Metralla Rosa

Photographer 

• You can also watch this episode on Youtube where English, Italian and Spanish subtitles are available or visit the Metralla Rosa website for more details.

Frederic Aranda, this episode’s fabulous guest, is a photographer who has perfected the art of creating images that are not only filled with beauty, but are also lucid and elegant. Specialising in portraiture, and with an exceptional talent in the difficult art of photographing large groups, Frederic has spent his career creating iconic images which we discuss, in detail, throughout this interview.

With more than 20 years of experience, he has a photographic style that is serene, clean, diaphanous and gentle, while his cv tells tales of his work on the pages of magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, The Sunday Times, WSJ and Esquire. Frederic was born in the city of Geneva, in Switzerland, but has lived in the United Kingdom since he went to Oxford University, having decided, at a young age, to study Japanese. Indeed, his love for the Japanese culture is another of the themes that we explore extensively throughout this encounter, not only because it has come to define some of the more important aspects of his stylistic, ethical and aesthetic sensitivities, but because it was in Japan that Frederic began to explore the infinite possibilities that photography can offer when it comes to dedicating your life to artistic expression.

This year his photograph entitled Ian at Home – which portrays the formidable British actor, Ian McKellen – was included in the Royal Photographic Society International Exhibition, so of course we talked about all the anecdotal details behind an image which proves that, despite the limitations and realities of years like 2020, opportunities can continue to be reaped and important works of art can still be created. We also spoke of the first time one of his images went viral (despite it being taken in the days before Instagram) and which, by the way, was a group portrait made up exclusively of powerful and prestigious women from within the international publishing arena. And, as if that wasn’t enough, we also talked about the famous photo session in 2016, in which he worked with the queen of British punk, Vivienne Westwood and her husband, the designer Andreas Kronthaler, as well as the portrait he took of the American designer Tom Ford whilst still a university student, blessed with nothing but a head full of dreams and ambitions and a brightly lit career path stretching before him.

This chat with Frederic Aranda was, without doubt, a luxurious moment for Metralla Rosa. It was an encounter that gave us the opportunity to share with the world the visions of an artist, whose humility is directly proportional to his greatness.

And now, enjoy the interview!

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Artista plástica

• You can also watch this episode on Youtube where English, Italian and Spanish subtitles are available or visit the Metralla Rosa website for more details.

Es como resultado de una compleja concatenación de influencias e inspiraciones que surgen las pinturas, las esculturas y los dibujos que dan cuerpo y sentido a la obra de la artista venezolana Renata Fernández. Y aunque Renata estudió artes plásticas en la ciudad de Caracas, en el Instituto de Arte Universitario Armando Reveron, casi la totalidad de su práctica artística se ha desarrollado en Londres, ciudad en la que vive desde el 2003.

Disciplinada, comprometida con su propio proceso creativo, y consiente de su responsabilidad como principal fuerza propulsora de su propuesta plástica, en relación a sí misma Renata explica: “Yo no me permito bloqueos creativos. No detengo jamás el curso de mi producción plástica bajo ningún pretexto. Ese es el único reglamento que le impongo a mi proceso creador. Del hacer es de donde provienen las soluciones y es en el hacer donde surgen las ideas”.

Es con talento pero también con tenacidad que Renata ha logrado exhibir su trabajo en Venezuela, el Reino Unido, Bélgica, España, y otros países de Europa; y desarrollar a lo largo de su carrera en el Reino Unido, un trabajo plástico multidisciplinario, consistente y a todas luces relevante. Renata crea frondosos ecosistemas en los que la naturaleza cumple un rol de representación casi simbólica, que nos obliga a reflexionar acerca de nuestra condición humana en el contexto existencial contemporáneo. Aproximadamente alrededor del año 1999 Renata comenzó a dibujar voluptuosas plantas de apariencia selvática, hermosamente monstruosas, al interceptar su interés por el camuflaje y los conflictos bélicos humanos con cierta insistente atracción – casi visceral – hacia las plantas que adornan el trópico, y que usamos con frecuencia para embellecer nuestros espacios, creando volúmenes y texturas que amenazan constantemente con desplazarnos, gracias a su gloriosa grandilocuencia.

