Reclaiming Representation Podcast

Meet musician and poet, Josh Nhkata.

They blend poetic lyrics with folk-inspired music that he shares to over 200k followers on Tiktok. We talk about how the online platforms artists use influence their craft and how poetry is a powerful tool in the fight against oppression.

This episode’s transcript and references are available on our website.

More Josh:
Tiktok | Instagram | Spotify | Apple Music

Episode Guide:
01:32 Meet Josh
03:39 Poetry
06:32 Music
07:54 Being an artist
10:00 Making poetry accessible
12:58 Where he’s now
15:57 On Tiktok
19:10 Current projects
20:42 On College
22:35 Intended audience
27:15 On platforms and feedback
28:28 As an artist
30:09 What’s next?
31:13 Influences
34:05 Art as rest and resistance
41:15 Art and capitalism
42:27 Impact of the pandemic
43:26 Artist Community
46:43 Art subverting systemic oppression
50:50 Suppression
54:03 Find and support Josh’s work

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⚠ CW: This episode discusses childhood sexual abuse and PTSD.

Meet musician and visual artist, Casper.

Her songs, illustrations, and paintings are a representation of her deconstruction from Christianity and progressive healing from childhood trauma. We also discuss her performance at SXSW, her song ‘small’, and how being in survival mode has been a barrier to making art.

This episode’s transcript and references are available on our website.

More Casper:
Spotify | Big Cartel | Instagram

Episode Guide:
00:47 Meet Casper
03:53 Identity and representation
07:06 About her art
07:52 About the mediums used
09:13 Current projects
09:52 On healing
10:25 South by Southwest experience
14:13 Intended audience
16:20 Talking about childhood sexual abuse
19:10 On deconstructing Christianity
25:28 Intended message
25:50 Being on social media
29:04 Why are you called Casper?
32:11 small
36:50 Feeling like an artist
39:13 Moving to San Antonio
40:30 On being the youngest Mexican daughter
43:11 Whose art do you like?
44:10 What’s next?
45:22 Benefits of being an artist
48:07 Professional impact of the pandemic
48:59 Financially supporting yourself
50:27 Art subverting systems of oppression
51:34 Find and support Casper’s work

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Meet writer and director, Liann Kaye.

Her narratives approach the difficult subjects of race, culture, and interracial relationships with a comedic, heartwarming tone. We discuss The Blessing (her new web series now available on YouTube), her unconventional path to directing, and compassionately giving yourself permission to make art.

This episode’s transcript and referencesare available on our website.

Even More Liann Kaye:
The Blessing | Website | TikTok | Instagram

Host, Producer, Audio/Video Editor | Carina HiscockCo-Producer | Hailey WangMusic | Wish

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Meet storyteller and visual artist, Sarah Fox.

Their multimedia stories and characters evoke fantasy and discomfort while exploring different facets of the embodied female experience. We discuss the censorship of her most recent work by the McNay Art Museum, her community’s response to it, and the ways motherhood has influenced her art and career.

This episode’s transcript and references are available on our website.

Even More Sarah Fox:
Website | Instagram

Meet visual artist and storyteller, Sarah Fox. (00:59)
What is your art like? What mediums do you work with? (02:20)
What do you want your work to say? What subject matter have you covered? (03:39)
How do you use images of animals to express the experience of being in a woman’s body? (04:44)
What is your relationship with your own body like in terms of grotesqueness? How did art impact that relationship? (08:27)
Do you think of yourself as disabled? (11:16)
Some of your art is related to your infertility. Do you want to talk about that at all? (13:42)
What are you currently working on? (15:03)
Where can people see your censored puppet show? (23:15)
Who do you make work for? (24:21)
What messages or feelings do you hope your work inspires? (25:32)
What is it like to have a child in Texas right now? (29:20)
When did you start to see yourself as an artist? (34:08)
Being the child of an artist, how do you think of your child’s relationship to art? (37:05)
Where do you see yourself with your art in the future? How has this situation with the McNay changed that? (40:14)
Do you feel like you’re a successful artist? Do you think others see you as successful? (43:08)
What has your experience been as a mother going on artist residencies? (44:41)
Can you tell us a little more about your main space exhibition at Artpace? (46:36)
Do you find the career of any other artists aspirational in some way? Who and how? (47:46)
Can you speak on the ways being a single mother changes the way you approach your career? (48:48)
What is your artist community like? How do you support each other? (52:53)
What does it mean to be an artist? (54:02)
What is the cost of being an artist? (55:43)
How does art allow people to subvert systems of oppression? (01:01:29)
How can people find and support your work? (01:04:05)

Host, Producer, Audio/Video Editor | Carina HiscockCo-Producer | Hailey WangMusic | Wish

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Get to know creator and visual artist, Carina Hiscock.

