Artist Decoded By Yoshino

There is a way a voice can cut through the fascia of reality, cleaving through habit into the raw nerve of experience. Nika Roza Danilova, the singer, songwriter, and producer who since 2009 has released music as Zola Jesus, wields a voice that does that. When you hear it, it is like you are being summoned -- not to somewhere new, but to a place that's already wrapped inside you, somewhere previously obscured from conscious experience. This place has been buried because it tends to hold pain, but it's also a gift, because once it's opened, once you're inside of it, it can show you the truth. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Nika’s newest album “Arkhon” Accepting the past and exploring the unknown How her life drastically changed after the release of her album “Okovi” in 2017 Her journey creating her albums: Taiga, Okovi, and Arkhon “When you’re trying to make music to fit into a world that already exists. It’s much less interesting.” - Nika Problems with viewing one’s art within the lens of commerce and co

Jay Cheel’s career in non-fiction filmmaking has focused mostly on character-based portraits of quirky, passionate obsessives, realized in a highly cinematic style. His debut feature Beauty Day premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York as part of their Canadian Front Programming Series. The film was also an official selection at the Hot Docs International Film Festival and was nominated for a Genie Award in 2012. His second feature How to Build a Time Machine premiered at Hot Docs and went on to screen at AFI Docs, the Rotterdam International Film Festival, and DOC NYC. His latest is Cursed Films, a five-part documentary series produced for AMC Networks and Shudder. The show focuses on the legends surrounding some of Hollywood’s most troubled horror film productions and has gone on to become the highest-rated documentary series on the platform.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: Jay’s short film Twisted Him being exposed to horror films at a young age Recognizing the importance of a director in a fi

Mia Bergeron's Bio Mia Bergeron is a classically trained oil painter that uses modern techniques and concepts to create layered imaginative works. Imagery in her work often oscillates between the fictitious and the observed in equal parts. Rooted in her upbringing in New York City with continuous exposure to modern art, her paintings also reveal her choice to study classical painting in Florence, Italy under Charles H. Cecil in her twenties. Heavily influenced by historical artists such as Diego Velázquez, Titian, Anthony van Dyck, and John Singer Sargent, her paintings are also shaped by contemporary artists such as Alex Kanevsky, Ann Gale, and Adrian Ghenie. For Mia, the process of making paintings is similar to meditation. Each painting is the listening and contemplating of the surrounding world. The minutes at the easel are similar to focusing on the breath- there are times when the scrutiny is welcomed and quiet, and other times when the mind is loud and unintelligible. It is this dynamic contrast that

Riley Stearns grew up in Pflugerville, TX, a suburb of Austin. His feature debut FAULTS premiered at SXSW in 2014 and went on to play festivals around the world. THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE, his second feature, also premiered at SXSW in 2017. The film was released by Bleecker Street domestically and Universal Pictures internationally. DUAL is Stearns’ third feature as writer/director and first as a producer. When not making films you can find Stearns on the mats training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Riley’s origin story Riley’s first memories of growing up The memory retention of “highly sensitive people” Riley’s past life as a musician How Riley started writing short films and feature films Riley initially finding his voice through mimicking other people’s writing styles When Saman and Riley met at SXSW in 2013 Where the initial idea of Dual came from How Riley creates the tone in his films Riley’s time working as a staff writer for TV shows Riley speaks about legacy Brazilian Jiu-Jits

Saman Kesh (born Saman Keshavarz) is an Iranian-American filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California. He is known for his narrative music video work for notable artists such as Basement Jaxx, Calvin Harris, Kygo, Placebo, !!! Chk Chk Chk, Vitalic, Apparat and Porter Robinson. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Living and being isolated in the desert The Definite Chief Aim - a concept by Napolean Hill through way of Mitch Horowitz Grieving the death of his girlfriend Jean Guo Gaining momentum through commercial success Understanding purpose Working through failures Accepting ourselves Being magick Balancing out the need for control Changing negative perspectives “Hollywood has this ability to arrest you in this psychosis of delusions” - Saman Kesh The gift of an existential crisis Power in analyzing dreams Functioning under depression Saman’s “Zoom” call analogy Martial arts Books Referenced: “Fierce Intimacy: Standing Up to One Another with Love” by Terry Real Artists Mentioned: The Daniels (Directing Duo

