Strand, the Story of an Artist

Episode 058: Antonia B. Larkin

Kevin Kirkwood sat down with Antonia at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center in Savannah, Georgia to talk about "Adrift X Collision", the current exhibition on view at the SCAC until February 8. And they also discuss her art practice and exhibition at the Averitt Center of the Arts. 
Antonia B. Larkin (B. Germany 1990) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Savannah, GA. She works primarily in video and sculpture to explore the intersections of time, memory, and the human experience. Larkin’s work challenges conventional perceptions of time as linear, presenting existence as continuous and renewing, while emphasizing the power of rest and stillness. She often incorporates non-traditional materials like bubble wrap, and dirt to create immersive environments that invite reflection on the emotional and spiritual dimensions of being.
Larkin completed a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture from Cranbrook Academy of Art (2016). Her work has been exhibited nationally, including at Temple Contemporary in Philadelphia and Blanc Gallery in Chicago.
@kevinwillpaint
niablurkin
averittcenterforthearts.org
All episodes of The Strand are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.
 

Episode 057: Ezra Ali-Dow

Kevin Kirkwood sits down with Ezra J. Ali-Dow, an actor, arts educator, and poet currently teaching at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center. He was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, where the influence of his freedom to explore the city and its pockets of nature grew into a determination to explore the unknown. He attributes much of his artistry to his family and communities. Ezra aims to match discipline with a deep reserve of play and humor. Recently at the Cultural Arts Center, he co-curated the AdriftxCollision gallery which celebrates the synthesis of visual arts and writing.
 
@kevinwillpaint
ezradow@gmail.com
@__alidow
 
All episodes of The Strand are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon. Produced by Kevin Kirkwood
 

Episode 056: William Ruller

Kevin Kirkwood sits down with William Ruller, an artist currently living and working in Apt, France.
William was born in Gloversville NY, 1981 received a B.A. in painting and ceramics from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh in 2007. Following his undergraduate degree, Ruller moved to Oregon where he worked as a production potter and ceramics instructor. In 2014 he received his MFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Ruller has been exhibited throughout Europe and the United States in numerous group and solo exhibitions. His painting has been featured in Friend of the Artist vol. 12, Whitewall Magazine, New American Paintings Issues 111, 124, and Studio Visit Magazine Issues 20, 21, 23. His work is in private collections such as Hyatt Hotel Corporation, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Museo Riso. 
@kevinwillpaint
@williamruller
Williamruller.com
All episodes of The Strand are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.
 
 
 

Episode 055: Keeana Heredia

Kevin Kirkwood sits down with Keeana Heredia, an architectural designer based in Orlando, Florida. She thrives on exploring new ideas and techniques, always seeking fresh perspectives to bring her visions to life. An avid traveler, Keeana enjoys soaking up the architectural typologies of the places she visits, drawing inspiration from diverse styles and cultures. With strong leadership skills, she inspires those around her to push boundaries and embrace exciting projects that enhance and elevate the spaces they create. Her goal is to design environments that not only enhance functionality but also inspire those who experience them.
@kevinwillpaint
@kh_arch18
keeanaheredia.com
All episodes of The Strand are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.
 

Episode 054: Horatio Hung-Yan Law

Kevin Kirkwood sits down with Horatio Hung-Yan Law, a Portland, Oregon-based artist known for his community-centered approach to artmaking. His work is deeply place-based, reflecting his commitment to engaging with diverse communities to create collaborative installations and public artworks that explore the evolving concept of community in a globalized world.
Law’s art is deeply influenced by his Asian American identity and his experience as an immigrant. Born and raised in Hong Kong, he moved to the United States at age sixteen, a transition that informs much of his work today. Law earned his Bachelor of Arts from Johns Hopkins University and his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He further honed his craft in Florence, Italy, before completing his Master of Fine Arts at Washington University in St. Louis.
@kevinwillpaint
@horatio.law.bw.photography
@urban_studies_by_horatio_law
@horatio.law.public.art
All episodes of The Strand are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.
 

