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 Francisco through November 15. Learn more at ninakatz.com and jackfischergallery.com. "I am motivated by the process of painting and the dialogue that develops between me and the paint.  Over the years my work has moved between representation to figurative abstraction and back again. My work continues to resist categorization. It shifts, evolves, and refuses to settle into a tidy theme or style. I try not to chase what’s expected or popular; instead, I follow the work itself—its moods, its materials, its surprises. I still love to do commissioned portraits as well as revisit unfamiliar topics. This path is not always comfortable, but it is the most honest one I know. I trust the paint and I’m fueled, always, by a little angst—and maybe the occasional nudge from the goddess of creativity." – Nina Katz   Produced by Kevin Kirkwoodkevin-kirkwood.com | @kevinwillpaint  |  @strandpodcast   Listen to The Strand via all major platforms. Including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and Amazon.   This episode was recorded September 28, 2025 in Berkeley California.

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 pieces. Born and raised in Mexico City, Fernanda moved to the Bay Area in 2015 where she founded La Tinta. Under this name, she collaborated with brands such as Anthropologie, Lulu and Georgia, World Market Plus by licensing her work for a variety of products. Fernanda has exhibited her paintings throughout galleries; she has also created Mural installations at Meta, Google, Unity among other companies. Fernanda’s art and murals can be found across the Bay Area and select online platforms. www.fernandamartinezart.com @tinta_art A special thank-you to @victoriacgildersleeve_projects for making this conversation possible. Produced by Kevin Kirkwoodkevin-kirkwood.com | @kevinwillpaint Listen to The Strand via the link in bio or at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strandAvailable on all major platforms — Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and Amazon.

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-being.  She believes architecture surpasses the construction of materials and it fosters inspiring collective memories in one’s heart and brings the best out of the community. During the pandemic she started leading art sessions to help the community heal through art making and story-telling.Living and growing up in three different countries – Taiwan, New Zealand and America, she is constantly adjusting and relearning about her identity.  The more she engages with the community, the more she realizes a healthy environment begins with a healthy mindset. She believes a true sustainable future can be crafted when individuals are empowered to share the richness of their stories and cultures. This has pivoted her focus to the pursuit of Bethel Supernatural School of Ministry (BSSM). She graduated second year in 2025 and is a certified Art SOZO Facilitator. Her heart is to see revival happen through art and healing in one's soul. Produced by Kevin Kirkwoodkevin-kirkwood.com | @kevinwillpaintfannyfjwu.wixsite.com/art-for-the-soul| @fannyfjwu

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—draws inspiration from travels across Europe, Africa, and Asia, reflecting a passion for timeless, community-centered design. Beyond architecture, Lenny is deeply engaged in local initiatives, including the San Luis Obispo Housing Coalition, REACH, and the County Housing Trust Fund. His commitment to both design excellence and community betterment makes him an exceptional leader and voice in contemporary architecture. Produced by Kevin Kirkwoodkevin-kirkwood.com | @kevinwillpaintrrmdesign.com | @rrmdesigngroup

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 work is in the intersection of art, science history, and societal dilemma surrounding climate change, and adaptation. She received a US dept of State award for her work: Water Cities, Indonesia, and the Asian Cultural Council NY. In 2023, a monograph and solo exhibition by Anno was presented by Anglim/Trimble Gallery, San Francisco and in 2024 she released her first documentary feature film: “¡Quba!” and “Water Cities, Indonesia." The Strand is produced by Kevin Kirkwood kevin-kirkwood.com  @kevinwillpaint / @strandpodcast Kim Anno: kimanno.com @anno.kim Anglim Trimble: anglimtrimble.com @anglimtrimble Kyung Lee: Kyunglee.com @kiyonle Wild Projects: wildprojects.org @wildprojectsproductions Quba Film Qubafilm.com @qubafilm

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 Southeast. During that event, Chase received the Sumter Gallery’s Southeastern Partners Exhibition Award, which led to his current solo show, “Within the Margin of Error”, now on view at the Sumter County Gallery of Art. Special thanks to Matt Porter and the team at Westobou for their support. Produced by Kevin Kirkwood (@kevinwillpaint / @strandpodcast) www.sumtergallery.com @sumtergallery www.chaselanierart.com @chaselanierart www.artfieldssc.org @artfieldssc www.westobou.org @westobou www.kevin-kirkwood.com @kevinwillpaint @strandpodcast