La obra de Renata – como la de toda artista dueña de una voz plástica sólida y consistente – es sumamente auto-referencial, y su proceso creativo es intrincado y pausado. Nada de lo que ocurre o se consuma en su estudio en Londres surge con la necesidad de satisfacer necesidades desechables. Y en esta entrevista Renata nos permite asomarnos a su hermoso universo creativo para comprender como al margen de las dificultades cotidianas, una mujer que es madre, esposa y ciudadana comprometida, ha logrado consolidarse en la diáspora, sin traicionar sus ambiciones creadoras en ninguna de las instancias de su admirable proceso.

¡Y ahora, disfruten la entrevista!

Enlaces relacionados
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

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Artist

It is through a complex combination of influences and inspirations that the body and meaning of Venezuelan artist Renata Fernández's work emerges. And while Renata studied visual arts in Caracas - at the Instituto de Arte Universitario Armando Reveron....for further information about this interview, including links to anything mentioned by Renata, or to continue reading this text in Spanish, English and Italian, visit the Metralla Rosa website.

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Shoe Designer 

• You can also watch this episode on Youtube where English, Italian and Spanish subtitles are available or visit the Metralla Rosa website for more details.

Jumping feet first into a world of fantasy is precisely what the fabulous shoe designer, Natacha Marro, does with her creations. Every single one of her designs is conceived with absolute creative freedom and made entirely by hand, whilst still managing to put the needs of her clients above all else.

Born in Nice, on the French Riviera, Natacha moved first to Paris, and then to London – the city in which her irreverent and bombastic creative spirit was not only received by a market thirsty for her innovation and enthusiastic experimentation, but which also provided her with the necessary inspiration to strengthen the independent and visionary brand she dreamed of building.

Natacha Marro is an unstoppable artist, brimming not only with fantastic ideas, but with a passion for indulging the ambitious dreams of her enviable list of clients. With her expertise at creating sculptural pieces of art for the feet, it is no surprise that the list of devoted international superstars who adore her designs includes Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Grace Jones, Gwen Stefani, Grayson Perry, Rihanna, Björk, Dita Von Teese, Angelina Jolie, Madonna and David Bowie.

In this interview Natacha tells us about the time she hand made the boots that Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson would go on to wear in Star Wars, how her cult brand manages to survive in a market where customised creations seem increasingly expendable and what it was like to participate in the highly successful Pleasure and Pain exhibition at the V&A museum in 2015. She also talks about the beautiful friendships she maintains with style icons such as Kat Von D and Daphne Guinness, how creating unique pieces of footwear for Lady Gaga affected her international status, what it has been like to incorporate vegan materials into her artisan production process and the unexpected surprises related to mass production that await the future of her brand, Natacha Marro.

If you find the glorious communion between fashion, art and life exciting, then this pleasant conversation will bring you immense happiness.

And now, enjoy the interview!

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Further Information:

Website | Instagram

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Writer | Actor | Director

• You can also watch this episode on Youtube where English, Italian and Spanish subtitles are available or visit the Metralla Rosa website for more details.

Tonderai is, in addition to being a writer, director and actor, someone with a frankly formidable capacity for interaction with the world around him. He is fast, receptive, perceptive and warm, whilst at the same time a profound human being who knows what he wants, says what he thinks, expresses his visions eloquently and pursues his desires with a single mindedness, avoiding all distractions. He has the ability to live his life from a place of unquestionable authenticity, whilst at the same time being alert to his surroundings and responding to them with sensitivity and intelligence.

Tonderai Munyevu, this episode’s charming guest, offers us an enlightened stroll along the paths of reflection on issues that are not easy to portray, unless blessed with the wisdom that comes so naturally to him. Universally important topics such as spirituality, sexuality, racism, life in the diaspora, creative passion and conscientious artistic creations enrich the perspective of anyone interested in navigating the meaning of life, and were precisely the topics that brought this conversation to life.

