Artist Decoded by Yoshino

Jan Hopkins is a master at creating sculptural vessels and figurative sculptures from unusual natural materials such as citrus, melon and pomegranate peels, lotus pods, fish skin, leaves, and seed pods. Each piece is a marriage of deep sensitivity and reverence to materials with a heavy emphasis on concept and innovation. Jan studied basketry with indigenous and contemporary artists, learning the art of meticulous construction, the basics of how to gather and prepare materials, and understanding new concepts in design beyond traditional construction. In the early 90s, challenged with the depletion and unavailability of many of the natural basketry materials, she began experimenting and innovating new ways of processing organic materials that she successfully uses in her work today. Her initial aspiration was to preserve the beauty of the materials she began to by constructing vessel forms. Jan's work evolved to more figurative work with narratives sewn into each intricately designed piece. Jan and her husband Chris have also embarked on a deeply personal collaborative project about a part of her family's history, The Japanese American incarceration during WWII. Piece by piece, Jan is puzzling together family stories that are both heartbreaking and inspiring. Jan states, "This project has changed the essence of my work and has challenged me to innovate new ways of construction and storytelling." Their two-person show was exhibited at the Schack Art Center, Everett, WA in 2018. A future exhibit is scheduled to open at Bainbridge Island Museum of Art on Bainbridge Island in 2022, The timing of this exhibit marks the 80th Remembrance anniversary of the first Japanese Americans taken away from their homes on Bainbridge Island and sent to Manzanar Concentration Camp. An award-winning artist, Jan has exhibited across the United States and featured 8 years at SOFA International Expos, held annually in New York, Chicago, and Santa Fe. Her work is included in museum permanent collections across the country including the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA, Museum of Art and Design in New York, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Racine Art Museum in Racine, WI. Show Notes: 00:04:27 - Jan's experience being a part of a family of artists 00:10:48 - Jan's journey towards artistry 00:17:12 - Great ideas finding us 00:20:15 - Results-oriented thinking, taking you away from the process 00:22:23 - Intuition and spirituality 00:26:34 - The elements and materials that guide Jan's art practice 00:31:27 - Jan's focus on narrative artwork 00:39:15 - The inspiration behind Jan's exhibit "Americans Interned" 00:58:56 - The power of cultural art 01:03:27 - Wrap Up www.artistdecoded.com www.janhopkinsart.blogspot.com www.instagram.com/janhopkinsart

Mitch Horowitz is a historian of alternative spirituality and one of today's most literate voices of esoterica, mysticism, and the occult. He is among the few occult writers whose work touches the bases of academic scholarship, national journalism, and subculture cred. Mitch is a writer-in-residence at the New York Public Library, lecturer-in-residence at the Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles, and a PEN Award-winning historian whose books include Occult America; One Simple Idea: How Positive Thinking Reshaped Modern Life; and The Miracle Club. The Washington Post says Mitch "treats esoteric ideas and movements with an even-handed intellectual studiousness that is too often lost in today's raised-voice discussions." He has discussed alternative spirituality across the national media and is collaborating with Emmy-nominated director Ronni Thomas on a feature documentary about the occult classic The Kybalion, shot on location in Egypt. Mitch received the Walden Award for Interfaith/Intercultural Understanding. The Chinese government has censored his work. Show Notes: 00:05:50 - Mitch's approach towards his craft 00:09:52 - The origins of thoughts and ideas 00:17:17 - The brain within the metaphysical 00:20:57 - Tapping into an imaginal realm with art 00:29:35 - Being honest with your desires 00:36:10 - Artists going unrecognized 00:42:42 - Being uncompromising in our desires 00:50:06 - Depression and anxiety 00:59:58 - Navigating dark energy 01:06:43 - Free will 01:10:52 - Hypnagogic state 01:18:47 - The pathos of death 01:29:46 - Wrap Up www.artistdecoded.com www.instagram.com/mitchhorowitz23 https://www.mitchhorowitz.com/

