Artist Decoded By Yoshino

AD Non-Weekly Round Up #8 with artist, Jesse Draxler, and Yoshino. Jesse Draxler was born in rural Wisconsin, studied in Minneapolis, MN, and currently lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. A formal mixed media & inter-disciplinary artist, Draxler has exhibited extensively both domestically and internationally.  Draxler collaborates with brands including Hugo Boss, McQ Alexander McQueen, and Ferrari, with original artwork appearing in Elle, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic, among other publications.  Show Notes: 00:00:32 - Seasons in life 00:07:18 - Focusing on the process instead of the result 00:12:05 - The confluence of running and creativity 00:16:32 - Self-reflection 00:22:16 - Personal values 00:34:35 - The practical reality of art 00:39:53 - Creativity thorough destruction 00:47:56 - Jesse’s personal growth throughout the years 00:53:05 - Life and death 00:57:09 - The importance of being conscious of one’s physical and mental health 01:13:20 - Perspective shifts 01:26:14 - Un

Nadia Waheed, BFA 2015 School of the Art Institute of Chicago, is a Pakistani-American painter who makes partially autobiographical allegorical figurative paintings that explore selfhood, choice, and cultural trauma. Exhibition history includes shows with Mindy Solomon Gallery in Miami, BEERS London, Thierry Goldberg in New York, and Gallery 1957 in London. Upcoming exhibitions in 2021 include shows with Andrea Festa Fine Art in Rome, Lawrie Shabibi in Dubai, and Aicon Gallery in New York. Show Notes: 00:04:18 - Being aware of your youth  00:05:52 - Having numerous perspectives  00:09:40 - Nadia’s childhood  00:16:40 - Cultural nuances  00:23:07 - The core language approach and inner generational trauma  00:27:54 - The influence of mentorship  00:31:12 - Politics within the art world  00:37:46 - Telling someone who you are, through your actions  00:39:30 - Dating and relationships  00:46:39 - The loss of community and connectivity  00:53:01 - Intentionality and being vulnerable  01:00:45 - Being comfortable

The son of Chinese immigrants, Nicholas came to LA by way of Hawaii and Hong Kong. Working as a truly international director, he has helmed global campaigns for brands like Google, Samsung, Disney, P&G, Kia, Dewars, and Nestle, working closely with top agencies such as BBDO, Ogilvy & Mather, and Iris Worldwide. In the music world, he is an MTV VMA nominated director having shot videos for Nick Jonas, Blink-182, Sara Bareilles, Bastille, Snakehips, Jess Glynne, Monsta X, and more. Known for his cinematic, emotional, and dynamic visual language, Nicholas' films often center on character-driven stories deeply grounded in humanity and sensitivity. His work has been featured in most major publications including The LA Times, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Variety, The Telegraph, The Independent, Entertainment Weekly, Vogue, Forbes, Booooooom, Shots Creative, Little Black Book, and many more. When not on set, Nicholas will be found tearing through the canyons in his cars or motorcycle, creating new recipes in

Justin Daashuur Hopkins is a multidisciplinary storyteller (Director and Cinematographer, Musician and Composer, Graphic Designer, and Gallerist). Born into an artistic household, to renowned Illustrator Chris Hopkins and internationally collected sculptor Jan Hopkins, Justin was raised in Mukilteo, Washington, but now lives and works in Los Angeles. At the age of fifteen, he was already doing professional work for multiple clients, including conceptual merchandising and design for Costco, sound design and illustration for RedBull, and music for ESPN TV spots. He also shot the short film “Baristas,” which played to enthusiastic audiences in New York, LA, and Seattle. At the age of eighteen, Justin was hired at Olio Inc, an architectural firm specializing in major hotels in places like Vegas and Dubai. He spent the next five years doing architectural and sound design for international clients. In 2009, he struck out on his own, working as a freelance illustrator and fine art painter. He moved to New York and