Mitch Horowitz is a historian of alternative spirituality and one of today’s most literate voices of esoterica, mysticism, and the occult. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Explaining his new book Cosmic Habit Force Exploring the psychology of mediocrity Harnessing honest self-expression and creativity Asking oneself with brutal honesty, “What do I really want from life?” Breaking through social conditioning The Miracle of a Definite Chief Aim Concentration producing force Gaining perspective on personal “failures” Taoism Paradoxical events in one's life Mitch gives a personal example of how a perceived failure turned into a blessing in disguise Rediscovering himself as a writer in his late 30s after working in publishing Writing his first book, “Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation” 2 famous definite chief aims from Octavia E. Butler and Bruce Lee The power of focused aims Healthily dealing with fear and trauma The law of reciprocity  The power of the mastermind Books Refer

Rina Yang is a director of photography based in London. She grew up in a small city in Japan, where she studied still life and portrait painting. She has been selected for the BAFTA Breakthrough 2020, and she is also the first female DOP ever to win a cinematography award at the British Arrows, as well as being nominated for the best cinematographer in fiction at the BAFTA Cymru Awards 19', making history in both commercials and narrative categories. Her recent narrative projects include NANNY (Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner), Euphoria (HBO/A24), and her upcoming feature with MGM Studios, entitled ‘Flint Strong’. Topics Discussed: Rina’s outlook creating goals for herself Rina’s creative stamina Taking breaks between shoots How she structures her time The differences between shooting a feature film, music video, and a  commercial How she started cinematography Her experiences growing up in Japan then moving to London Working hard at a very young age Getting accepted into university by creating a short fi

April Maxey was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, and is currently based in Los Angeles. She was 1 of 8 Directors chosen to be a part of AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women, where she made her short film Work, which premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. April was recently selected for AWD’s Directing the Actor Lab. She is also an alumna of the prestigious Berlinale Talents Short Film Station. Her drama pilot screenplay for Work was a top 5 finalist in the New Orleans Film Festival Screenplay Competition. Her previous short film, After You Left, won the Shorts Jury Prize at the Milwaukee Film Festival and has screened at Academy and BAFTA-Qualifying festivals such as Palm Springs Int’l Shortfest, Flickerfest, HollyShorts, and Outfest Fusion. April’s short films have collectively screened at over 60 festivals across 14 countries and won 8 awards internationally, such as the 100Autori Award for Best Screenplay at the Sicilia Queer Film Fest in Italy, and Best International Narrative Short at Kashis

Curious & creative mind working at the intersection of art, blockchain, and Web3. Founder and CEO of Vertical Crypto Art - a web3 native studio & artist-first community dedicated to NFTs, crypto art, and elevating web3 culture in the metaverse. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Micol working with creators in the tech industry at Facebook and Instagram Artists living off of making art and tokenizing work The origins of her platform, Vertical Crypto Art Helping artists navigate the new territories within the NFT world The online artist residency component of Vertical Crypto Art, which consists of a WEB 3.0 educational program Sustainability within the NFT space Artists creating art through coding, smart contracts, and the blockchain The work that she’s doing in collaboration with Tezos Hic Et Nunc Frieze LA (Feb 17th - Feb 20th, 2022) Tezos vs. Ethereum Versum NFT Platform The importance of properly displaying digital artworks Artists Mentioned: Sarah Zucker Kevin Abosh Sarah Meyohas (Founder of Bi

