Seen

In this episode, Kofi Perry, the 2023 Ingram Prize-winning painter, chats with Carrie Scott.

Kofi's large-scale oil paintings challenge everything you think you know about classical art and contemporary identity. In this revealing conversation, Carrie Scott explores how this emerging artist bridges ancient artistic traditions with futuristic visions, creating imagined figures that feel both timeless and urgently contemporary.

Kofi Perry (b. 1998, Sidon) is an American contemporary painter based in New York City and London.

From Carrie: "Kofi’s paintings are a vibrant exploration of cultural identity and social issues. When we spoke, he explained how he blends abstraction and realism in his work. His pieces are colorful, intricate painting that challenges you to think about race, history, and power. His art is a bold and thought-provoking journey through identity and social commentary."

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Seen podcast. Liked what you heard? Get early access to these episodes and a ton of other great art content by becoming a member of Seen at seen.art (⁠⁠https://seen.art⁠⁠).

Join our free newsletter and become an art insider:⁠⁠ https://mailchi.mp/seen/waitlist

If you want to connect with us between episodes, follow us on Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/watchseenart⁠⁠).

In this episode, Carrie Scott joins painter Jeffrey Melo in his New York studio.

From Carrie: "Jeffrey's commitment to representation, particularly of Black people, is unwavering. To appreciate his work fully, it's essential to view it through the lens of Thelma Golden's "post-black" concept from the late 1990s. This vision embraces a nuanced understanding of Blackness—one that celebrates complexity, multiplicity, and individuality. It rejects monolithic identities in favor of a fluid, dynamic Black culture, filled with diverse voices and perspectives.

Jeffery Melo embodies this "post-black" paradigm. His art transcends traditional boundaries, exploring intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and class. With each brushstroke, he challenges stereotypes and celebrates the richness of Black culture, illuminating stories often left in the shadows."

Jeffrey is an artist whose paintings, sculptures, and murals reflect history, music, art/culture, and looks to celebrate, mourn, and bring light to the untold stories of characters in history. He uses portraits to illustrate a realness and an ability to emotionally connect with the stories one would otherwise not be as familiar with. His practice of oil paintings provides you a window into a world that could very well be your own, allowing you, the audience, to empathize with the work and the story it tells. Melo’s aim is to provide the audience with the tools to get curious, inquisitive, and accountable when considering very familiar stories being presented through unfamiliar characters. 

Jeffrey Melo was born in the Bronx, NY and currently resides in NYC. Melo received a BFA in Illustration from the University Of The Arts in Philadelphia.  After graduating in 2012 and moving back to New York, Melo found himself out of love and out of practice with art, which lasted through 2018. As a First Generation American of immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic, Melo was always  reminded of his identity. It wasn’t until he went to college that he discovered that who he was perceived very differently amongst his peers. His passion was reignited after a sudden shift in the climate of race and equality in America. This need to have his voice heard inspired Melo and brought purpose back into his Art. 

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Seen podcast. Liked what you heard? Get early access to these episodes and a ton of other great art content by becoming a member of Seen at seen.art (⁠⁠https://seen.art⁠⁠).

Join our free newsletter and become an art insider:⁠⁠ https://mailchi.mp/seen/waitlist

If you want to connect with us between episodes, follow us on Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/watchseenart⁠⁠).

In this episode, photographer Maryam Eisler, joins Carrie Scott to discuss the profound connection between beauty, nature, and artistic expression. Maryam shares her philosophical approach to photography, revealing how she elevates both women and nature to pedestals of admiration, creating visual narratives that transcend mere aesthetics.

Throughout our conversation, Maryam discusses how specific locations become sacred spaces for creative expression, drawing parallels with artistic legends like Georgia O'Keeffe. She offers intimate insights into her process, describing photography as her form of meditation—her "Xanax"—and explains why beauty serves as both an anchor and inspiration in our rapidly changing world.

From her project "West-West" that bridges stunning visuals with explorations of societal division, to her deep connection with Magritte's "Empire of Light," this interview demonstrates why Maryam believes beauty isn't just decoration—it's a gateway to deeper understanding and spiritual connection in uncertain times.