Damon Davis is a post-disciplinary artist based in St. Louis, Missouri. His work spans across a spectrum of creative mediums to tell stories exploring how identity is informed by power and mythology. He is well known for his body of work, Darker Gods, which explores Afro-surrealist manifestations of Black culture. Davis is a Firelight Media, Sundance Labs, TED, and Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellow. He is the founder and creative director of St. Louis-based music label/ artist collective FarFetched and his work is featured in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. Show Notes: 00:03:18 - Reflections on George Floyd and 2020 00:09:55 - Power dynamics in American society 00:14:35 - The soulful impact of art 00:17:40 - America's amnesia & the complexities of blackness 00:20:49 - Value systems 00:29:56 - Damon's intention with the mythology he created for "Darker Gods" 00:33:39 - Power, wisdom, and empathy 00:39:15 -The desensitization and fetishization of death 00:45:07 - Critical thinking 00:49:46 - Wrap up www.artistdecoded.com www.heartacheandpaint.com www.instagram.com/damondavis

Born in Beijing and raised in Singapore, Jingna Zhang is a fashion and fine art photographer and director based in New York City and Seattle. Imbued with love for the Pre-Raphaelites and Japanese anime, Jingna's work interweaves Asian aesthetics with western art styles, bringing unique visions of painterly and fantastical images to fashion and fine art photography. Before photography, Jingna was a world-class air rifle shooter representing Singapore at the Commonwealth Games and World Cup. She was the only female founder of a North American esports team in StarCraft 2; and was once a concept artist and illustrator's agent, with clients including LucasArts, Amazon Publishing, and Sony Online Entertainment. Jingna majored in fashion design before dropping out of school to pursue photography. She is an alumna of Stanford's innovation and entrepreneurship program Ignite and a Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 listmaker. Jingna's works have appeared on multiple editions of Vogue, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar. Her clients include Mercedes Benz, Montblanc, and Lancome. Jingna's fine art works have exhibited at Leica Gallery Milan, Tsinghua University, and Japan Creative Centre in Singapore, and she has spoken at Laguna College of Art and Design, Monterrey Institute of Technology, and Square Enix. Show Notes: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:05:24 - Self-Expression 00:11:54 - Jingna's start in art 00:16:20 - Competition 00:18:12 - Working with certainty and uncertainty 00:22:08 - Resources for growth 00:29:39 - Jingna's work with creative writing / the beginner's mindset 00:37:31 - Childlike naivety 00:39:20 - Jingna's relationship with video games 00:47:00 - Wrap up www.artistdecoded.com www.zhangjingna.com www.instagram.com/zemotion

Graham grew up in Ojai, a small ranching town in Southern California with pink sunsets dipping below the mountains. He spent his childhood exploring Europe and the Southwestern United States with his travel writer father and family. His upbringing informs his photography, which is largely based in simplicity, nostalgia, nature, and the truth of a moment. Graham lives in Los Angeles with his wife, a kindergarten teacher, and his son, an extremely inventive whippersnapper. Show Notes: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:04:55 - Teaching all aspects of history 00:08:53 - Homogenization of culture 00:12:22 - The importance of community 00:15:56 - The confluence of non-sequiturs 00:18:36 - The shifting landscape of commercial photography 00:25:00 - Human psychology within photography 00:33:16 - Graham's projects during covid 00:42:45 - Having a "jack of all trades" approach 00:48:15 - Personal values influencing the way you approach your career 00:54:54 - Having a balanced life 00:56:51 - Learning and adapting from experience 01:06:00 - Mentorship 01:08:00 - Technical learning vs practical learning 01:14:32 - Wrap up www.artistdecoded.com www.instagram.com/grahamdunn http://www.grahamdunnphoto.com/

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 - Understanding guilt 01:42:34 - Wrap up www.artistdecoded.com www.jessedraxler.com www.instagram.com/jessedraxler