Their meticulous visual art rewards the viewer for attention to detail, making simple designs with surprising found and collected materials. We chat about starting Reclaiming Representation, their continuing work with hair, and the profound role therapy has had on their development as an artist.

This episode’s transcript and references are available on our website.

Even More Carina Hiscock:
Website| Instagram

Meet creator and visual artist, Carina Hiscock. (03:33)
What mediums do you gravitate towards? (05:26)
How does social media factor into your art? (07:51)
How does your art relate to your experiences as an autistic person with masking? (09:57)
What are you currently working on? (11:02)
When did you start to see yourself as an artist? (14:10)
Why do so many artists struggle to call themselves artists before college? (16:20)
What is autistic masking? (17:10)
Which of your series or works best represents you as an artist? (18:33)
Do you consider your art to be conceptual? (23:24)
What is your art community like? (25:12)
How has capitalism impacted your connections in the art community? (29:55)
How did the pandemic change your professional life and how did you cope? (30:52)
Where do you see your art going in the future? (33:40)
What does it mean to be an artist? (35:15)
How do you financially support yourself? (38:29)
Who is your intended audience? (44:55)
What do you hope people will take away from your art? (47:00)
In what ways do you feel like art can disrupt systems of oppression? (48:34)
Do you think your art is disruptive to systems of oppression? (49:59)
How can people find and support your work? (51:22)

Host, Producer, Audio/Video Editor | Carina HiscockCo-Producer | Hailey WangMusic | Wish

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Meet installation artist and entrepreneur Barbara Miñarro.

This bi-cultural creative constructs “ecosystems” - installations that dictate the viewer’s movement and immerse them in the emotional experiences of immigration and assimilation. We discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced her artistic growth and the recent founding of her accessory brand, Breakfast Friend.

This episode’s transcript and references are available on our website.

Even More Barbara Miñarro:
Breakfast Friend | Instagram | Portfolio

In this episode, we talk to installation artist and entrepreneur Barbara Miñarro (00:36). We learn about the origins of her hand-painted purse line, Breakfast Friend (03:24), and its relationship to her installation work through the use of reclaimed or repurposed materials (05:28). Her identity as an artist came into focus during college (06:22) when she decided to major in art instead of environmental science (07:21). This interest in ecosystems, however, is still reflected in her work alongside her experiences as an immigrant (08:45).

Barbara also shares her thoughts on how the pandemic has impacted showing her installation work (20:30) and whether a digital substitute is possible (24:03). She touches on the importance of an artistic support system (17:36), documenting your work (34:53), creating a realistic schedule (37:25), and managing the emotional aspects of being an artist (39:06). We also discuss the balance between commercial success and a capitalist system (32:03) and whether art facilitates the liberation of people (45:35).

Host, Producer, Audio/ Video Editor | Carina HiscockCo-Producer | Hailey WangPartner | Unfiltered SAMusic | Wish

Reclaiming Representation | InstagramReclaiming Representation | Support Us

Thanks for Listening!

If you want to support the show and help us grow:
-Leave us a review on iTunes.
-Share the podcast with your art-loving friends.
-Make a monthly contribution (with perks!) through Patreon.
-Recommend yourself or another artist as a guest.

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Meet illustrator, printmaker, and toy designer, James Huizar.

This creative problem solver’s multidisciplinary art is rich with community and culture. We explore how his foundational experiences at Mexic-Arte Museum led him to co-found the Puro Chingón Collective, building skills to balance a full-time career with his own artwork.

This episode’s transcript and references are available on our website.

Even More James Huizar:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Portfolio | Shop

In this episode, we talk to illustrator, printmaker, and toy designer, James Huizar (01:07). We hear about his art education (03:41) and transition from college to the professional art world (06:22). We learn about his work during that transition at Austin’s Mexic-Arte Museum, and his co-founding of the Puro Chingón Collective (12:15), which helped organize events like interactive Latinx film screenings (15:29). Building community (32:09) and the resulting support systems (33:20) are central to his story. His current work (17:18) brings him to San Antonio, the DoSeum (19:35), and making zines (23:11).

