014: the art of connection: love, ritual & belonging
Spaces That Tie Us Together • hinter Vermont • Rituals • Music That Connects • Love Through Art & Craft • A Winter Reading List
As February approaches, there is a quiet pull toward reflection and the warmth of small rituals. It's a season to find presence in the details, to return to the foundational forms of connection—the bonds of friendship, family, and self-compassion. These are the stories we live daily, expressed in the objects we own, the spaces we create, and the traditions we sustain. This moment asks us to pause, to create meaning in the everyday, and to let those subtle gestures of care remind us of what it means to belong. Through art, design, and shared stories, this season offers gentle reminders of what it means to be present, to connect, and to belong.
The Practice of Ritual
Rituals anchor us in the present—small, grounding acts that provide structure and meaning to our days. These moments don’t need to be elaborate or ceremonial. It’s about simple things: habits that create space for reflection, offer moments of connection, and remind us of the value in slowing down.
Across cultures and traditions, rituals have been essential to maintaining community and well-being. Think of lighting a lantern at dusk, sharing stories around a fire, or starting the day with a quiet meditation. These acts help us mark time and hold space for both ourselves and those we care about. In a fast-paced world, they encourage us to pause and savor what’s right in front of us.
This section highlights small, meaningful rituals that deepen everyday life—rituals that cultivate connection within yourself and others.
Here are some ideas to incorporate small rituals into everyday life:
Morning reflections: Begin the day by writing down thoughts of gratitude or a single intention for the day. This brief moment can help set a steady, mindful tone.
Seasonal walks: Observe how nature changes with the season. Notice details like the shifting light, the feel of the air, or the sound of footsteps on snow.
Letter-writing: Take time to write a letter or note by hand. It’s a personal gesture that can deepen relationships in ways that digital messages often can’t.
Creative gatherings: Set aside time to create with others. Whether it’s painting, baking, or building something small together, the focus is on connection through shared activity.
Through these rituals, we create opportunities to find stillness in a world that rarely slows down, moments that remind us to simply be.
The Sound of Belonging
Music has always carried stories—stories that connect us to people, places, and moments in time. This month, we’re looking at the work of Ólafur Arnalds, a composer from Iceland who blends classical, ambient, and electronic elements to create soundscapes that feel both intimate and expansive. His music speaks to the quiet beauty of stillness and connection, making it a perfect companion for moments of reflection; i.e.: his epic video for Cercle.
Arnalds often draws inspiration from his surroundings in Iceland, where vast landscapes and long winters shape his sound. His pieces invite listeners to pause and take in each note—a reminder of how music can gently guide us toward calm and presence. Albums like re:member and some kind of peace explore themes of memory, healing, and human connection, often accompanied by layered strings and delicate piano.
Through his work, Arnalds shows that music is a form of storytelling that helps us reflect, gather, and find meaning in the everyday.
Fun fact: Cercle was a huge inspiration behind hinter live.
Expressions of Love: Art, Care, and Connection
Love is expressed in everyday moments—through the ways we care for each other, through objects that hold personal significance, and through actions that build connection over time. Across cultures, love and connection take tangible form through objects that carry both beauty and deeper significance.
It isn’t limited to romance—love shows up in the gestures between close friends, the care we extend to family, and even in the practice of self-compassion. Often, these forms of love are expressed through art and craft.
Designer Spotlights
A look at artists who explore connection and belonging through tactile creations:
Sheila Hicks
Sheila Hicks, who is now 90 years old, has spent decades exploring the expressive potential of fiber, weaving bold, textural pieces that blur the line between art and craft. Originally inspired by her travels through Latin America, her work is deeply rooted in both tradition and experimentation. Hicks sees her large-scale installations as emotional landscapes—inviting viewers to experience the tactile and sensory richness of color and material. These woven forms remind us of how creativity and connection often come through hands-on, time-consuming processes that foster presence and reflection.
“I don’t want to go do something I know how to do. I want to go do
something I don’t know how to do.”Sheila Hicks
Phoebe Wahl
Phoebe Wahl creates illustrations that feel like visual stories of warmth and belonging. Her work is filled with intimate, everyday moments—from families coming together around a table to friends walking through quiet fields. Drawing inspiration from folklore and nostalgia, Wahl's art celebrates small acts of care and joy. With rich, earthy tones and layered details, her illustrations offer a comforting reminder of the beauty in community and tradition, bringing everyday life into focus in an approachable, heartfelt way.