Maryam Eisler is an internationally acclaimed photographer, art patron, and author whose work has been exhibited in major galleries and institutions worldwide. Known for her striking images that celebrate the feminine form in harmony with natural landscapes, Eisler's photographic vision blends fine art aesthetics with profound philosophical underpinnings.

A passionate advocate for the arts, Eisler has served on the boards of numerous cultural institutions including the Tate Modern and the Whitechapel Gallery. Her published works include books on contemporary art and photography, with collaborations featuring some of the world's most influential artists and creatives.

Eisler holds degrees from Wellesley College and Columbia University. Her distinctive artistic approach—photographing both women and nature "from below" with equal reverence—has established her as a unique voice in contemporary photography, one that celebrates beauty as essential rather than superficial in our modern world.

From Carrie: Maryam Eisler is a woman who I've known for for ten years and admired and enjoyed her patronage of the arts, her ability to create beautiful photographs, her generosity, everything, right? But I didn't know until this moment that what she's really seeking is to kind of help us all look at beauty and feel awe. And that's it, whether it's in her own work or through her own work, or through looking at and celebrating other artists. And this makes her extraordinary. This makes her just epic and awesome. And hopefully, you'll know exactly what I mean when you watch our conversation, but also when you look at her work.

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Seen podcast. Liked what you heard? Get early access to these episodes and a ton of other great art content by becoming a member of Seen at seen.art (⁠https://seen.art⁠).

Join our free newsletter and become an art insider:⁠ https://mailchi.mp/seen/waitlist

If you want to connect with us between episodes, follow us on Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/watchseenart⁠).

In this episode of the Have You Seen? series, Carrie Scott chats with Spring Break Jake (aka Jake Kenobi), a self-taught painter & mixed media artist born & raised in Minneapolis, MN, currently based in Bend, OR. Jake uses the inevitability of death as motivation to explore the inner oceans of mental health. By creating darkly tropical work that focuses on vulnerability, he illuminates the unseen parts of ourselves while encouraging an acceptance of both the good & the bad, the light & the dark.

From the adherence of found materials to the sculptural effect of thickened acrylic paint, his painting’s themes are reflected in his unique illustrative technique on top of textured layers of gestural abstraction; a physical representation of our often tumultuous minds.

Through the repeated symbolism of death on holiday, Jake’s art ultimately recognizes that while no one gets out of this life alive, we can all find paradise along the way.

From Carrie:

"Otherwise known as Jake Kenobi, his work is raw, emotional, entirely his own. With a background in graphic design and roots in the snowboard industry, he's carved out a practice that feels different. He's blending branding, chaos, emotion, and big topics like insomnia and mental health all into a kind of palatable aesthetic. I got to meet him because he booked a one-to-one consult with me and I was so interested in his work and his practice and excited by the aesthetic that I asked him to do an interview together because I wanted you all to see his work. He's open and honest and the furthest thing from spring break. Each piece feels like a diary entry, layered, textured, emotional, vulnerable. I loved this conversation with him. I love where he's going with the work. I'm excited to follow this guy's career and see what's next. Jake's work ultimately captures the space, the liminal space between paradise and darkness. And I loved talking to him. And I think that you'll enjoy hearing from him, too.

Explore Jake's work: https://springbreakjake.com/

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Seen podcast. Liked what you heard? Get early access to these episodes and a ton of other great art content, by becoming a member of Seen at https://seen.art.

Connect with us between episodes on Instagram, @watchseenart - https://www.instagram.com/watchseenart

Join our free newsletter and become an art insider: https://mailchi.mp/seen/waitlist

About the Have You Seen? series:

The ⁠Have You Seen? Series⁠ is all about talking to emerging and mid-career artists about their journey to now.

Curious about how an artist got to where they are or indeed why they chose art in the first place? Then this series is for you. Join us as we speak to emerging and mid-career artists across the globe. Don’t worry, there’s no hiding behind art speak here, or pretending that being an artist is a bowl of cherries. We’re here to hear it all, straight from the source.