James also shares his thoughts around art accessibility (13:13), COVID (18:27), and gender discrimination in art (44:20). He touches on his understanding of work ethic (30:14) and the importance of income diversification for artists (34:37). As usual, we discuss underrepresented identities in art (49:16) and the balance between commercial success and a capitalist system (37:25)(41:57).

Host, Producer, Audio/Video Editor | Carina HiscockCo-Producer | Hailey WangPartner | Unfiltered SAMusic | Wish

Reclaiming Representation | InstagramReclaiming Representation | Support Us

Thanks for Listening!

If you want to support the show and help us grow:
-Leave us a review on iTunes.
-Share the podcast with your art-loving friends.
-Make a monthly contribution (with perks!) through Patreon.
-Recommend yourself or another artist as a guest.

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Meet photojournalist and portrait photographer, Bria Woods.

This transcontinental storyteller has a talent for highlighting the value in ordinary moments. She tells us about her journey as an artist, her time at Creative Debuts in London, and her work on The Front Steps Project in Texas.

This episode’s transcript and references are available on our website.

Even More Bria Woods:
Portfolio | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Shop

Meet photographer and photojournalist, Bria Woods (00:36). Find out how she is handling COVID-19 (01:53) and what she is currently working on (04:41) She shares when she first began to see herself as an artist (05:40) and what being an artist means to her (08:51). Listen to her describe her work (11:27). She sees details in ordinary things that others miss. And discusses how that translates to her portrait photography (13:14). She also discusses how she supports herself as an artist (15:16) and what her support system looks like within the arts (17:22). I ask her what her goals are with her work (19:43) and she describes her intended audience (22:35). The big question I ask her is “What role does your work play in the liberation of people in your spheres of influence? And what does that work mean to you?” (24:07). She also talks about ways she is able to use art as a means to circumvent capitalism and discusses how she also has to work within those systems to distribute and sell her work (28:29). We discuss where we find the balance between an artist abstaining from capitalist systems and an artist supporting themselves financially (30:52). Find out how to find her work and support her (36:17). We discuss what it means to be an underrepresented artist exactly and who in contrast is represented (37:00). As well as what makes a space welcoming to underrepresented artists and how traditional art spaces be more inclusive in a meaningful way (40:14). Signoff and Credits (42:53).

Host, Co-producer, Audio and Video Editor | Carina HiscockCo-Producer | Hailey WangPartner | Unfiltered SAMusic | Wish

Reclaiming Representation | InstagramReclaiming Representation | Support Us

Thanks for Listening!

If you want to support the show and help us grow:
-Leave us a review on iTunes.
-Share the podcast with your art-loving friends.
-Make a monthly contribution (with perks!) through Patreon.
-Recommend yourself or another artist as a guest.

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Part 2 of my interview installation and performance artist, Jose Villalobos.

His arresting and sometimes graphic work explores the connections between his Mexican, American, and queer identities and the pain inherent in their intersections and contradictions. In part two, we discuss the themes of his work and the impacts of being underrepresented.

You can find the first half of this interview here.

This episode’s transcript and references are available on our website.

Even More Jose Villalobos:
Portfolio | Instagram

In the second half of this two part episode, we resume our conversation with installation and performance artist Jose Villalobos. He expands on the themes of pain (00:44), machismo (03:22), and movement (21:42) in his work. We also discuss the development of costumes for his performances (23:20) and the cultural inspirations of those designs (25:03).

We also spend time talking about the meaning of being an underrepresented artist (07:43)(17:29) and the ways he’s able to influence change (15:58)(18:41). As always, we ask how Jose financially supports himself under capitalism (32:42) and the role of art in ending oppressive systems (37:42).

Host, Producer, Audio/Video Editor | Carina Hiscock
Co-Producer | Hailey Wang
Partner | Unfiltered SA
Music | Wish

Reclaiming Representation | Instagram
Reclaiming Representation | Support Us

Thanks for Listening!

If you want to support the show and help us grow:
-Leave us a review on iTunes!
-Share this podcast with your art-loving friends.
-Make a monthly contribution (with perks!) through Patreon.
-Recommend yourself or another artist as a guest.

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Meet installation and performance artist, Jose Villalobos.

His arresting and sometimes graphic work explores the connections between his Mexican, American, and queer identities and the pain inherent in their intersections and contradictions. In part two, we discuss the themes of his work and the impacts of being underrepresented.

You can find the second part of this interview here.

This episode’s transcript and references are available on our website.