Johan Van Mullem (Belgian painter born in 1959) persisted in his youthful search for wrinkled faces, seeking the beauty he recognized in an experience engraved on the faces and in the hands. Since then, the face remains the major subject of his work but over time reversing the imprint of it on his own face while these subjects seem to rejuvenate, disappearing or emerging in a halo of light in old-fashioned sfumato, offering the gaze an escape into the world of emotion, because Johan Van Mullem's work is an invitation for introspection, to a journey whose omnipresent emotional charge cannot leave indifferent as the depth is often dizzying. Johan's work has been exhibited internationally and can be found in many important collections. The superimposition and erasure of the very many smooth layers of the diluted inks further accentuates this feeling of inexpressible presence on the canvas. The self-taught mastery of the specific and unique technicality of his work because only executed in etching ink (an exten

www.patreon.com/artistdecoded Mauro Martinez juxtaposes common pictorial forms from art history with the monotonous streams of online imagery that we, as an increasingly digital society, are so often subjected to. Skillfully utilizing metaphor, irony, and dark humor, Martinez’s paintings respond to the doctrines of internet culture, at once critiquing and mocking our relationship with contemporary imagery. Show Notes: 00:00​ - Introduction 04:09​ - Humor and the Meme Paintings 07:53​ - The Process of Self-Acceptance 10:46​ - The Breakdown to a Breakthrough 11:43​ - The Privilege Behind Social Media in Reaction to George Floyd's Murder 14:55​ - Documentation Through Art 20:48​ - Not a Provocateur with “Sensitive Content Series” 24:37​ - Drug Addiction, Rehab, and Art Center 27:35​ - The Loss of Mauro’s Brother and Using Painting as Healing 31:38​ - Using Painting to Escape Drug Addiction 36:33​ - Dark Humor and Past Trauma 39:14​ - Next Stage of Career & Cancel Culture 42:47​ - The View of Disposability

www.patreon.com/artistdecoded Lorne Lanning is an American game designer, director, writer, and voice actor. He is co-founder and creator of Oddworld Inhabitants. He is best known for creating the Oddworld series including the games Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, and Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty. The next Oddworld game titled Oddworld: Soulstorm will be released on April 6, 2021. Initially studying photo-realism and commercial illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, Lanning soon attended the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California, where he graduated with a BFA in Character Animation. Working as a Technical Director at TRW, Lanning later moved to Rhythm & Hues Studios in Hollywood, where he would later meet producer Sherry McKenna, who helped co-found Oddworld Inhabitants. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Lorne’s journey from fine art into developing video games The change of perception within art

www.patreon.com/artistdecoded Dr. Bruce Hoffman did not choose the Medical Arts as a vocation. Originally, he wanted to be a writer and poet. His interest in health and healing developed later in life, after a long and winding road of self-discovery, life experience, and learning. He only applied to medical school, so he could complete a residency in psychiatry and subsequently study Jungian analysis to understand the human condition and behavior. As life would have it, his destiny took him on a different journey. He never did formally pursue a psychiatry residency or Jungian Analytic Training, but his love for art, poetry, and psychology remain. Dr. Hoffman was born and educated in South Africa and obtained his medical degree from the University of Cape Town. After two years of compulsory military training, his distaste for the local regime convinced him to emigrate to Canada in 1986 where he pursued family medical practice in rural Saskatchewan, Canada. Once ensconced in the practice of family medicine,

www.patreon.com/artistdecoded Jesse Damiani is a writer, curator, and cultural producer living in Los Angeles, CA. He covers art, media, and technology on Forbes, and serves as  . Other writing appears in Billboard, Entrepreneur, Quartz, The Verge, and WIRED. He has consulted with Google, Oculus, and the Sundance Institute, and served as a mentor in the YouTube VR Creator Lab. He is also Founder and Series Editor of Best American Experimental Writing. He was the Curator/Producer for the XR art exhibition, Spatial Reality, at sp[a]ce gallery; Co-Curator of Virtual Futures with LACMA for LA Art Show; and Co-Curator of SIM-CINEMA with FLOAT and Wevr. He is Curatorial Advisor for CURRENTS New Media and founded the AWE Arts Initiative, where he curated and produced the Immersive Arts Symposium. He also curates The Tech Zone at DesignerCon and XR For Change, the XR summit at Games For Change. Topics Discussed In This Episode: NFTs and the blockchain The future of NFTs  Artists managing the sale of their work  VR

