suburban scope of Sydney’s west. From the humble entrance of Blacktown’s Good Luck Plaza, to the dreamy dusk of Doonside station at night - these bold, contemporary visuals are reminiscent of urban and modern youth magazines by the likes of i-D and Monster Children. What makes Riyel’s zine stand out from the two, however, is its large-scale newspaper print format, which not only captures the true scale of his street photography, but also makes We The West as publicly accessible as possible.

We The West debuted at the Whitehouse Institute of Design Graduate Exhibition in early December. Riyel’s publication also earned him Whitehouse’s Designer of the Year Award, celebrating his skills and commitments as a creative director. A digital copy is tentatively planned for early February release in 2020. Previews of Riyel’s zine and his professional portfolio can be found on riyelphoto.com and on his Instagram page @riyel.photo.

Another spread showcasing the scale of Riyel’s street photography. (Image: Riyel Vallido (@riyel.photo)