Episode 053: Micah Kassell

Micah Kassell, born and raised in Silverton, Oregon, eventually made his way to Portland to pursue a life of multifaceted creativity in music, design, and, more recently, painting and drawing. Raised by a creative father, Kassell has always sought to infuse his work with a sense of whimsy, sarcasm, and a touch of wry cynicism—often with a wink—challenging the rigid systems that rely on formula. Some of these endeavors have been successful, others less so, but none have dampened the childlike wonder that defines Kassell’s ethos.
@micahkassell
micah_kassell@comcast.net
@lvdesignandgallery
lvdesignandgallery.com
All episodes of The Strand are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.
Produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint
 

Episode 052: Marjorie Dial

Marjorie Dial is a multi-disciplinary artist whose practice includes sculpture, printmaking, and writing. She graduated from Yale where she studied history and earned an MFA from Oregon College of Art and Craft later in life. Dial’s ceramics incorporate her knowledge of history and reflect her practices of writing and research, often possessing a philosophical, narrative nature. In 2018, Dial founded an artist residency in North Carolina called Township10 which offers artists, writers, and art professionals an intimate, private retreat to deepen their creative practice. She is part of a lineage of women who have built a space for artists.
 
@marjoriedial
@pdxcontemporaryart
@Township10
 
www.marjoriedial.com
pdxcontemporaryart.com
www.township10.org 
 
All episodes of The Strand are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.
Produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint
Image courtesy of Dial
 
 

Episode 051:Jeremy Okai Davis

Jeremy Okai Davis (b. Charlotte, NC) received a BFA in painting from the University of North Carolina in Charlotte, NC. Davis relocated to Portland, OR in 2007 where he has continued his studio practice in addition to working as a graphic designer and illustrator. His work has been shown nationally at the Studio Museum of Harlem (New York, NY), THIS Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA), Wa Na Wari (Seattle, WA), and The Rotating Art Program at Portland International Airport (Portland, OR). Davis's work resides in the Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center at Oregon State University and the University of Oregon's permanent collection. Elizabeth Leach Gallery began representing Jeremy Okai Davis in 2019. 
@jeremyokaiart
@elizabethleachgallery
jeremyokai@gmail.com
www.elizabethleach.com
 
All episodes of The Strand are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.
Produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint
Image courtesy of Davis
 

Episode 050: Alex Hirsch

Alex Hirsch has made architectural art glass since 2004 and painting since college. She specializes in site-specific, painterly glass and works on paper for exhibition.
Her glass commissions are owned by the City of Portland; schools such as Auburn High School and Sunrise Elementary; medical centers including Valley Children’s Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital; and universities like Oregon State University and Southern Oregon University.
She has exhibited her paintings in commercial, educational, and non-profit galleries in Oregon, New York, Kentucky, New Mexico, Illinois, and California. The work is in residential and corporate collections across the USA.
After educating for 18 years, she now works as a studio consultant with creatives who are looking for encouragement and perspective.
In 2025, she will install huge chapel windows for her first international client. 
Ahirsch@AlexHirschArt.com
www.AlexHirschArt.com
Instagram: @AlexHirschArtist @studio_consultant_
All episodes of The Strand are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.
Produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint
Image courtesy of Hirsch
 

Episode 049: Sara Sjol

Sara Sjol (b. Omaha, NE) takes her love of line and color and weaves them together in a vibrant and visual manner that carries through her paper and mixed-media works.In her early years, Sjol’s creativity focused mainly on graphic design and photography. It wasn’t until 2010, when she developed a chronic illness that her visual art began pouring out. Since then, Sjol has created an engaging series of works in which she expresses herself and the world around her.
Sjol’s work is held in collections across the country and has been featured on magazine covers and at Portland International Airport. She is represented by the Rental Sales Gallery at the Portland Art Museum.
www.sarasjol.com
@sarasjol_artist
https://www.pdxstreetart.org 
@portlandstreetartalliance
 
All episodes of The Strand are available at www.kevinwillpaint.com/strand and on all major podcast platforms. Including Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.
Produced by Kevin Kirkwood @kevinwillpaint
Image courtesy of Sjol