Hide the Brushstrokes

Liv sits down with Marco Passalacqua, a 25-year-old Brooklynite by way of Hillsborough, New Jersey. Marco is a painter and collagist who graduated from Pratt in 2024 with a degree in Fine Arts. For Marco, almost nothing is more real than the imagined, and he sits down to discuss how simplification of form, acrylic paints, and literary inspiration allow him to discover a truth that can't be found by faithfully rendering everyday objects. The only thing more authentic than interpretation for Marco is his community of fellow Pratt grads and New York artists, and he can be found on iris.ooo right alongside many of these community members. You can access Marco's portfolio at paintingsofmarco.com, as well as visual logs for each episode on Instagram at @hidethebrushstrokes.

For the Season 2 finale, Liv sits down with 24-year old painter Carlos Sánchez-Tatá, who graduated from Columbia's MFA program in 2024, to discuss their shared Miami upbringing, how Carlos turns loneliness into art, and how his professional development experiences in residency programs have shaped both his art and where he wants to take his future. You can access his portfolio at www.carlossancheztata.com and you can access Hide the Brushstrokes's tailored visual logs and Instagram page at this handle: @hidethebrushstrokes

Liv sits down with 25 year-old Drew Baker, known by the artist name "Baker," both a painter who draws from the modernists to paint rural scenes evocative of the death of the American mythos, and a sculptor who draws from the unseen laborers and technicians that craft the technology we find ourselves interacting with every day. To access his work, check out our corresponding visual log on our Instagram, @hidethebrushstrokes, or surf his portfolio website, drewbakerwebsite.com.

Liv sits down with Selin Sel, a 23-year-old sculptor and painter from Turkey who earned her BFA from Pratt last year. Selin discusses how her mother and her Turkish upbringing influence her very unique practice, why she created monumental sculptures while in school, and how she made the difficult post-grad decision to quit her day job to become a full-time artist. You can access Selin's portfolio at selinsel.com, as well as visual logs for each episode on Instagram at @hidethebrushstrokes.

Liv sits down with Deni Artemisa Espinoza, a 26 year-old native New Yorker, sculptor, and multidisciplinary artist who graduated from Hunter College's BFA program last year. Deni discusses how their love of history, the gentrification of their city, and their neurodivergence have shaped their practice as they navigate an increasingly volatile political climate. You can access Deni's portfolio at multiplydeni.com, as well as visual logs for each episode on Instagram at @hidethebrushstrokes.

On February 6th, NYU's Department of Photography and Imaging (DPI) celebrated the opening night of their Senior Thesis Exhibition, featuring 48 photographers from the graduating class of 2026. Four of these emerging photographers responded to my interview request, so this episode will be the first of two special double-interview episodes. For the second installment, we'll hear from Tierney Smith and Elleah Gipson about their projects. Tierney's senior thesis project, "The Field Has Eyes," explores how women move through space and navigate "the gaze" at the onset of adulthood. Tierney's portfolio is available here. Elleah's project, By Blood, captures special moments between twins of all ages. Elleah's work is available here. Check out Hide the Brushstrokes's Instagram for visual guides and more information about our artists.

Liv sits down with Noah, a 25 year-old Brooklyn native, to discuss his practices of abstract painting and tattoo art. Noah discusses how his abstraction has emerged from his formal atelier-style education, how his work might coincide with art market trends, and what artistic honesty looks like in his practice. You can find Noah's work at @noah.boulton on Instagram, and follow us (@hidethebrushstrokes) to see visual logs of all of our guests' work.

On February 6, NYU's Department of Photography and Imaging (DPI) celebrated the opening night of their Senior Thesis Exhibition, featuring 48 photographers from the graduating class of 2026. Four of these emerging photographers responded to my interview request, so this episode will be the first of two special double-interview episodes. For the first installment, we'll hear from Raj Hariharan and Gabrielle Thandiwe Bates about their projects. Raj's senior thesis project is called Groundwater, and it focuses on the intersections between climate and community in south India. Raj's portfolio is available here (rajhariharan.myportfolio.com). Gabrielle's project, In their Likeness, operates as an investigation and reimagining of personal, artistic, and African American histories all at once. Gabrielle's portfolio is available here (gigabbybytesphoto.com/).

Check out Hide the Brushstrokes's Instagram (@hidethebrushstrokes) for visual guides and more information about our artists. The second DPI episode will air on March 18, 2026, and it will feature artists Tierney Smith and Elleah Gipson.

Liv sits down with Hanzade, a 19 year-old artist from Turkey to discuss her multimedia practice, from her fashion designs, to her paintings, and to why she often depicts herself as a fish. You can find Hanzade's work at @hanzadestudios on Instagram, and follow us (@hidethebrushstrokes) to see visual logs of all of our guests' work.

Liv sits down with Emma Maurer, WNYU's Music Director, a Studio Art major at NYU Steinhardt, and a multimedia creative. Emma's been described as "chronically interested," and, having turned 20 last week, she expresses that she never wants to stop experimenting with new mediums and ideas at any age. They discuss the role of familial support in burgeoning creative careers, the rise of conservatism in the art world, and how being an experimentalist jack-of-all-trades might bring artists more success as the market changes. You can access Emma's portfolio at emma-maurer.com, as well as visual logs for each episode on Instagram at @hidethebrushstrokes.