Even More Jose Villalobos:
Portfolio | Instagram

In the first half of this two part episode, we talk to installation and performance artist Jose Villalobos (00:43). We learn about how COVID restrictions have impacted his work (01:30)(08:54) and the changes he’s made to adapt (05:30), including his advice on maintaining a social media presence during the pandemic (07:31).

Jose also shares about why he is a performance artist (18:00), how he sees the relationship with his audience (20:39), and his standout experiences as a performer (27:00). We chat about how audiences respond to his work (25:00), how he came to this place in his career (30:11), and how he uses his art to process personal and systemic trauma (32:19) including challenging oppressive institutions and beliefs (39:33).

Host, Producer, Audio/Video Editor | Carina Hiscock
Co-Producer | Hailey Wang
Partner | Unfiltered SA
Music | Wish

Reclaiming Representation | Instagram
Reclaiming Representation | Support Us

Thanks for Listening!

If you want to support the show and help us grow:
-Leave us a review on iTunes!
-Share this podcast with your art-loving friends.
-Make a monthly contribution (with perks!) through Patreon.
-Recommend yourself or another artist as a guest.

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Meet contemporary artist and visual activist, Irene Antonia Diane Reece.

Drawn from personal experience and emotion, she explores themes of racial identity, family history, social injustice, and community health with photography and other mixed media including family archives, organic materials, and found objects. We discuss her graduate school experience in Paris and her strategies for building a career in art.

This episode’s transcript and references are available on our website.

Even More Irene Reece:
Portfolio| Instagram| Twitter

In this episode, we talk to contemporary artist and visual activist Irene Reece (00:42). We learn about her work, “Home-goings”, and how it’s evolved into researching and restoring a precious family archive (01:24). Her time abroad in graduate school (15:29) was rife with experiences of systemic and personal racism (22:10). To process and respond, she makes art for BIPOC communities (19:33), hoping her work can be an example to future Black and Brown artists (11:21).

Irene also shares about the impact of COVID on her work (04:17), the meaning of being an artist (08:23), and her current art community (29:42). She offers her advice to new artists (26:47), particularly on the use of social media (12:51). We also discuss the ways she works to confront white supremacy in artistic and educational institutions (35:05).

Host, Producer, Audio/ Video Editor | Carina HiscockCo-Producer | Hailey WangPartner | Unfiltered SAMusic | Wish

Reclaiming Representation | InstagramReclaiming Representation | Support Us

Thanks for Listening!

If you want to support the show and help us grow:
-Leave us a review on iTunes.
-Share the podcast with your art-loving friends.
-Make a monthly contribution (with perks!) through Patreon.
-Recommend yourself or another artist as a guest.

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Meet podcaster, painter, and weaver, Robyn Wheelock.

She created and hosts The Peak, a podcast about sex and intimacy in the era of #metoo. We discuss taking commissions during the pandemic and the ways the Black Lives Matter movement impacted her decisions as a creative.

This episode’s transcript and references are available on our website.

Even More Robyn Wheelock:
The Peak | Patreon

In this episode, we talk to podcaster, painter, and weaver, Robyn Wheelock (01:40). We learn about the origin of her podcast, The Peak (05:00), including the inspiration she found in #metoo (06:30) and how she found the courage to “just start” (21:33). She talks about the types of work she does (16:18), why she weaves (17:24), and how she became the artist she is today (22:42).

Robyn also shares about when she became an artist (11:54) and when she worried she might not be (13:15). She stresses community as key to her artistic development (28:14) and her future (31:51). We also discuss how her work resists systems of oppression (35:17).

Host, Co-producer, Audio and Video Editor | Carina HiscockCo-Producer | Hailey WangPartner | Unfiltered SAMusic | Wish

Reclaiming Representation | InstagramReclaiming Representation | Support Us

Thanks for Listening!

If you want to support the show and help us grow:
-Leave us a review on iTunes.
-Share the podcast with your art-loving friends.
-Make a monthly contribution (with perks!) through Patreon.
-Recommend yourself or another artist as a guest.

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Reclaiming Representation is an opportunity for artists, who typically don't have center stage in the art world, to talk about their journey and get a chance to reflect on their experience. It's really just an excuse for me to talk to artists who I really admire, artists who are contributing to social change, artists whose work is honest and authentic. Throughout the series, I am going to be trying to answer the question, what is the artist’s role in dismantling systems of oppression and how creatives can be more socially responsible

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