Discover why Two Gents Productions, the company that Tonderai co-founded, specialises in interpreting theatre classics from the perspective of the thousands of immigrants and displaced people who inhabit the great capitals of the Western world. Find out why bringing Hamlet to Zimbabwe and other south African countries was not as magnanimous an idea as it first seemed. And, above all, discover why an already successful actor, writer, director and theologian (who graduated from one of the best universities in London and, indeed, the world) has, after the long quarantine and emotive Black Lives Matter movement, decided to start a new chapter in his creative life, in order to finally conceive the legacy that he longs to leave the world.

And now, enjoy the interview!

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Related Links
Tonderai Munyevu: Twitter | Instagram
Two Gents Productions: Website | Instagram

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Escritor | Actor | Director

Tonderai, ademas de ser escritor, director y actor – su nombre en Zimbawense significa recordar – es un ser humano francamente formidable. Es rápido, receptivo, perceptivo, cálido, y al mismo tiempo es un hombre profundo que sabe lo que quiere, piensa lo que dice, expresa sus visiones con elocuencia, y persigue sus anhelos sin que nada lo detenga o lo distraiga demasiado. Tiene la capacidad de interactuar con el mundo que lo rodea desde un lugar de autenticidad inobjetable y al mismo tiempo está alerta a los signos de su tiempo y responde a ellos con sensibilidad e inteligencia.

Tonderai Munyevu, nuestro encantador invitado de ocasión, nos ofreció un iluminado paseo por los caminos de la reflexion de temas....for further information about this interview, including links to anything mentioned by Tonderai, or to continue reading this text in Spanish, English and Italian, visit the Metralla Rosa website

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Artista | Diseñador | Artesano

• You can also watch this episode on Youtube where English, Italian and Spanish subtitles are available or visit the Metralla Rosa website for more details.

Conversar con Ektor Rodriguez acerca del surgimiento de su marca de sobrevivencia sensual y acerca de su linea de artículos eroticos, éticamente producidos y orgánicamente concebidos, Morbo by Ektor, fue sumamente estimulante y nos permitió explorar los senderos de lo creativo desde una linea de acción y un punto de partida completamente inusitados y excitantemente inesperados.

Morbo by Ektor es el ejemplo perfecto de como una marca puede, y debe ser, la expresión casi literal de las obseciones vitales de su creador. Ektor vive y crea, crea y vive, desde su casa/estudio en Londres, y si bien a lo largo de su solida carrera ha asistido a renombrados artistas, como Anish Kapoor, materializando sus visiones y transformándolas en objetos palpables de impacto tridimencional, Ektor sin querer queriendo se ha encontrado a si mismo creando una linea de productos que encarnan su poderosa y contrastante visión entre la organicidad de la vida y la volatilidad del deseo. Los objetos producidos por Ektor presentan siempre una fantástica ambivalencia: todos ellos ofrecen una utilitaria o decorativa comunión entre fetichismos y ecologismos, entre individualismo y tribalismo y entre organicidad visceral y conceptualización intelectual.

Bienvenidos a este encuentro intimo con una tendencia creativa y existencial que Ektor muy bien describe como de supervivencia chic y sensual. Si la escena kinky menos predecible y los objetos de masoquismo estético y de sadismo sensorial les resultan interesantes, entonces no se despeguen, disfruten de esta conversación y del viaje que el muy personal morbo de Ektor nos ofreció, gracias a su naturaleza guerrera, inconforme, comunicativa y provocadora.

¡Y ahora, disfruten la entrevista!

Enlaces relacionados
Ektor Rodriguez: Website
Morbo by Ektor: Instagram | Facebook

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Artist | Designer | Maker

Talking to Ektor Rodriguez about the growth of his sensual survivalist brand, Morbo by Ektor, a collection of ethically produced and organically conceived erotic wearables, was extremely stimulating. It allowed us to explore the paths of creativity from an unusually exciting starting point as well as from a practical and proactive perspective.