In this episode, Misan Harriman, photographer, social activist and Oscar Nominated filmmaker joins Carrie Scott to reflect upon his extraordinary journey, from picking up a camera just seven years ago to becoming one of the most important visual chroniclers of our time. Misan shares how his work documenting the George Floyd protests and global civil rights movements has evolved into a form of resistance, activism, and art. He speaks candidly about imposter syndrome, grief, hope, and the power of photography to bridge divides, challenge systems, and create lasting change. With stories spanning from London to Nigeria, from Grenfell to Palestine, Misan prepares for his first major solo show, "The Purpose of Light" at Hope 93 Gallery in London and opens up about the responsibility he feels to his subjects, to art, and to the world his daughters will inherit.

Misan is one of the most widely-shared visual storytellers of this age. He is also the first black person in the 104 year history of British Vogue to shoot the cover of its September issue. In July 2021 he commenced his appointment as Chair of the Southbank Centre, London.

His strong reportage style and unique eye for narrative has captured the attention of editors and celebrities around the world. From documenting historic moments in history to photographing high profile celebrities, Misan is a photographer of extraordinary range. His striking images have featured in Vanity Fair, Vogue UK, Harpers Bazaar, People Magazine and The Telegraph among others.

Nigeria born, Misan was educated in England where he developed a life-long love for the arts. This led him to picking up a camera and honing his craft. He is completely self-taught, his work is inspired by Gordon Parks, Sally Mann, Eve Arnold, Bruce Davidson, Norman Parkinson and Peter Lindbergh.

From Carrie: I first met Misan Harriman at a party and he took my picture and I thought it was great. Within a year, he was shooting the most important images that came out of the George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter protests and has spent the last five years documenting every civil rights movement, every single protest that's happened, not only here in the UK, but abroad. So it should have come as no surprise to me that sitting with him was going to be a thing, and it was. Misan himself has as much presence as his work does. He knows what he's trying to do, he knows the message that he's trying to capture, and he's doing it perfectly. I mean that, and I know it sounds gushy, but he is. And he's about to have a show at Hope 93, where he will show for the very first time the bulk of this work, the last five years. And I think it's going to be epic.

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Seen podcast. Liked what you heard? Get early access to these episodes and a ton of other great art content by becoming a member of Seen at seen.art (https://seen.art).

Join our free newsletter and become an art insider: https://bit.ly/Seen-Newsletter-Signup

If you want to connect with us between episodes, follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watchseenart).

In this episode of the Have You Seen? series, Carrie Scott chats with Violeta Sofia, a Violeta Sofia is an award winning artist, photographer and activist. As a fine artist and portrait photographer, Violeta has made significant strides in the art world. Her work has been exhibited at prestigious institutions such as the National Portrait Gallery and Christie's, showcasing her ability to blend creativity with a powerful narrative. Additionally, she has graced the covers of renowned publications like Elle Italia, Deadline Hollywood, and The Telegraph, cementing her status as a prominent figure in the industry.

Today, Violeta's work transcends mere portraiture; it serves as a powerful tool for storytelling and self-expression. Through her lens, she seeks to bridge divides and celebrate the beauty of human diversity. Whether she's capturing the vulnerability of a celebrity or the authenticity in her fine art photography, Violeta Sofia continues to inspire and challenge perceptions through her art and activism.

From Carrie:

"Have you seen Violeta Sofia's work? This is not just your ordinary fashion photographer or portrait photographer or celebrity photographer. Sure, that's something that she does. But her personal work, her fine art, my god, it's amazing. She incorporates natural elements like leaves and flowers into her art and she blends all these with much media, mixed media, and the result is this like rich tactile composition that really celebrates natural beauty, complexity. She is really telling a story about self and wanting to be seen. I think this photographer is so engaging and we're in for something super special."

Explore Violeta's work: https://www.violetasofia.com/

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Seen podcast. Liked what you heard? Get early access to these episodes and a ton of other great art content, by becoming a member of Seen at https://seen.art.

