Hey! 👋
Welcome to Kawan—our vibrant community of data heads and storytellers. We’re all about improving data literacy and sharing nuanced stories about Asia. Come hang!
no better way to make sambal — issue #63
Ever since I can remember, the first day of Syawal, or Hari Raya, was not complete without a steaming, spicy bowl of kuah chelok in my late grandmother’s house. The traditional tangy soup was closely linked to our Boyan heritage, a word derived from Bawean Island in East Java,
Carrying memory through kitchen tools
How is cooking a symbol of community, memory, and cultural expression? In this behind-the-scenes article, writer Taahira Ayoob and designer Griselda Gabriele walk us through their process of crafting our latest story on natural utensils in Tamil kitchens. This story is based on Taahira’s research trip to Sri Lanka,
Meet the Community! Alexandra Khoo – data analytics strategist
Alexandra Khoo is at her best when she blends strategy, data analysis, creative design, and coding. Starting her career in international…
Meet the Community! Nilangika Fernando, data viz enthusiast
Nilangika is a data visualization enthusiast from Sri Lanka. She started her career as a researcher at Verité Research, one of Sri Lanka’s…
Endings — issue #29
Dear notes from equator subscribers, Thank you for being our pen pals. Although our exchange is usually one-way, we’re grateful to have a sliver of your attention and time, whether this is your first or twentieth letter from us. The past year has left me adrift, much like I’
Meet the Community! Andrea Lau, data visualization specialist
Andrea Lau is a data visualization specialist; she is the co-founder and one of the directors of Small Multiples, Australia’s leading data…
Humans of Kontinentalist: Arnold
Hey Arnold, what’s your role at Kontinentalist? I’m a full-stack developer. I’m responsible for maintaining our website and content management products and converting designs — such as web page styling and layout, or stories — into clickable buttons or components. I also help Rifqi, our dev lead, manage our
A practical guide to colouring data viz
There are lots of resources out there explaining things like colour theory, but knowing the theory and executing are 2 very different…
Off the gr
I can’t write anymore because of social media. Okay, more like, I don’t write anymore because of social media.
We don't need crystal balls to foretell our future — issue #28
For most of us, the future is a scary place. We're on a one-way ticket there, but we don't know where we're headed—or when we'll reach our station. It's unknowable by definition, and it's unnerving. I'
Meet the Community! Ashris Choudhury, India in Pixels creator
Ashris is a software engineer who studied architecture at university, before going to MIT Media Lab and Hindustan Times, and is currently…
Tips on creating illustrative visualizations
We produce many cultural data stories at Kontinentalist. As such, we may take a more illustrative approach for various reasons, such as…
Humans of Kontinentalist: Bianchi Dy
A researcher in data visualization, artist, and programmer, Bianchi has been helping us bring to life countless stories with her manifold talents! An incessantly curious person, we pick her brain about all sorts of interesting things. Check out our chat with her and her portfolio. What have you been doing
A cheeky guide to working at Kontinentalist
Job hunts are called hunts for good reason. They’re tedious, and when you’ve been at it for a while, stalking for good game and summoning…