On this episode I’m joined by Kennedy Yanko as we discuss her recent artistic endeavors, working with paper pulp prints which are on view in her latest exhibition, Without Gravity, at Pace Prints now through Oct 4th. Kennedy shares the joy of returning to immediate, experimental creation, reminiscent of her earlier abstract expressionist paintings. She reflects on her 20-year journey as an artist, acknowledging the challenges and growth that have shaped her current practice.

Kennedy and I have been in each other’s orbit for several years watching each other grow and develop our respective practices. I had the pleasure of writing about her work for the Brooklyn Rail four years ago, so it’s really a full circle moment and a moment to reflect on what’s happened and how much growth we’ve both experienced since that time. In the episode we also talk about the importance of maintaining a spiritual practice and being open to the ebbs and flows of life’s natural movements.

Thank you to our hosts WSA Podcast Studios.

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On this episode I’m joined by Michelle Kuo, Chief Curator at Large and Publisher, of the MoMA, as we discuss Jack Whitten: The Messenger, the first comprehensive retrospective dedicated to the groundbreaking art of Jack Whitten (American, 1939–2018). The exhibition showcased more than 175 works from the 1960s to the 2010s, including paintings, sculptures, rarely shown works on paper, and archival materials to explore the depth and breadth of Whitten’s near six-decade career.

The show was critically acclaimed, and emotionally impactful. In the episode, Kuo describes the collaborative and intensive five-year process involved in curating the exhibition, highlighting Whitten’s innovative approaches to art, his engagement with technology, and the deep emotional and historical context in his work.

As Kuo describes Whitten's work alongside canonical figures such as Rothko, Picasso, and Mondrian, she more importantly references the ways in which he reconfigured art history and the abstract expressionist movement with the use of new tools and techniques. Whitten’s oeuvre is marked by a courageous and uncompromising vision to resist the pressures of conformity, and instead carve his own path through abstraction. This episode emphasizes Whitten’s visionary nature and the lasting legacy of his art, which continues to inspire and move audiences.

Thank you to our hosts WSA Podcast Studios.

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On this episode I’m joined by Brice Yonkeu as we discuss his career in the arts. With a background in political science, Brice transitioned to the arts, seeking to make a more relevant contribution to culture. In this episode, he shares his experiences working in the arts, from opening his own gallery, Bwo Art Gallery in Cameroon, to participating in Amoako Boafo’s residency, dot.ateliers, as the first curator in residency, and showcasing his latest exhibition, a continuation of the show he presented at dot.aterliers upon completion of the residence, on view at Gagosian through August 8. The exhibition, Ever So Present II: Between Home and Elsewhere, brings together the work of four contemporary African artists; Luke Agada, Amoako Boafo, Josèfa Ntjam, and Emma Prempeh, to explore themes of displacement, migration, and the tension between memory and reality.

Brice reflects on his transition into art curation, and underscores the importance of presenting complex and rich contemporary African art practices. He also recounts his journey into the art field, and the necessity of creating spaces for African artists to showcase their heritage and contributions to global cultural production and ingenuity.

Thank you to our hosts WSA Podcast Studios.

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