Connect with us between episodes on Instagram, @watchseenart - https://www.instagram.com/watchseenart

Join our free newsletter and become an art insider: https://mailchi.mp/seen/waitlist

About the Have You Seen? series:

The ⁠Have You Seen? Series⁠ is all about talking to emerging and mid-career artists about their journey to now.

Curious about how an artist got to where they are or indeed why they chose art in the first place? Then this series is for you. Join us as we speak to emerging and mid-career artists across the globe. Don’t worry, there’s no hiding behind art speak here, or pretending that being an artist is a bowl of cherries. We’re here to hear it all, straight from the source.

In this episode, Mickalene Thomas, Brooklyn-based contemporary African-American visual artist, sits down with Carrie Scott for a conversation recorded live at her retrospective exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in London. Thomas shares her remarkable transformation from aspiring lawyer to groundbreaking artist and reflects on the profound impact art has had on her life's trajectory. With raw honesty, she reveals how Buddhist philosophy and unwavering faith have guided her successful career path outside traditional gallery structures. Thomas offers powerful insights on maintaining creative integrity, finding balance amidst chaos, and the vital importance of kindness in both personal relationships and broader society. Whether you're an artist, collector, or simply curious about the creative process, Thomas's wisdom on keeping an open heart while navigating life's complexities will leave you inspired and contemplative. Don't miss this intimate conversation with one of contemporary art's most influential voices.

From Carrie: We're at the Hayward Gallery the day after Mickalene Thomas' retrospective opened. Last night it was like standing room only, wall -to -wall people celebrating thismoment because it's all happening and the show is open now so it's alive. She's had this touring retrospective. It opened at the Broad in LA. It then went to Philly. It's now here in London and it feels like the crescendo of 20 years of work. And I don't know what we're gonna get because we've got like a live audience who weren't invited to this particular conversation, but I'm excited to just take the temperature for her and see where she's at and how she feels about the giant stageshe's finally on.'

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Seen podcast. Liked what you heard? Get early access to these episodes and a ton of other great art content by becoming a member of Seen at seen.art (https://seen.art) . If you want to connect with us between episodes, follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watchseenart).

Join our free newsletter and become an art insider: https://bit.ly/Seen-Newsletter-Signup

About the Seeing Series

The Seeing Series gets to the heart of what makes an artist tick. By always searching for the motivating truth behind an artist’s practice, we give viewers insider access to some of the most exciting artists in the world, all in a down-to-earth, honest way. From established artists like Rashid Johnson and Mickalene Thomas to emerging stars like Simonette Quamina, we speak to the good and the great of the artworld, ultimately creating an accurate portrait of how creatives survive, flourish and function today.

Join our free newsletter and become an art insider: https://bit.ly/Seen-Newsletter-Signup

In this episode of the Seeing series, Carrie chats with  award-winning filmmaker and multi-media artist, Charlotte Colbert. Her work has strong philosophical undertones and often questions narrative, time, identity, dreams and the unconscious. The surreal and fantastical become a way to look at our world afresh and find the space to question and reimagine.

From Carrie: "Sometimes the hardest interviews to do are with artists who you really respect or whose work really, really resonates and this is the case with Charlotte Colbert. I'm worried that this interview isn't the best one I've ever done and here's why. I have got this major, major respect for this woman and her work breaks me. I have no other words for it. It's emotional, it's emotive. It's all about the feminine sublime. It's all about the feminine and sirens and women and I want it. So sitting with her was hard. Sitting with her was hard. I had to try and play it cool, not very good at that and tried not to completely geek out on all the feminist stuff because I don't want to alienate an audience that should know her work and appreciate it. This woman is light and love with so much urgency and pain and passion. She's just awesome.

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Seen podcast. Liked what you heard? Get early access to these episodes and a ton of other great art content by becoming a member of Seen at seen.art (https://seen.art) . If you want to connect with us between episodes, follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watchseenart).

About the Seeing Series

The Seeing Series gets to the heart of what makes an artist tick. By always searching for the motivating truth behind an artist’s practice, we give viewers insider access to some of the most exciting artists in the world, all in a down-to-earth, honest way. From established artists like Rashid Johnson and Mickalene Thomas to emerging stars like Simonette Quamina, we speak to the good and the great of the artworld, ultimately creating an accurate portrait of how creatives survive, flourish and function today.

