What I Work With (and Why)

I work with stories that begin in objects, places, and everyday rituals.
Things we touch, use, inherit, forget — and then suddenly remember again.

My work sits between journalism, cultural history, and visual storytelling. I’m interested in how culture moves: from kitchens to catwalks, from neighborhoods to global trends, from private memory to public meaning.

This is not about nostalgia.
It’s about context.

My approach

Cultural research
I start with research — archives, oral histories, theory, and lived experience. I’m drawn to the overlooked and the ordinary: a scarf, a chair, a street corner, a plate of food — and what they reveal about identity, power, and belonging.

Editorial & storytelling
I work journalistically. Essays, interviews, longform, and digital formats. I care about clarity, structure, and letting complexity exist without over-explaining. Stories should be accessible, but never simplified.

Visual thinking
Images are not decoration — they are narrative. Photography, layout, and sequencing are part of the storytelling itself. I think in slides, spreads, and scenes.

Context & strategy
Why this story now?
I work with timing, platforms, and audiences in mind — without flattening the content. Cultural depth and reach can coexist.

Selected work & focus areas

• Founder & editor, POMM Magazine
• Cultural essays on everyday objects and fashion
• Place-based storytelling and local histories
• Interviews with artists, designers, and cultural workers
• Visual narratives for digital and social platforms

Working with me

I collaborate with editorial platforms, brands, and cultural institutions on storytelling, research, and concept development.

This site is a growing archive — a portfolio in motion.

For commissions, collaborations, or conversations: mbotani88@gmail.com