Seeing Color

Zhiwan Cheung

Seeing Color is a podcast that talks with cultural workers and artists of color in order to expand the area of what is a predominantly white space in the arts. With discussions shifting between art and race, Zhiwan Cheung hashes out with guests a range of topics about the creative process in a white-dominated art world.

  1. Episode 96: Survival Kits (w/ Ali Fathollahi)

    12/19/2023

    Episode 96: Survival Kits (w/ Ali Fathollahi)

    Hi everyone. I hope you are doing well. I want to first say my heart goes out to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas community following the tragic shooting that occurred on December 6th. Through the podcast, I had the privilege of connecting with many at UNLV and my thoughts are with you all. It's important to acknowledge that while prayers and sympathies are extended, they can only do so much in the face of the ongoing issues surrounding gun violence and the accessibility of firearms. This recent event is but one of the many somber reminders of the urgent need for meaningful change in gun control. How exactly to do this I myself am still figuring out in a country still glorifying guns. This incident ties into some of the concerns I’ll be discussing with this week's guest, Ali Fathollahi, an Iranian artist currently residing in Las Vegas. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak with Ali's wife, Nanda, and you can listen to that conversation as well. Ali holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and went to the Azad University of Art and Architecture in Tehran, Iran for his Bachelor of Arts and his first Master of Fine Arts. Ali works in a wide variety of mediums, such as sculpture, light, and performance. In recent years, his work has critically examined the contemporary obsession with "Survivalism," both as a lifestyle and an ideology, often driven by fear and nostalgia. During our conversation, we delve into topics such as the challenges of language, the use of humor as a coping mechanism, and how pop culture influences our fascination with survival kits. As always, stay safe and healthy and I hope you enjoy this. Photo by Mikayla Whitmore. Links Mentioned: Ali’s Instagram Max JobraniFollow Seeing Color: Seeing Color WebsiteSubscribe on Apple PodcastsFacebookTwitterInstagram

    50 min
  2. Episode 90: Leaving Las Vegas (w/ Krystal Ramirez)

    09/26/2023

    Episode 90: Leaving Las Vegas (w/ Krystal Ramirez)

    Hey everyone. Wow, it has been a while since my last episode. Life kinda happened and I just needed another break to deal with some moving and life changes. I’m back with 10 new episodes that will be released over the course of the coming year in conjunction with local Las Vegas artists. A few things about my life since. I started doing some VR with Unreal and I was able to show it in this year's Ars Electronica. At the same time, I got to travel around a bit in Austria with my parents. Just two weeks ago, I traveled back to China for my Ph.D. in Computational Media and Arts, which I talked a bit about with my guest today, Krystal Ramirez. Krystal is an interdisciplinary artist and educator from Las Vegas, Nevada. Her practice focuses on our relationship with places of reverence and devotion. She has a BFA in Photography and Studio Art from the University of Las Vegas, Nevada and she recently received her MFA in Art Practice from Stanford University. She has shown in museums and galleries throughout the United States, including the Nevada Museum of Art (Reno, NV), Barrick Museum of Art (Las Vegas, NV), NMSU Art Museum (Las Cruces, NM), SOMArts (San Francisco, CA), and Gallery 400 (Chicago, IL.) Through our conversation, we discussed our interests in photography, the instability of language, and the possibility of working with our parents in art. As always, stay safe, and relax, and I hope you enjoy this. Links Mentioned: Krystal’s WebsiteInstagramSpivak's Can The Subaltern Speak?Follow Seeing Color: Seeing Color WebsiteSubscribe on Apple PodcastsFacebookTwitterInstagram

    1h 4m
  3. Episode 89: Ideology of Neutrality (w/ Yamu Wang)

    01/24/2023

    Episode 89: Ideology of Neutrality (w/ Yamu Wang)

    Hey everyone. Happy lunar new year. It is the year of the bunny, so to all those bunnies out there, I wish you the best and most prosperous year. I was busy these past few days transferring my visa in Hong Kong. Lots of changes happening as I will be moving north an hour to Guangzhou in a few weeks. But anyway, enough about me. I have a wonderful guest to introduce today, Yamu Wang, an artist interested in examining subjectivity and its construct, often informed by queer discourses, by using her personal experiences and found cultural materials as case studies. Yamu mainly works with language, both as media and subject matter, in part because it conditions her very being. She received a BA in Western and Chinese Literatures from the National Taiwan University and an MA in Fine Arts from Zurich University of the Arts. Yamu also served as a fellow in the Home Workspace Program from 2019-20 at Ashkal Alwan, the Lebanese Association for Plastic Art. I met Yamu through an online art residency called Artists for Artists and she was one of the many wonderful connections I made during that time. Our conversation here took many interesting turns as we explored ideas of an Asian diaspora, practice versus theory, stepping outside oneself, and why we do art. So sit back, relax, and happy new year.   Links Mentioned: * Yamu’s Instagram * The Agony of Eros by Byung-Chul Han * Dictee by Teresa Hak Kyung Cha * Haruki Murakami - Carnaval short story * Burning * Drive My Car * In The Mood for Love * Roni Horn on politics in art * Artist for Artist   Follow Seeing Color: * Seeing Color Website * Subscribe on Apple Podcasts * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

    54 min
5
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

Seeing Color is a podcast that talks with cultural workers and artists of color in order to expand the area of what is a predominantly white space in the arts. With discussions shifting between art and race, Zhiwan Cheung hashes out with guests a range of topics about the creative process in a white-dominated art world.

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