ISLANDS

$40.00

ISLANDS (volume No.1) is a zine introducing the world of Native Hut, an ethos developed by Vanessa Shields to describe her relationship with Austronesian culture. Vanessa offers her unique perspective on art, origin, identity, plant life, and food, drawing on her travel experiences and her family background in the Philippines and Aotearoa (New Zealand).

Inspired by childhood memories of seeing Paul Gauguin’s paintings of the South Pacific, Vanessa makes a bold decision to reframe her life by reconnecting with her roots. ISLANDS shares her story as she leaves New York City to return to her hometown of San Diego. Her personal life is reshaped through marriage and motherhood as well as through her journeys to Taiwan, Tahiti, Aotearoa, Hawai’i and the Philippines. In essence, ISLANDS is both memoir and a guidebook for experiencing Austronesian culture.

ISLANDS is a limited edition collector’s zine printed on uncoated paper and bound with thread. Designed and illustrated by Steven Tachauer, ISLANDS blends hand-drawn text and imagery with public domain art from major art institutions. Personal archival photos supplement portrait and still life photography shot in Reston, Virginia by NYC-based artist Matthew Kristall.

ISLANDS (volume No.1) is a zine introducing the world of Native Hut, an ethos developed by Vanessa Shields to describe her relationship with Austronesian culture. Vanessa offers her unique perspective on art, origin, identity, plant life, and food, drawing on her travel experiences and her family background in the Philippines and Aotearoa (New Zealand).

Inspired by childhood memories of seeing Paul Gauguin’s paintings of the South Pacific, Vanessa makes a bold decision to reframe her life by reconnecting with her roots. ISLANDS shares her story as she leaves New York City to return to her hometown of San Diego. Her personal life is reshaped through marriage and motherhood as well as through her journeys to Taiwan, Tahiti, Aotearoa, Hawai’i and the Philippines. In essence, ISLANDS is both memoir and a guidebook for experiencing Austronesian culture.

ISLANDS is a limited edition collector’s zine printed on uncoated paper and bound with thread. Designed and illustrated by Steven Tachauer, ISLANDS blends hand-drawn text and imagery with public domain art from major art institutions. Personal archival photos supplement portrait and still life photography shot in Reston, Virginia by NYC-based artist Matthew Kristall.

Frequently Asked Questions

Islands is a 36 page zine, printed at an award-winning printing facility in Toronto. It will have a quality similar to an art book.
Orders will begin shipping on Summer Solstice, June 21.
Once your order has shipped, you'll receive an email with a tracking number so you can follow its journey. Please allow up to 48 hours for tracking information to become active.

You can reach us anytime via our contact tab. We aim to respond quickly—usually within one business day.
We have a 7-day return policy, meaning you have 7 days from receiving your item to request a return. Once your return is confirmed, you'll have 5 days to send the item back to us.
To be eligible for a return, items must be in the same condition as when they were sent. We strongly recommend using tracked or recorded shipping for any returns, as items lost or damaged in transit remain the responsibility of the customer.
Please contact us to initiate a return.
Please contact Vanessa at vshields@native-hut.com directly to see if we can figure out a solution.