Join our free newsletter and become an art insider: https://mailchi.mp/seen/waitlist

In this episode of the Have You Seen? series, Carrie chats with Susan Chen, a New York based artist exploring community portraiture, autobiographical self-portraits, and conceptual still lifes. She has collaborated with over a hundred different individuals in the studio from diverse backgrounds — many of whom are members of the Asian diaspora and beyond. Her paintings explore themes of race, community, belonging, prejudice, identity, family, longing, love, and loss.  Deeply curious about her sitters’ experiences, she continues to discover painting’s magical ability to survey communities and is driven by the political potential of figurative painting to inspire social change.

From Carrie:

"Have you seen Susan Chen's work? It's vibrant. And oh,so political. And I was expecting, wrongly so, this like super loud, heavy -hitting personality to be as bold as her work is. And she's just not. This is an artist who leaves every bit of her emotion and every bit of her political hopes and dreams and agendas in her work. And I think that that is extraordinary.Her pieces are like vibrant patchworks of different individuals, different portraits. They are a powerful statement on unity and the importance of every unique story and completely tied up in women's rights. It's remarkable.And our conversation was awesome and is all about not just reading a book by its cover.

Explore Susan's work: https://susanmbchen.com/

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Seen podcast. Liked what you heard? Get early access to these episodes and a ton of other great art content, by becoming a member of Seen at https://seen.art.

Connect with us between episodes on Instagram, @watchseenart - https://www.instagram.com/watchseenart

About the Have You Seen? series:

The ⁠Have You Seen? Series⁠ is all about talking to emerging and mid-career artists about their journey to now.

Curious about how an artist got to where they are or indeed why they chose art in the first place? Then this series is for you. Join us as we speak to emerging and mid-career artists across the globe. Don’t worry, there’s no hiding behind art speak here, or pretending that being an artist is a bowl of cherries. We’re here to hear it all, straight from the source.

In this episode, conceptual artist and contempoary art world megastar Ryan Gander chats with Carrie Scott and In this intimate conversation with contemporary art world megastar Ryan Gander, we skip the usual exhibition promotion to explore the deeper "why" behind artistic creation. Gander shares personal insights about making art accessible without being elitist and reflects on how art intersects with our perception of time and memory. Rather than explaining his work, he invites us into a philosophical discussion about attention spans in our distracted world, the value of challenging art versus easy entertainment, and how imagination might help us control our experience of time. This episode offers a rare glimpse into the mind of an artist grappling with existential questions that extend far beyond the gallery walls.

From Carrie: "Ryan Gander has a giant opening coming up at the Pola Museum in Japan and so we came to the studio today to talk to him about the show and everything he's got going on and guess what? We didn't talk about it at all and that's totally fine because there are hundreds of great interviews that Ryan has given that explain his practice and talk about his work because this man is a megastar in the contemporary art world. What we did today was kind of talk more personally about the point of art and why he does what he does, but also, like, what we're getting wrong. We got into, like, the deep big stuff that really bends my mind and,like, keeps me up at night and I think keeps him up at night and really got to the heart of why any of us do what we do. It was a great conversation and yet again, this is the third time I've got to interview him. I've walked away beinglike, 'Oh, that's the point. That's the point of all of this.' It's epic."

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Seen podcast. Liked what you heard? Get early access to these episodes and a ton of other great art content by becoming a member of Seen at seen.art (https://seen.art) . If you want to connect with us between episodes, follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watchseenart).

Join our free newsletter and become an art insider: https://mailchi.mp/seen/waitlist

About the Seeing Series

The Seeing Series gets to the heart of what makes an artist tick. By always searching for the motivating truth behind an artist’s practice, we give viewers insider access to some of the most exciting artists in the world, all in a down-to-earth, honest way. From established artists like Rashid Johnson to emerging stars like Simonette Quamina, we speak to the good and the great of the artworld, ultimately creating an accurate portrait of how creatives survive, flourish and function today.