Morbo by Ektor is the perfect example of how a brand can, and should be, the quasi-literal expression of its creators inner obsessions. Ektor lives and creates – creates and lives – from his home & studio in London, and while, throughout his successful career he has assisted renowned artists, such as Anish Kapoor, realise their visions...for further information about this interview, including links to anything mentioned by Ektor, or to continue reading this text in Spanish, English and Italian, visit the Metralla Rosa website.

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Baterista | Percusionista | Surfer

• You can also watch this episode on Youtube where English, Italian and Spanish subtitles are available or visit the Metralla Rosa website for more details.

Este episodio es una oda a la acción, y a las infinitas posibilidades de aprendizaje y crecimiento que se alcanzan al perseguir lo que amas de un modo deliberado y consiente. 

Lya Reis Guerrero, mejor conocida en las esferas musicales como Lya Drummer, es una una mujer de fuego, una mujer que parece tener escrito en la frente las palabra ‘Vamos, si se puede’. Lya es lo que llaman en ingles ‘a power house’: una guerrera poderosa, con una fuerza vital que le permite moverse con acertividad, y explorar toda la potencialidad presente en las cosas que ama. Baterista, percusionista, diseñadora de sonido, surfista y skater, Lya se entrega a la vida con un entusiasmo contagioso, sin embargo, con esta entrevista descubrimos el lado mas estructurado y organizado de su fogoza personalidad.

Dividirse entre decenas de proyectos musicales da muestra de su gran versatilidad como instrumentista, pero también describe su fe en la música como medio y como mensaje. Aunque sus inicios como baterista están asociados a la crudeza expresiva del grunge y el punk -Lya se inició en Caracas como baterista de Skin, una banda rock solo de chicas – en la actualidad disemina por el mundo, la potencialidad rítmica de los beats latinos que se atreven a desafiar tradiciones y estereotipos con fusiones de ineludible relevancia artística. 

Desde su llegada a Europa ha vivido toda clase de aventuras y desafíos, tanto en el terreno personal como en el musical, razón por la cual esta conversación está llena de anécdotas divertidas, historias de reinvención y tips de supervivencia. Descubre por que Lya ha decidido dedicarle su vida a la música, descubre que la hizo querer convertirse en una baterista de lujo, y hacia donde se encaminan sus ambiciones futuras. 

¡Y ahora, disfruten la entrevista!

Enlaces relacionados
Lya Reis Guerrero (Lya Drummer): Website | Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Facebook

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Drummer | Percussionist | Surfer

This episode is an ode to action, and the infinite possibilities of learning and growth that are achieved by the pursuit of what you love in a deliberate and conscious way.

Lya Reis Guerrero, better known in musical spheres as Lya Drummer, is a woman on fire, and a woman who seems to have the words ‘Yes, you’ve got this’ tattooed on her forehead. Lya is what we refer to as ‘a power house’: a warrior with a vitality that allows her to move through life assertively, always exploring the potential within everything she loves. Drummer, percussionist, sound designer, surfer and skateboarder, Lya lives life with a contagious enthusiasm, yet, in this interview, we discover the more structured and organised side of her personality...for further information about this interview, including links to anything mentioned by Lya, or to continue reading this text in Spanish, English or Italian, visit the Metralla Rosa website. 

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Podcast Creator | Life Coach

• You can also watch this episode on Youtube where English, Italian and Spanish subtitles are available or visit the Metralla Rosa website for more details.

Independent, warm, receptive and open to experiencing life from a positive and consciously empowered perspective, today’s guest, Bronwen, is not only an in demand Floor Manager within the UK television industry and a Cambridge qualified, working Life Coach, she is also the creator of a podcast that we strongly recommend: Show Love Podcast.

This Podcast was born from the need to transform a traumatic personal experience into one of collective learning and, like all projects that come about from a clearly honourable initiative, ‘Show Love’ show has exceeded expectations, on every level. The idea of the podcast was to create a space in which to talk about things that may initially appear uncomfortable but which will, ultimately, bring about liberation, transformation and growth. And it is thanks to the fact that Bronwen has tackled topics such as suicide, self-love (seen from both a feminine and masculine point of view), mental health, spiritual life and romanticism in times of online dating, that this show has managed to capture the public's imagination and find itself climbing high up in the iTunes charts on several occasions.

