Friday Heaters Podcast

On this week's episode of the Friday Heaters podcast, we're joined by internationally acclaimed artist Analía Saban, whose inventive approach to painting, sculpture, and everyday materials continues to challenge how we think about art and the objects around us.From growing up in Buenos Aires to studying at UCLA under John Baldessari and Paul McCarthy, Analía shares her unconventional journey into the art world and the curiosity that continues to drive her practice. We get into everything from weaving's surprising connection to artificial intelligence and carving puffer jackets out of marble to the absurdities of art fairs and why someone might pay $100 million for a rectangle.With a major retrospective at LACMA on the horizon, Analía also opens up about the pressures of making art, the importance of mentorship, and learning to embrace the creative process even when things aren't going according to plan.It's a funny, thoughtful, and refreshingly candid conversation about experimentation, perseverance, and never losing the desire to ask questions.

On this week's episode of the Friday Heaters Podcast, we're joined by Los Angeles-based artist Kristopher Raos, whose bold, colorful paintings transform familiar imagery from everyday American life into something entirely unexpected.Growing up in Bakersfield, Kristopher found his creative footing through music and graffiti before discovering contemporary art and developing his distinctive approach to painting. We dig into his fascination with discarded objects, corporate logos, and the possibilities of color, along with the painstaking process behind his richly layered, shaped canvases.Kristopher also opens up about his unconventional path into the art world, the artists and mentors who helped shape his practice, and the personal experiences that continue to inform his work. Along the way, we discuss everything from Matisse and the influence of graffiti to the importance of patience, community, and knowing when to let the materials take the lead.It's an engaging conversation about finding your own artistic language, making something new out of the familiar, and building a creative life on your own terms.

On this week's episode of the Friday Heaters Podcast, we're joined by Los Angeles-born artist and sculptor Kelly Wall, whose inventive work transforms familiar objects into something entirely unexpected. Fresh off her inclusion in the Hammer Museum's Made in L.A. biennial, with work also appearing at Rockefeller Center, Kelly walks us through her unconventional approach to materials, her love of glass, and the creative process behind her intricate sculptural works.We dig into her interactive penny press, Wistful Thinking, and Everything Must Go, an ambitious installation that transformed an abandoned Westwood newsstand into a glowing sunset made from 136 individual glass works, each available for visitors to take home. Along the way, we discuss the changing landscape of LA's art scene, the importance of artist communities, and how making art more accessible might help cultivate the next generation of collectors.It's a lively conversation about experimentation, resourcefulness, and finding new ways to connect people with art, all through the eyes of an artist who genuinely loves her hometown🔥

This week on Friday Heaters, we're joined by Los Angeles based artist Elliott Hundley, whose extraordinary three-dimensional collages bring together photography, painting, sculpture, and thousands of carefully placed pins.With a new exhibition at Regen Projects, Elliott takes us inside his creative world, where ancient Greek tragedies, personal memories, and everyday materials come together in unexpected ways. We explore the origins of his signature pin-covered works, why he never starts with a plan, and how decades of small experiments have shaped his remarkable practice.The conversation also gets personal. Elliott reflects on his mother's influence as his first art teacher, the family stories woven into his latest exhibition, and how his relationship with creativity has evolved over the years. Along the way, we talk about the importance of daily practice, trusting your instincts, making art without worrying about expectations, and finding your own path as an artist.What made this conversation particularly special was Elliott himself. Despite his decades of experience and considerable accomplishments, he brings a remarkable generosity, humility, and openness to the way he talks about art and life. It's easy to see why he'd be such a meaningful teacher and mentor to young artists. I found myself wanting to keep asking questions, not just because of what he knows, but because of the thoughtful and tender way he shares it.An insightful, funny, and deeply human conversation with an artist who reminds us that creativity isn't always about having a grand vision. Sometimes it's simply about showing up, getting your hands dirty, and seeing what happens.

On this week’s episode of the Friday Heaters Podcast, we’re joined by curator Diana Nawi, whose career has taken her from institutions including the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and Pérez Art Museum Miami to co-curating Prospect New Orleans and Made in L.A. 2023 at the Hammer Museum. Now back in Los Angeles, Diana is a curator of contemporary art at LACMA.We talk about what a curator actually does, how Diana found her way into the field, and why so much of her career has been shaped by relationships, curiosity, and what she describes as learning to “surf the wave in front of you.” She shares lessons from years of studio visits and working closely with artists, her approach to building exhibitions without forcing a predetermined idea onto the work, and why rigor remains central to how she thinks about art.We also get into the particular character of Los Angeles as an art city, the role of institutions like LACMA, the Hammer Museum, and MOCA, what artists should know about building relationships with curators, and the challenges facing artists and institutions in today’s art economy. Along the way, Diana reflects on Made in L.A. 2023, the value of looking beyond the traditional centers of the art world, and why some of the most meaningful curatorial work begins with simply staying open to what artists are already doing.