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 of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia and several private collections. He was the recipient of the 2022-23 City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs Emerging Artist Award in photography. He currently serves as the Executive Director for the Atlanta Photography Group.   The Strand is produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint @dacvidcliftonstrawn @atlantaphotographygroup @alanaveryartcompany @kailinart   kevinwillpaint.com davidcliftonstrawn.com alanaveryartcompany.com atlantaphotographygroup.org kailinart.com

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 Milwaukee and Freight+Volume in New York City.   Beyond his own studio work, Craig has made a significant impact as an educator and curator. He’s served as dean at the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, teaches at Georgia State University, and runs THE END Project Space, his ongoing curatorial platform—which is also the impetus for this conversation.   A special thanks to Matt Porter and the incredible team at Westobou for their warm hospitality and for making this conversation possible.   Produced by @kevinwillpaint kevinwillpaint.com   craigdrennen.com @craigdrennen @the_end_project_space westobou.org @westobou thesuburban.org @the_suburban_exhibitions brigittemulholland.com @brigittemulhollandparis huntermuseum.org @huntermuseum mariettacobbartmuseum.org @mariettacobbartmuseum

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 exhibition at the Reiter Gallery in Leipzig, Germany. The show was titled “If you want, we will love each other.” In this interview, she reflects on the significance of that body of work and shares her thoughts on entering motherhood.   juliettesturlese.com @juliette_sturlese  reitergalleries.com @reiter_galleries   The Strand is produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint @strandpodcast kevinwillpaint.com   All episodes are available at the link in bio, www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.

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 by Diego Escobar in 2016, this Marseille-based gallery is distinguished by its passion for art and its commitment to promoting emerging and recognized talents on the international contemporary art scene. A fundamental aspect of Galerie Diego Escobar’s mission is its interaction with various institutions, both private, such as foundations, and public. This interaction fosters fruitful collaborations and solid partnerships, enabling the artists supported by the gallery to benefit from extended visibility and privileged relationships with these key players in the contemporary art world. The Galerie Diego Escobar is a dynamic place where creativity, innovation and artistic promotion meet. Reflecting Diego Escobar’s ongoing commitment to contemporary art. galerie-escobar.com @galeriediegoescobar The Strand is produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint @strandpodcast kevinwillpaint.com All episodes are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.  

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 contemporary art or curious about the intersections of media and gallery culture, this conversation offers an inside look at the evolving art world from the perspective of a gallerist and cultural connector. https://www.stigtervandoesburg.com/ https://www.napplus.nl/ The Strand is produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint @strandpodcast All episodes are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.

Kevin Kirkwood visited the studio of Dutch painter, Pim Blokker. In this conversation, they talk about what he enjoys about being a painter and why humor is important to his craft. This recording was made in late February, prior to our knowledge that he would be invited to show his work at the Stigter Vandoesburg gallery in Amsterdam. Since this recording, his solo exhibition was titled “no Worries”. To learn more about this body of work, visit StigterVan Douesburg.com or PimBlokker.com. Pim Blokker approaches the canvas as a game board. In his work the perspective continuously shifts or stretches out, and formal qualities and the physical act of painting both collide and merge. Blokker is not interested in illusion making but in linking personal associations to new depictions of reality. He sees the collective consciousness as something without a structure, end, or beginning, and plays with our fixed connotations and expectations of reality. This he does through juxtaposition, a confrontational use of logic and a slapstick kind of humor.The lightness of a joke sets off the gravity of tragedy and visa versa. Juxtaposing hilarity and horror, two emotional extremes, allows him to examine somber issues in a playful way, to pass off absurdities as logical and to undermine seemingly established facts.His work shows a certain lightness and openness what is particularly evident in the wall paintings he created especially for the gallery. The brushstrokes have a leisure like quality and remind of the optimism of some 1950’s paintings. Blokker knows his classics and can borrow iconography from the 80’s to give his own interpretation of all he likes to use. Instagram @pimblok_ker The Strand is produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint @strandpodcast All episodes are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.  

