About Ocula Magazine

Ocula magazine explores the culture and ideas of the global art world.

We do this through in-depth interviews, critical essays and timely analysis on the artists, exhibitions and politics shaping the arts, technology, film, and visual culture. Ocula was founded in Hong Kong in 2010, and our commissioning reflects a global perspective and a desire to look beyond Western narratives.

Through our daily news coverage, we report on the art industry and how it intersects with current and international affairs, local knowledge, the global economy, and popular culture. In features, interviews, reviews and opinion pieces, we offer a place for readers to discover the most exciting upcoming artists and galleries, alongside new perspectives on prominent names and institutions. We also explore non-traditional artists and creative communities where art meets everyday life.

We are proudly independent.

Meet the editors

LOUISE BENSON
Editor-in-Chief

Louise oversees the magazine's editorial direction, commissioning and strategy. She was formerly director of digital at ArtReview and deputy editor at Elephant, and is based in London.

BAYA SIMONS
Senior Editor

Baya commissions and edits across the magazine. She was formerly a commissioning editor at the Financial Times, where she worked for eight years on the FT Weekend Magazine and HTSI. She is based in London.

PHILIPPA KELLY
News Editor

Philippa oversees Ocula’s news coverage from London. She previously worked as a reporter and editor at The Art Newspaper, the Guardian, and British Journal of Photography.

NELL WHITTAKER
Associate Editor

Nell commissions and edits across the magazine. She was editor of Tank magazine and has written for publications including Vittles and The Fence. She is based in London.

LUCY MERCER
Associate Editor

Lucy commissions and edits across the magazine. She is a writer, editor and poet. Her forthcoming essay on wax and mortality, Afterlife, is forthcoming with Fitzcarraldo Editions. She is based in London.

TRAVIS DIEHL
US Contributing Editor

Travis commissions and edits across the magazine with a focus on the US. He is a writer, critic and editor, who contributes regularly to The New York Times, Frieze and The New York Review of Books. He is based in New York.

ZIAN CHEN
China Contributing Editor

Zian edits Ocula Magazine's Chinese platform and commissions and writes across the magazine. He is a writer, editor and curator based between Shanghai and Taipei.

SHANYU ZHONG
China Contributing Editor

Shanyu edits and writes across the magazine. She is a writer, editor and translator based in Beijing.

MILLY BURROUGHS
Social Media Editor

Milly leads Ocula’s social media strategy. Based in Berlin, she is a writer, editor, strategist and marketing and communications consultant in the design and culture sectors.