On this week’s episode of the Friday Heaters Podcast🔥 we’re joined by Simon Brewer and Nathalie Martin, the duo behind Brewer Martin, a new Los Angeles gallery opening this fall.As young gallerists representing the next generation of LA’s art scene, Simon and Nathalie are stepping in at a moment when much of the art world is talking about contraction, gallery closures, and what isn’t working. We talk about what it actually means to run a gallery today, what they learned working alongside established gallerists, and why they see this moment of change as an opportunity to build differently.We also get into the evolving relationship between artists and galleries, creating space for experimentation and risk-taking, the challenge of bringing a new generation of collectors into the fold, and why the art world still has work to do when it comes to making people feel welcome. Along the way, Simon and Nathalie share how growing up in LA shaped their perspective, the artists and experiences that brought them together, and their hopes for building a gallery rooted in community, curiosity, and long-term relationships with artists.Brewer Martin opens September 18 in Los Angeles with an inaugural exhibition by Jacob Fenton.

On this week’s episode of the Friday Heaters Podcast, we’re joined by Pablo José Ramírez, curator at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, fresh off the run of his exhibition 'Several Eternities in a Day'.Pablo breaks down what a curator actually does, from developing an idea and selecting artists, to navigating the complicated machinery behind a major museum exhibition. We dig into the show’s focus on living and natural materials, why audiences shouldn’t feel pressure to “understand” contemporary art, and his approach to presenting artists from different cultures without reducing their work to identity or basic explanations.Pablo also shares his journey from growing up in Guatemala to discovering contemporary art through politically engaged artists, eventually building an international curatorial career and finding a home in Los Angeles. We talk about the challenges facing museums today, bringing new audiences into art institutions, and why moments of uncertainty can create opportunities to rethink how the art world works.And, as always, we make some room for life outside the art world with some detours into sleep hygiene, pilates bodies, Guatemalan coffee, the joy of backyard hoses, and the underrated importance of staying cozy🔥

This week on the Friday Heaters podcast, I'm joined by artist, producer, painter, and creative force Benn The Good—also known as Benny Cassette, and Benedetto. He has built a career that spans music, visual art, and culture, collaborating with artists including Kanye West, Rick Rubin, John Legend, Daft Punk, and many more, while continuing to develop his own distinct voice across multiple creative disciplines.I've wanted to have Benny on the podcast for a long time. We've been neighbors for years, referring to ourselves as "sacred neighbors”, and some of my favorite conversations happen across the street talking about art, music, life, and whatever creative rabbit hole one of us is down that week.In this episode, Benny shares the story behind his creative journey: from growing up in East Los Angeles, finding art through graffiti and mural culture, and discovering the Bahá'í Faith as a teenager, to the unlikely path that took him from making beats in his grandmother's house to working alongside some of the biggest names in music.We talk about why community matters more than networking, how curiosity fuels great art, why the lines between music and visual art are fading, and what it actually looks like to build a creative life that isn't confined to one medium.If you've ever wondered how someone develops that kind of creative confidence or how a lifetime of experiences eventually comes together into a singular artistic voice, I think you'll really enjoy this conversation🔥

On this week’s episode of the Friday Heaters Podcast, we sit down with painter, Tidawhitney Lek, to talk about the path from working art jobs in Los Angeles to fully committing to her own painting practice. Tida reflects on growing up in Long Beach in a Cambodian family shaped by the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge, and how those experiences eventually found their way into her work through family narratives, domestic spaces, memory, and identity.We discuss the moment she quit working side jobs, surviving the uncertainty of the early years, and how a series of studio visits and chance encounters helped launch her career during the pandemic-era art boom.Tida also breaks down her painting process, balancing practicality with experimentation, the influence of artists like Kerry James Marshall and Amir Fallah, and where she sees her work evolving next as she prepares for upcoming projects with Night Gallery and Victoria Miro.

On this episode of the Friday Heaters Podcast, we sit down with Emma Webster ahead of her major New York show with Petzel. She breaks down her process, from handmade sculptures and real-world digital scans to VR-built landscapes, painting and how it all comes together into something that feels both real and surreal.We talk about play, failure, risk, and the less visible side of building an art career, along with bigger ideas around technology, nature, and what it means to create entirely new worlds.