BINU BINU: The Ritual of Renewal
Rooted in the traditions of the Korean public bath, BINU BINU reimagines the act of cleansing as a daily ritual—one that is both grounding and transformative. More than just soaps, incense, and bath accessories, the brand is an homage to the simplicity and rawness of the jjimjilbang, a space where vanity dissolves, and generations connect through the shared ritual of purification.
Inspired by seshin—the intense, pragmatic exfoliation treatment that leaves no layer untouched—BINU BINU embraces the idea of renewal, both physical and symbolic. Each formula is designed as an invitation to slow down, to reset, and to engage in an act as old as time itself.
Our Curated Reading List: Love & Ritual
Sometimes, a few words capture exactly what we feel—offering clarity, insight, or a new perspective in an unexpected moment. Poetry and literature have long been companions in moments of solitude and connection, offering perspectives that resonate across time.
In this section, we explore works of poetry and prose that reflect themes of connection, love, and ritual.
Selections:
Pablo Neruda – "Ode to the Table": In this ode, Neruda elevates an everyday object into something almost spiritual. He reflects on how the table becomes a gathering place, witnessing meals, conversations, and human connection. His poetry reminds us to honor the things that quietly anchor our lives and the moments that happen around them.
Rainer Maria Rilke – "Letters to a Young Poet": A meditation on creativity, love, and solitude, offering timeless advice for those navigating life's complexities. Addressed to a young aspiring poet, his words encourage introspection and self-trust, emphasizing that true art and understanding often come from within.
Mary Oliver – "Wild Geese": In this beloved poem, Oliver offers a gentle yet powerful reminder that we belong to the natural world. She invites readers to let go of self-imposed burdens and instead find grace and belonging in the rhythms of nature, encouraging a deeper connection to both ourselves and the world around us.
Ocean Vuong – "Night Sky with Exit Wounds": Vuong’s poetry navigates themes of identity, trauma, and love, often drawing from his experiences as a queer Vietnamese-American. His vivid, haunting imagery explores intergenerational pain and the tender beauty found in survival and self-discovery.
Maggie Nelson – "Bluets": Nelson’s lyrical meditation blends poetry and philosophy, centering on her personal experiences with heartbreak and grief. Using the color blue as both metaphor and obsession, she crafts a series of fragmented yet deeply intimate reflections on love, loss, and the complexities of human emotion.
Whether read alone fireside or shared aloud, these words invite contemplation and connection.
Spaces for Togetherness
The spaces we create shape how we connect—their details, textures, and light inviting moments of shared experience. A corner softly lit by a lamp, a room centered around handmade furniture—these small choices create a welcoming feel, inviting warmth and togetherness.
The spaces where we connect shape the experiences we share. From the natural materials in a dining room to the shifting light across a sitting area, design can foster both intimacy and a sense of belonging.
At hinter, our spaces are designed with nature and reflection at their core, encouraging a slower pace and deeper connection. Similarly, in Japan, traditional tea houses are crafted to foster mindfulness and intimacy—spaces where the arrangement of tatami mats, low tables, and paper screens emphasize simplicity and harmony with the natural world. In Norway, minimalist cabin retreats built near fjords or forests offer spaces to disconnect from the rush of modern life, drawing people into quiet communion with their surroundings. Yet, you can create similar moments wherever you live by leaning into the sensory elements of your environment:
Incorporate soft, natural lighting—think lamps with warm bulbs, or windows left bare to catch low winter light.
Add textures that invite touch: woven throws, reclaimed wood, hand-thrown ceramics.
Use elements from the landscape around you—branches, dried flowers, or stones—as subtle reminders of place.
Atmospheres: hinter’s new space in Vermont
Our new space in Vermont is designed with a focus on simplicity, natural materials, and functionality. Large windows bring in light and frame the surrounding forest, while stone, wood, and neutral tones create a sense of continuity with the landscape. The space is built for quiet, for slowing down, for experiencing the changing seasons from inside and out. Everything is considered but nothing is excessive—each element serves a purpose.
Closing Thought
In a season often marked by the rush of resolutions and big plans, it’s easy to lose sight of the quiet moments that truly sustain us. But this month, we invite you to do something different. Find time to reconnect—with yourself, with others, and with the spaces and rituals that matter. Try writing a letter by hand, organizing can experience with friends, or taking a slow walk outside.
Let this be the month where you honor those small but significant acts of connection and presence. These moments—shared or solitary—are where belonging starts and where it continues to grow.
The future is bright.
Any thoughts provoked? Ideas sparked? Any corners of the internet worth sharing? Join the conversation and drop a comment below.
Want to find us in other galaxies?