In this episode, I speak with Amstamdam-based Esiri Erheriene-Essi who is a figurative painter with a focus on highlighting history and who shares her interest in collecting and creating an archive through her work as a way of questioning narratives. 

She paints from a wide collection of photographs, predominantly from the 1960s and 70s – sourced online, at flea markets, and from her family archives.

In this episode, we also talk about: 

• Her interest in illustrating how the relationship between history and the present is in a state of constant transformation.
• Her cinematic style of painting 
• Drawing inspiration from archival images as source material for her paintings
• Having something you love to do as a way of staying centered and believing in it even when others do not 
• Learning to try, having fun, and making play essential as an artist

You can connect with Esiri at https://www.instagram.com/esiri.essi/