Bronwen is a fantastic woman. A woman who believes in the therapeutic power of human interaction and who, with every professional step she takes, tries to turn that faith into a life choice. In this episode, whilst talking to Carla, she demonstrates how a desire to live life and love life can be both irrepressible and complementary. This conversation has the curious, joyous and playful tone that you would expect from two women who share the same vitality for life and interests in love.

And now, enjoy the interview!

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This episode of Metralla Rosa is dedicated to Billy Yates, 1976-2017. Never forgotten.

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Useful Information (UK):

The National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA) | Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) | Samaritans | SANE | NHS Mental Health helplines | Mind

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Related Links
Bronwen Murphy: Instagram | Twitter
Floor Manager/Life Coach: Email
Show Love Podcast: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter 

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Artist | Art Historian

• You can also watch this episode on Youtube where English, Italian and Spanish subtitles are available or visit the Metralla Rosa website for more details.

Artists such as Armando Alemdar represent the archetype of the irreplaceable and unrepentant creator so well that it is impossible to imagine him doing anything else in life. For him, visual creation and intellectual reflection on art are inseparable experiences, both coexisting within him and his day-to-day life with unquestionable fluidity and naturalness.

Armando was born and raised in Macedonia, to a family that stimulated his creativity from the beginning, deliberately and unconsciously enriching and strengthening his interest in the arts and culture in thousands of ways. Perhaps for this reason it has proven to be relatively natural for Armando to create a deeply personal visual language, earning him a place on the international contemporary art market. And perhaps it is also for this that Armando studied Art History at Kingston University in London, becoming in turn a co-founder of the artistic movement Neomodernism, which lends a special relevance to the aesthetic and spiritual values present in an art work and which, guided by this philosophical and artistic vision, demands that the soul of the artwork be concentrated in the gaze.

This interview was recorded after the advice on social isolation due to Coronavirus was relaxed in the United Kingdom, and one of the more important aspects of the conversation was, without doubt, to discover just how seriously this disease had affected Armando’s health, and how his post Covid-19 work has been influenced by his illness.

The interview between Carla and Armando is full of reflections on both life and art. Between them they opened windows, dusted down deep memories and poured light onto sublime visions, something only the alchemy of good conversation can do, thanks to the miraculous properties of the spoken word. Hopefully you will feel the same and agree with these sentiments.

And now, enjoy the interview!

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Related Links
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Wikipedia | Neomodernism

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Artista Plástica | Historiador del Arte

Artistas como Armando Alemdar, representan tan bien el arquetipo del creador impostergable e impenitente que es imposible imaginarlo haciendo cualquier otra cosa en la vida que no sea lo que hace. Para él la creación pictórica y la reflexión intelectual acerca del arte son experiencias indivisibles, y ambas conviven en su interior y en su día a día con una fluidez y una naturalidad inobjetables.

Armando nació y creció en Macedonia...for further information about this interview, including links to anything mentioned by Armando, or to continue reading this text in Spanish, English or Italian, visit the Metralla Rosa website. 

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Periodista | Acróbata Aéreo | Yogi

• You can also watch this episode on Youtube where English, Italian and Spanish subtitles are available or visit the Metralla Rosa website for more details.

Efren Prieto es un comunicador social con vasta experiencia en medios, que atesora incursiones profesionales desde ángulos muy diversos de la estructura organizaciónal mediática. Pero mas allá de su solvente perfil corporativo, Efren es además un entusiasta acróbata de audaces peripecias aéreas, y un generador de contenido digital, independiente e innovador.