Shantell Martin is one of today’s most groundbreaking multimedia artists. Known for her ongoing exploration of the vast potential of the spontaneous hand-drawn lines, below the surface of her signature black and white drawing is an exploration of the reciprocal relationship between artist and viewer, in which a work of art is more than an object of admiration. Exploring themes such as intersectionality, identity, and play, Shantell is a cultural facilitator, forging new connections between fine art, education, design, philosophy, and technology. Simultaneously with her work as a fine artist, exhibiting at institutions such as Albright-Knox, the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, and MoMa, Shantell’s practice continuously pushes the boundaries of creative expression through thoughtful, innovative collaborations with artists, brands, and cultural institutions such as Pulitzer Prize-winning performance artist Kendrick Lamar, acclaimed designer Kelly Wearstler, the New York City Ballet, Tiffany &

Stephanie E. Hanes was born in Alberta, Canada in 1985. In 2009 they received a BFA from The Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University in Halifax, Canada. Hanes is a recent MFA Graduate of Ceramics at the Rhode Island School Of Design in 2017 and received the prestigious Toby Devan Lewis Fellowship for a graduate student with exceptional promise. Stephanie was one of the artists awarded the 2020 NCECA Emerging Artist Prize. In addition, they have exhibited Internationally with a solo show at C.R.E.T.A Rome Gallery in Italy and several group shows at Lefebvre et Fils Gallery in Paris, France. Their ceramic sculptures have been exhibited throughout the USA in New York City, Providence, Seattle, Portland, and Los Angeles. Hanes is a full-time lecturer in 3D4M at the University of Washington in Seattle, where they teach sculpture and ceramics. Topics Discussed In This Episode: The male gaze vs the female gaze The art of turning the internal world into external objects Female bodies always changing to suit

Shari Frilot is a filmmaker who has produced television for the CBS affiliate in Boston and for WNYC and WNET in New York before creating her own independent award-winning films, including Strange & Charmed, A Cosmic Demonstration of Sexuality, What Is A Line?, and the feature documentary, Black Nations / Queer Nations? She is the recipient of multiple grants, including the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Media Arts Foundation. She is presently working on a feature film project about the crisis in water supply with producer Effie Brown's production company, Duly Noted Inc. In tandem with filmmaking, Shari also maintains a career in festival programming, occupying a distinguished position on the curatorial vanguard through her pioneering development of immersive cinematic environments. As the Festival Director of the MIX Festival in New York (1992-1996) she co-founded the first gay Latin American film festivals, MIX BRASIL and MIX MEXICO film festivals. As Co-Director of Programming for OUTFEST (1998-

Artist Decoded is a weekly podcast hosted by Yoshino. Join us as we dive into the habits, mindsets, and inner workings of some of today's greatest artists and creative thinkers. 

Yoshino is a visual artist, writer, entrepreneur, and host of Artist Decoded. Show Notes: The power of introspection and self-analysis The pitfalls of following false prophets “Getting lost in the forest” Seeking answers Pantheism Art as a communication mechanism Critical thinking “You and you alone hold the answers to your questions.” Yoshino’s Links: yoshinostudios.com nohwave.co instagram.com/yoshinostudios twitter.com/yoshinostudios

Yoshino is a visual artist, writer, entrepreneur, and host of Artist Decoded. Show Notes: Identity and persona Leaving the commercial and fashion photography world Martial arts Exploring the idea of what it means to be an artist Living a life of fluidity Capitalism Growing up Christian Spirituality Moving to the desert from LA The Conversation Art Podcast Links: iTunes SpotifyMichael Shaw’s IG The Conversation’s IG Yoshino’s Links: yoshinostudios.com nohwave.co