Kevin Kirkwood visited the studio of photo and video artist Daya Cahen. There, they talked about how some of her childhood experiences impact the work that she creates today.  Daya Cahen (NL/USA, born in Amsterdam) studied photography at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. She works primarily in the fields of photography and video. In her work, she focuses on forms of political influence and the systematic manipulation of the human being. Her main interest lies in the power of mass media and its use in the construction and presentation of propaganda, indoctrination or manipulation. Having two parents who survived WOII as Jewish children, the artist grew up with the notion that the world can change on you in a day and you never know at which end of the line you will end up. A society can turn against any group of people. Investigating how these developments of indoctrination, radicalization and fear of otherness can arise within society form the starting point for all of Cahen’s work. Her works have been widely screened and exhibited among others at Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Berlin), Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark, the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Dutch Photo Museum, Kunstmuseum Bonn, De Appel arts centre (Amsterdam), Wiels (Brussels), Centre Pompidou and Palais de Tokyo (Paris). She participated in various international film including Short Film Festival Oberhausen, IDFA, International Film Festival Rotterdam and was nominated for a Golden Bear (Short Film) at the Berlin International Film Festival.   DayaCahen.com IG @daya.cahen   The Strand is produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint @strandpodcast All episodes are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.   Images courtesy of Daya Cahen

Kevin Kirkwood met with Lucas Lenglet at his Amsterdam studio. Lucas shared stories about his early installations, his solo show at Stigter Van Doesburg Gallery, and his latest endeavors in making ceramic sculptures. Lucas Lenglet (b. 1972 in Leiden, the Netherlands) makes sculpture and works with photography in which he explores notions of inclusion and exclusion. Using the language of architecture and the built environment Lenglet aims to soften the border between extremities like safety and danger, public and private, Yes and No, or self and other. Lenglet lives and works in Amsterdam where he studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy.His work has been featured in one person exhibitions in Palais de Tokyo, Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam, Stigter Van Doesburg gallery and Kröller-Müller Museum. He participated in numerous group exhibitions including Atelier Néerlandais in Parijs, Pori Art Museum, Marta Herfort, 3rd Athens Biennale, Martin-Gropius-Bau Berlin, Witte de With (now Kunstinstituut Melly) in Rotterdam and Noordbrabants Museum. www.lucaslenglet.com Instagram @lucaslenglet The Strand is produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint @strandpodcast All episodes are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.

Kevin Kirkwood shared a conversation with the talented Cara K. Griffin a few weeks ago in Lacoste, France. She shared stories about growing up in Alabama, the loss of someone special, and how she fuses her yogi lifestyle into a creative practice.  Cara K. Griffin is a multidisciplinary artist based in Maui, Hawai‘i, working from a 100-year-old pineapple cannery. Her work explores impermanence, material transformation, and the tension between control and surrender. Fusing painting and sculpture, she uses smoke, plaster, plant matter, and metal leaf to create textured, evolving surfaces. Rooted in fine art and movement studies, her work is visceral and tactile—gestural, physical, and in constant flux. carakgriffin.com instagram- @free.the.pelvis @cara.k.griffin.art The Strand is produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint @strandpodcast All episodes are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.

Kevin Kirkwood shared a conversation with the talented Ruth Ribeaucourt a few weeks ago in Lacoste, France. Ruth opened up about her Irish heritage, her early entrepreneurial spark, and the experiences that led her into the creative world. Ruth began her career as an international publicist and talent handler for Walt Disney Studios before trading the world of cinema for a slower life in Provence, France. Since 2010, she has immersed herself in making, creating, and collaborating—first through her jewelry line, then as a writer and photographer for publications such as Where Women Create, My French Country Home, and Quilt Mania, as well as for publishers including Flammarion, Hardie Grant UK, and Simon & Schuster. In 2019, she launched an international creative retreat program, fostering connection through storytelling. Her passion for giving creatives a platform led her to create the independent print publication FAIRE magazine in 2021—an intimate, honest space for sharing creatives’ stories. A dedicated facilitator of workshops, exhibitions, and events, Ruth is committed to nurturing and empowering the creative community.   www.ruthribeaucourt.com www.fairepress.com Instagram: @ruthribeaucourt |  @faire.press   The Strand is produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint All episodes are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.   Images courtesy of Ruth Ribeaucourt    

Kevin Kirkwood sits down with artist Cyril Carret for a conversation at his home in Lacoste France. They dive into Cyril’s journey as a creative person, exploring his early influences and the experiences that led him to move to his hillside retreat in the Luberon. Cyril is a multidisciplinary artist with an extensive creative background in photography and interior design. Today, he channels his creative energy into making concrete sculptures, working from his workshop and gallery in the picturesque village of Goult.   CyrilCarret.art @cyril_carret   The Strand is produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint All episodes are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.