www.patreon.com/artistdecoded Nolwen is a first-generation Colombian-French photographer and director, working in Los Angeles. As a mixed-race queer woman, her identity plays an active role in the type of narratives she is drawn to. Her interests lie in shifting social consciousness, breaking down gender norms, and representation. Exploring portraiture within the landscape of American culture, Nolwen’s photographs deal with vulnerability and gaze between both subject and viewer. She has photographed a multitude of prolific figures and her client list includes The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Netflix, Dove, amongst others. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Nolwen’s career journey Multihyphanate artistry Importance of broadening your artistic toolbox Financial management for artists Cryptocurrency Addiction Nolwen’s spiritual experience before sobriety Breaking free from trauma Focusing on the present moment Life being a puzzle Feeling connected to a greater calling Being intentional w

www.patreon.com/artistdecoded Brian Booth Craig (b. 1968; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is a contemporary American representational sculptor. Sculpting from life and imagination, Brian’s work translates traditional techniques into depictions of contemporary human presence, capturing moments of individual self-assertion. Through ambiguous actions, surprising talismans, and subtle gestures, Brian endeavors to reveal the subjectivity of narrative perspective. Brian holds a B.A. from the Pennsylvania State University and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art. For ten years he was the apprentice and studio assistant of the painter and sculptor Audrey Flack. Brian is represented by Louis K Meisel Gallery in New York City. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Brian’s start in sculpture Intellectual pursuits Economic fears of being an artist The internal, external, and emotional narrative to art Creating something unique vs. creating something that “fits” within a craft Representing the body and human nature through sc

www.patreon.com/artistdecoded Vanessa Prager (b. 1984) is an American artist, born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Known mainly for her large-scale, abstract oil paintings, Prager‘s main subject is the female figure. Thick, loose, heavily impastoed bodies melt in and out of their form, and what we consider beauty and identity is often a central theme to her work. Prager has had solo shows at The Hole, New York; Richard Heller, Los Angeles; and Kristin Hjellegjerde, Berlin and London; and group shows in Los Angeles with Over The Influence; M+B; and Diane Rosenstein Gallery. Vanessa’s latest solo show, “Static” shows at the Diane Rosenstein Gallery from February 20th to April 10th, 2021 Topics Discussed In This Episode: Emotions felt through the COVID-19 lockdown Processing emotions Painting what one sees Understanding one’s reality Motherhood Vanessa’s upbringing The depiction of woman within a patriarchal society Breaking away from stigmas Recognizing patterns in life www.artistdecoded.com www.instagram.co

www.patreon.com/artistdecoded Julian Doan is a second-generation Vietnamese American filmmaker. He enjoys exploring the uncomfortable corners of our existence through awkward, yet heartfelt comedy. His past projects include the sentient zombie digital series “Everyone I Love Is Dead”. He is currently working on the editorial team of HBO's “In Treatment”. He loves the great outdoors and looks forward to seeing a Vietnamese American film renaissance in his lifetime. He is thrilled to be premiering “Raspberry” at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and is beyond thankful for the stunning cast and crew who all brought this film to life. Raymond Lee was a series regular in Alan Ball’s HBO series, “Here and Now” opposite Tim Robbins and Holly Hunter. He has recurring roles on “Prodigal Son”, “Mozart in the Jungle”, and Scandal. Theater credits include the world premiere productions of “Vietgone at Manhattan Theater Club”, which he was awarded the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Debut, “Office Hour

www.patreon.com/artistdecoded Mark Wolynn is the director of the Family Constellation Institute in San Francisco. He is a leading expert in the field of inherited family trauma. His book It Didn't Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle (published by Viking/Penguin) is the winner of the 2016 Silver Nautilus Book Award in psychology and has been translated into 19 languages. His articles have appeared in Psychology Today, Mind Body Green, MariaShriver.com, Elephant Journal, and Psych Central, and his poetry has been published in The New Yorker. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Inherited family trauma - a detailed overview of trauma’s resonating effect Our bodies reaction to trauma and how we can biologically pass those reactions to our offspring through our genes Current research within the scientific field of trauma  The potency of language Mark’s “Core Language Approach” or otherwise known as trauma language, which is seen through the observation of verbal