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 with who you are 01:08:33 - Engaging with emotions and understanding the context 01:20:16 - Nadia's hesitance towards talking about her work 01:27:54 - "The curse of the expert" 01:34:23 - Commitment 01:42:45 - Wrap up www.artistdecoded.com www.instagram.com/nadiakwd www.nadiawaheed.com

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 the kitchen, or talking watches with fellow nerds. Show Notes: 00:03:04 - The "Three R's" Philosophy 00:05:41 - Finding one's voice 00:08:34 - Filtering your work through a personal lens 00:10:14 - Navigating through the music video and film world 00:13:10 - Hardships within directors transitioning from music videos to feature films 00:18:59 - "The new aesthetic" 00:21:06 - Keeping a healthy mindset 00:24:36 - Pattern recognition 00:27:21 - Psychedelics 00:32:27 - The catch-22 nature of technology 00:37:00 - Difficulties and rewards within directing 00:41:54 - Having a balanced ego 00:46:29 - A director's relevancy in the commercial world 00:49:44 - Nicholas's first feature film 00:51:27 - The importance of representation 00:53:34 - Redefining the structures within the film industry & Asian American cinema 01:09:38- Wrap up www.artistdecoded.com www.instagram.com/nicholaslam www.nicholaslam.com

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 began showing in numerous international exhibitions, in addition to garnering attention for his commercial work. Upon his return to Los Angeles, Justin co-founded NOH/WAVE, an art agency, and production company, with gallery space downtown. This has given him the opportunity to curate shows by internationally acclaimed artists. His unique aesthetic and attention to detail have made him a sought-after director of film and mixed media video for clients including Universal, RCA, Warner Brothers, Atlantic, Def Jam, and Domino Records. Show Notes: 0:00:00 - Introduction 0:05:00 - Analysis of "Woman in the Dunes" by Hiroshi Teshigahara 0:11:56 - Lineage of NOH/WAVE 0:13:19 - Being A Multidisciplinary Artist 0:16:15 - Justin's Transition From Music to Film 0:17:50 - Justin's Family Allowed For Freedom of Expression 0:22:10 - Gravitating Toward The Arts 0:24:17 - Yoshino's Filmmaking and Photography 0:26:39 - Professional Careers, Making Money, and Artistic Struggle 0:30:51 - Romanticizing Artists VS Personal Experiences 0:35:23 - Sacrificing For The Work 0:40:04 - Learning From Each Other 0:41:12 - Evolution of The Self & More "Woman in the Dunes" 0:48:58 - Analysis of "Tokyo Sonata" by Kiyoshi Kurosawa 0:55:21 - Not Examining Just From Surface Level 0:58:10 - "An Artist Says a Hard Thing in a Simple Way" 1:00:27 - All About The Subtext of Information 1:03:55 - Demonization of Drugs and Art 1:05:17 - Investing and Monetization of Ignorance 1:08:58 - Mythology and Psychology 1:10:32 - Film and Book Recommendations 1:11:26 - Advice to Artists and Creatives 1:14:02 - Wrap Up www.artistdecoded.com www.justindaashuurhopkins.com www.instagram.com/justindaashuurhopkins

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 extension of his experience as an engraver) gives his work an additional exceptional character. Complete artist, designer, painter, and sculptor, (but also poet and musician) Johan Van Mullem strives to create a multiple, diverse but absolutely coherent body of work offering links and bridges to all our senses awakened by this work that projects as much into the past as into a contemporaneity. Show Notes: 00:00 - Being conscious of your work changing 10:04 - Finding meaning within the things we do 13:18 - Giving and receiving 19:24 - Living a life of intention 21:14 - The blessing of life 24:12 - "Do what you feel" 27:28 - Gratitude 31:52 - Adaptability within trials 32:45 - Johan's progression within his body of work 36:48 - Investigating your personal values 40:27 - Relativity of good and bad 43:02 - Parenting 50:46 - Wrap Up www.artistdecoded.com www.instagram.com/johanvanmullem www.johanvanmullem.com