Kevin Kirkwood shared a few minutes in Lacoste, France with Gérard-Philippe Mabillard, a talented Swiss portrait photographer. Gérard is also a passionate contributor to the Moipourtoit Foundation, an organization dedicated to uplifting the community of Pereira, Colombia. One of his latest projects is a book titled The Stars Share, which features over 150 black-and-white portraits of both famous and lesser-known individuals. Among the notable figures are Penélope Cruz, Quentin Tarantino, Sir Christopher Hampton, and Javier Bardem. All proceeds from his portraits go directly to the Moi Pour Toit Foundation.   @gerardphilippemabillard gpm-photography.com @fondation_moipourtoit moipourtoi.org   The Strand is produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint   All episodes are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.   Images courtesy of Gérard-Philippe Mabillard Richard Dumas Yann Steininger    

Kevin Kirkwood met in Armin’s Berlin studio and talked about his solo exhibition, “LUST ANGST SCHMERZ EKSTASE,” which occurred last autumn at KÖNIG GALERIE. They also talked about some of the things that inspire him and the impetus that pushed him into the creative world. LUST ANGST SCHMERZ EKSTASE, a solo exhibition by Armin Boehm in the Nave of St. Agnes. This exhibition marks Boehm’s debut with the gallery, featuring his latest series of paintings that delve into the tangled web of human emotions, exploring desire, fear, pain, and ecstasy through his distinctive, multilayered approach. Created between 2023 and 2024, the works explore a diverse range of motifs. His paintings, accompanied by preparatory drawings that offer insight into his creative process, blend allegory and caricature within a rich tradition of social commentary. Vivid, hybrid characters and chaotic scenes are meticulously crafted to convey a sense of unease. This approach is reminiscent of medieval iconography, which used dramatic and often unsettling imagery to convey religious, moral, and societal messages. Additionally, Boehm’s work draws from the exaggerated forms of early 20th-century satirical art.   The Strand is produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint All episodes are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon. arminboehm.de @arminboehm koeniggalerie.com @koeniggalerie

Episode 064: Nicolas Rupcich Kevin Kirkwood met with Nicolas at the Reiter Gallery in Berlin, Germany to talk about his recent solo exhibition titled, “Offline Islands”.  In this show, he  presented a series of video installations and works developed over the past two years as a result of an artist’s residency in the Arctic Circle. These works primarily address themes related to image production in remote regions of our planet and the often-paradoxical nature of these processes.   Nicolás Rupcich (Santiago, 1981) / Lives and works in Berlin. He grew up in the Chiloé island in the south of Chile, before studying Fine Arts at Universidad Finis Terrae in Santiago, and then taking a Masters in Visual Arts at Universidad de Chile. He acquired a degree as a Meisterschüler in Media Arts at HGB Leipzig, supported by a DAAD scholarship in 2012. Since then, he has lived in Germany. Rupcich works across a variety of media, focusing mainly on experimenting in photography, video and animation. Thematically, his works explore the functions, effects and behaviors related to the digital image, where what we see on a daily basis as conventions of the screen in fact alter and impact upon our understanding of reality. His works have been exhibited in several video and media arts festival and exhibitions, including: Art Speaks Out, ikonoTV – COP27 (Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 2022); Macro Asilo, Museum of Contemporary Art (Rome, Italy 2018); Video Sur, Palais de Tokyo (Paris, France 2018); Collage I – Methode, Fotogalerie Wien (Vienna, Austria 2017); Pacific Standard Time LA/LA: Video Art in Latin America, LAXART (L.A., USA 2017); Ars Electronica Festival, Best of Animation/Film/VFX, (Linz, Austria 2014); Transmediale, Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Berlin, Germany 2012); 28 Kasseler Dokfest (Kassel, Germany 2011); Chili, l’envers du décor, Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton (Paris, France 2010); and the 7º Bienal del Mercosur – Projetáveis (Porto Alegre, Brazil 2009).   The Strand is produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint All episodes are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.   nicolasrupcich.com @rupcich reitergalleries.com @Reiter_galleries