www.patreon.com/artistdecoded When a musical ensemble chooses to self-title an album mid-career, it usually signifies their conviction that they’ve struck upon the motherlode, hit the jackpot, stepped up, and generally arrived at a point they’ve always strived for but never quite attained. Coming from GoGo Penguin at this stage in the game, it’s quite a bold statement: the instrumental trio from Manchester, England have fielded plaudits and rave reviews for inspiration and originality at every turn since 2013, when they settled on their dream line-up of Chris Illingworth (piano), Rob Turner (drums), and Nick Blacka (bass). Fusing jazz, classical and electronic influences (amongst others) with a thirst for innovation, they’ve been garlanded as makers of one of the Mercury Prize album of the year (in ’14), and have enjoyed success on record and in the live arena matched by precious few vocal-free groups post-millennium.   After that prestigious Mercury nomination for 2014’s v2.0 album, Chris, Nick, and Rob

www.patreon.com/artistdecoded 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

www.patreon.com/artistdecoded Mark Henick is an internationally recognized mental health strategist, advocate, speaker, podcaster, and media commentator. His TEDx talk is one of the most-watched in the world. He regularly speaks to diverse audiences about mental health, hope, and recovery.   Mark Henick’s TEDx talk about being saved from death by a stranger is one of the most-watched in the world and has been viewed millions of times. His search for “the man in the brown jacket” whose bravery and strong arms kept him from falling to his death went viral around the world (and was successful!). Henick has been on television and radio and has written many articles on mental health. He has hosted more than 60 intimate conversations about mental health with notable public figures and celebrities on his podcast, So-Called Normal, and has executive produced and hosted the Living Well podcast for Morneau Shepell.  Henick has served on the board of directors for the Mental Health Commission of Canada and was the pre

www.patreon.com/artistdecoded Sean Cheetham was born in 1977 in San Francisco, studied at the College of San Mateo, in California, and earned a B.F.A. degree with honors from Art Center College of Design, in Pasadena, California. His paintings have been included in numerous significant exhibitions internationally including the National Portrait Gallery in London. He has a devoted following of collectors and art students that are inspired by his work and distinctive technique. Primarily a figurative painter, Sean is known for his technical prowess in achieving accuracy and harmony in his alla prima paintings which he credits to a deep understanding of drawing and his own system of mixing colors which he uses adeptly to govern shadows, midtones and highlights. In addition to having an exceptional ability to understand, draw, and paint the human form, Cheetham’s selection of subjects typically in familiar urban scenes contributes a truthful and often raw spirit that makes his work distinctive and a contemporary

www.patreon.com/artistdecoded Laura Fried is a Los Angeles-based curator and is a Co-Founder and Director of Active Cultures, a nonprofit organization that explores the convergence of food and art in contemporary life. Through collaborative projects by cooks and artists, Active Cultures' programming takes a multitude of forms such as performances, workshops, meals, and education initiatives. Throughout her career, Fried has advocated for artists and institutions while pushing forward new models for engagement and exhibition-making. She recently served as founding Artistic Director of the Seattle Art Fair, for which she organized a comprehensive program of large-scale installations, performances, talks, and projects. Fried was previously on the curatorial staff of Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams, MA, as well as a curator at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis. Fried received her MA in the History of Art from Williams College and the Clark Art Institute. Topics Discussed In This Episod

www.patreon.com/artistdecoded Cliqua is a directing duo (Pasqual Gutierrez and RJ Sanchez) born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. They have directed music videos for J Balvin, Rosalia, Bad Bunny, and others. In the span of a year, the duo has amassed over 700 million Youtube plays. They have also worked with brands like Adidas, Nike, Amazon, and Tecate. Currently Cliqua is continuing to shoot music videos and commercials while developing a feature-length film and an episodic television show. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Pasqual and RJ forming Cliqua Reflections on past commercial and music video work Intentionality within Cliqua’s planning process Going into the trenches within business and collaboration Teamwork and collaboration Shared business values Examining the future, reevaluating work practices, and moving forward Inspiration through others Taking a step back from one’s work Controlling one’s process Being aware of faults Workflow Cliqua’s recent music video for The Weeknd’s track “Too Late” Thema