Strand, the Story of an Artist

Kevin Kirkwood visits the vibrant, detail-packed studio of illustrator and muralist Nigel Sussman in the heart of Berkeley, California. Known for his bold isometric worlds and large-scale murals that transform city walls into playful architectural maps, Nigel has developed a visual style that is instantly recognizable and endlessly explorable.

Kevin and Nigel dive into the c...

In today’s episode, Kevin Kirkwood brings listeners to the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco, recording inside the studio of contemporary artist Wanxin Zhang. Widely regarded as a leading voice in the new generation of the Bay Area clay movement, Wanxin is celebrated for his monumental ceramic figures, his experimental formless structures, and his striking bronze works. His sculptures explore themes of globalization, politics, ...

Kevin Kirkwood sits down with celebrated artist, critic, and museum professional Hal Fischer for an intimate conversation recorded at Fischer’s home in San Francisco. Known for his groundbreaking Gay Semiotics series and influential writing on photography in the 1970s, Fischer reflects on a career that spans more than four decades and continues to shape contemporary understandings of visual culture and queer identity.

From his earl...

Kevin Kirkwood spent time with artist Andy Diaz Hope in his San Francisco studio, where Andy reflected on his upbringing on the Bay Area’s peninsula, his academic path through Stanford University, and the moment the Catharine Clark Gallery took interest in his work.

Andy Diaz Hope holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Engineering from Stanford’s renowned joint program in Design; a collaboration between the E...

Episode 087: Badri Valian بدری ولیان

Kevin Kirkwood sat down with artist Badri Valian in her San Francisco studio in the Design District, where they talked about her upbringing in Iran, the ways those early experiences continue to shape her creative life, and the possibilities she envisions for her future practice.

Badri Valian is a San Francisco–based interdisciplinary and social practice artist whose work investigates the relatio...

Kevin Kirkwood sat down with artist and designer Brian Singer for a brief conversation in his San Francisco studio, located in the Mission District. Brian reflected on his upbringing in Silicon Valley, discussed the ideas behind several of his artworks, and shared his thoughts on the evolving direction of his creative practice.

Best known for his thought-provoking work, Brian Singer, is a multimedia artist who challenges convention...

Episode 085: Abby Zhang

Kevin Kirkwood met up with Abby Zhang in Bayview, California at a park just south of San Francisco.

Abby Zhang is a Bay Area–based artist working across painting, printmaking, and installation. She holds an MFA from Pratt Institute and has exhibited her work nationally. Currently in residence at Kala Art Institute, she is expanding her printmaking practice through experimental layering and material processes...

Kevin Kirkwood sat down with Bibby Gignilliat, a Northern California–based artist whose work radiates color, texture, and fearless creativity. They met in her Sausalito studio, a small waterfront town just north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Before becoming a full-time artist, Bibby built a thriving culinary team-building business in four major cities. In 2017, she sold the company to dedicate herself entirely to painting. Her mixed-m...

Kevin Kirkwood recently sat down with Nina Katz, a Berkeley-based painter whose work explores the figure and portraiture. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Hong Kong, Nina studied in Boston before settling in the Bay Area. Largely self-taught, she’s been painting full time for the past 15 years; creating deeply expressive and intimate works.

Nina’s latest exhibition, Figures and Fragments, is now on view at Jack Fischer Gallery in San...

Kevin Kirkwood shared a conversation with Fernanda Martínez Gutierrez, an Oakland based painter and muralist; In her work, she incorporates nature elements as themes, organic shapes, bold textures, and deconstructed patterns to develop intrinsic narratives. Recently her practice expanded to sculptures, where she experiments with different materials to translate her distinguishable shapes and mastery in color into delightful 3D piec...

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with Fanny Wu, an architect and artist who lives and works in San Jose California. This episode is particularly meaningful to me because Fanny and I spent many afternoons sketching various locations of the communities that we helped design.

Fanny is passionate in building and creating spaces that promote creativity and well-...

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with Lenny Grant, an architect who lives and works in San Luis Obispo, California. This episode is particularly meaningful to me because Lenny played an important role in my early growth as an architectural designer.

With over thirty years of experience, Lenny brings a thoughtful perspective to his role as Managing Partner at RRM Design Group. His work—primarily focused on housing—...

Kevin Kirkwood visits artist Kim Anno in her Berkeley, California studio for a conversation about how her family influenced her creative beginnings, what inspired her to make her collection of films, and her journey to becoming a Guggenheim fellow in 2024.

Kim Anno is a painter, photographer, and filmmaker/video artist born in Los Angeles whose work has been collected and exhibited by museums nationally and internationally. Her wor...

Kevin Kirkwood shares a conversation with artist Chase Lanier, recorded live at Westobou Gallery. Together, they explore Chase’s process, his approach to making, and the conceptual ideas that inform his work.

Chase is a boomerang native of Augusta, GA, where he teaches art at the Academy of Richmond County. In 2024, he showed at ArtFields in Lake City, SC — the annual competition that brings together artists from across the Southea...

Kevin Kirkwood chopped it up with David Clifton-Strawn, an Atlanta based fine-art photographer. David focuses his practice on exploring the traditional art of portraiture through a contemporary queer lens. 

Clifton-Strawn's work is represented by Alan Avery Art Company and has been exhibited across the United States, Canada and Europe. His work is in the permanent collection...

Kevin Kirkwood sat down with Craig Drennen at Westobou—one of the South’s standout contemporary art spaces—to talk about his creative practice and his latest curatorial project, The End Space – The First Five Years. This exhibition is currently on view at Westobou through August 2.

Craig is a 2018 Guggenheim Fellow, represented by Brigitte Mulholland Gallery in Paris. His recent solo exhibitions include shows at The Suburban in M...

Kevin Kirkwood joined Juliette for a conversation a few weeks ago while he was living in Lacoste, France. This episode captures a fleeting, intimate moment in time and feels particularly special. Because at the time of the conversation, she was pregnant. Just last week, she welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world. This episode offers a glimpse into her life during a profound period of transition.

Juliette recently had a solo ...

Kevin Kirkwood shared a few minutes with Diego at his art gallery in Marseille, France.  In this conversation, Diego shares insights from his time at the École du Louvre, and how his career has taken him through esteemed auction houses like Tajan in Paris and Sotheby’s in London.

Galerie Diego Escobar, formerly known as ArtCan Gallery, dedicated to contemporary art. Founded ...

Kevin Kirkwood sits down with David Van Doesburg, owner of the Amsterdam-based gallery Stigter Van Doesburg. They explore David’s early creative roots in film and television, the artists that the gallery represents today, and the vision behind NAP+—a platform co-founded by David to support emerging and mid-career artists, curators, and galleries through accessible and affordable opportunities.

Whether you're passionate about contem...