Fashion and advertising photographer from Singapore turned 3D virtual model creator, Shavonne Wong creates artworks with her virtual models that juxtapose realism and surrealism together, placing the virtual models in scenes that cannot be done with a real human model. She is part of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2020 and has recently done an NFT for the first-ever NFT cover of Vogue. Show Notes: Shavonne’s past fashion photography career Romanticizing the struggling artist lifestyle Stereotypes and the importance of art 3D modeling and the transition into the NFT space The social implications of virtual influencers Shavonne’s NFT charity work The future of NFTs The negative aspects of NFT’s & the blockchain Criticism and feedback Krav Maga www.artistdecoded.com www.shavonnewong.com www.instagram.com/shavonne.wong www.twitter.com/shavonnewong_

Sarah Zucker is an artist + writer based in Los Angeles. Her art merges the gorgeous and grotesque through humor, psychedelia, mysticism, and the interplay of cutting edge + obsolete technologies. She works across mediums, specializing in mixing digital and analog video techniques and the use of VHS. Her GIF art has been viewed over 6.7 billion times on Giphy. She has been involved in Crypto Art since early 2019, tokenizing single and limited editions of her screen-based artwork on the blockchain. Her NFTs – digital art editions – can currently be found on SuperRare, NiftyGateway, Foundation, KnownOrigin, Hic Et Nunc, and Rarible. She holds a BA in Theater/Creative Writing for the Media from Northwestern, and an MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU. Show Notes: Sarah’s childhood and developing interest NFTs and Crypto Art “Wrestling your angels” Struggling as an artist The call to be an artist Theosophy Humanitarian contributions in the NFT space Identity Changing the world Dancing with the abyss Exploring

CJ Hendry (b. 1988) is a New York-based artist originally from Brisbane, Australia. Hendry transforms her fascination with contemporary material culture into large-scale, hyper-photorealistic drawings. Cj Hendry’s exhibits aren’t intended to be passively observed but, rather, actively experienced through engaging, fun, and thought-provoking exhibits. For her exhibit Monochrome, Hendry and her team built an entire multi-room “home” inside a warehouse with each room entirely monochrome-colored from floor to ceiling and everything in between. For Rorschach, guests jumped through a gigantic bouncy house maze in order to reach and finally view the impressive series. Each Cj Hendry exhibit, from Miami to Melbourne, draws massive crowds with attendees waiting in line for several hours - and, in the end, everyone leaves more enriched than when they arrived. With her celebrity clientele – and many works in private collections - Hendry’s waitlist is now well over 3,000 collectors with a wait time of up to five years t

Alice Brooks (ASC) is a cinematographer who has photographed award-winning feature films, television shows, and commercials. Her next feature project is director Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the hit musical WICKED. Brooks most recently photographed tick tick…BOOM! for Netflix and Imagine Entertainment, directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and produced by Ron Howard. Her other recent work includes the 2021 summer release of Miranda’s IN THE HEIGHTS directed by Chu. The film’s cinematography received widespread critical acclaim. Brooks is a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts and is a member of the International Cinematographers Guild, Local 600. She became a member of the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers in Oct. 2021. Show Notes: Alice’s start in cinematography  Her childhood & the inspiration behind the film, “tick, tick... BOOM!” Collaborating with director and long time friend, John Chu Having a “Definite Chief Aim” The gift of an existential crisis The ebbs and flows of the film

Mitch Horowitz is a historian of alternative spirituality and one of today’s most literate voices of esoterica, mysticism, and the occult. Mitch is a writer-in-residence at the New York Public Library, lecturer-in-residence at the Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles, and the PEN Award-winning author of books including Occult America; One Simple Idea: How Positive Thinking Reshaped Modern Life; and The Miracle Club. Show Notes: The power of masterminds The New Thought Movement  Napoleon Hill and Neville Goddard’s teachings Writing and the habits of writing Using different platforms to test material The myth of the self-made person The significance of the word, “Miracle” Book recommendations on the creative process Mitch’s writing process www.artistdecoded.com www.mitchhorowitz.com www.twitter.com/mitchhorowitz www.instagram.com/mitchhorowitz23