Cercano, cálido, generoso, pro activo y curioso, Efren se ha permitido explorar la experiencia artística sin excluir la posibilidad de crecer gerencialmente dentro del marco de las estructuras laborales tradicionales presentes en el mundo empresarial. A Efren le interesan los desafíos, quizás por ello vive en un país que no es su país, en un continente que no es su continente, y quizás por ello se lanzó hace ya un tiempo a la aventura de crear contenido informativo util desde su canal de Youtube. Desde esta plataforma Efren habla de temas que podrían ser tildados de controversiales por sus coetáneos latinoamericanos, pero que al mismo tiempo son muy bienvenidos por los jóvenes del mundo que buscan en las redes conexión y mutuo reconocimiento.

Efren se ha forjado también un espacio como presentador de tv desde las transmisiones para toda americalatina del canal de cortos, Cortos TV, para el que llevó a cabo en el año 2019 la cobertura de los famosos premios Oscar. Verlo volar por los aires como un agraciado adonis moderno de noche, y verlo tener un rol de mucha responsabilidad en una oficina de día, nos recuerda que la fuerza y la flexibilidad son valores que necesitan estar en balance continuo.

Detrás de un escritorio, delante de las cámaras, o haciendo piruetas acrobáticas por los cielos, Efren es siempre ese ser luminoso y disciplinado que jamás ha subestimado el poder de la organización. En su opinión una cualidad clave para vivir la vida sin sacrificar ninguna de sus posibilidades.

Esta entrevista la hicimos de hecho después de un viaje de importante inmersión espiritual que Efren realizó a la India para acreditarse como instructor de yoga, confirmando de este modo que siempre hay espacio para más, y que la personalidad pragmática no está necesariamente reñida con el crecimiento transpersonal y las búsquedas del alma.

¡Y ahora, disfruten la entrevista!

Enlaces relacionados
Efren Prieto: YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Wikipedia
Yoga: YouTube | Instagram
Circus: YouTube

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Art Critic | Writer | Speaker

• You can also watch this episode on Youtube where English, Italian and Spanish subtitles are available or visit the Metralla Rosa website for more details.

Being an Art Critic is a relatively recent profession, linked primarily to the worlds of journalism and written communication. For generations it has been considered almost a literary genre in itself, but thanks to the democratisation of the art market and the rise of digital communication it is no longer enough to be a prolific author in order to become an influential art critic. In our opinion, Tabish Khan is the perfect example of what it means to be an art critic today, with an important voice and dynamic presence within the media, generating information for the consumption of not only the specialised sectors but for the general public as well.

They say that curiosity kills the cat, but it is curiosity that has allowed Tabish to open up to the art world, discovering in the process an inexhaustible source of knowledge and stimulating experiences that have allowed him to not only nourish himself, but to also share them with the public. Tabish has, over the years, established himself as an efficient, accessible and effective art critic. He is a pragmatic, open and clear communicator who has, almost accidentally, become embedded within an ecosystem of exhibitions that take place within London galleries and museums and which isn’t necessarily always that inclusive.

Writer, speaker and art critic, Tabish Khan religiously shares his monthly and weekly recommendations in publications such as Londonist and FAD, while in the latter he also publishes his column ‘What’s wrong with Art?’. With his perseverance and passion for the world of contemporary and historical exhibitions, Tabish has become an important voice on the London art scene. And this is undoubtedly because he does not address the public from a Mount Olympus of the Fine Arts world: The language he uses is not overly technical or hermetic – on the contrary, his texts exude to the point, entertaining and useful information, allowing him to connect with his audience in an extremely organic and intimate way. He shares news about the most relevant art exhibitions in London, allowing the same perplexity that these exhibitions could arouse in any of his readers to be seen in his own gaze. Thanks to his constant, genuine and inexhaustible interest in both the established and emerging art scenes, Tabish’s articles are a guide and a map with which to navigate the complex and ultra prolific cultural offerings of the city to which he was born.

It is because of all this that we wanted to talk to Tabish, in order to discover the personal stories, experiences and visions behind his public persona. This episode is full of anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories, so listen to it and discover the sensible, lucid and transparent man that Carla had the pleasure of unveiling layer by layer.

And now, enjoy the interview!

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Related Links
Tabish Khan: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Publications: Londonist | FAD magazine

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