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Art Is Awesome with Emily Wilson

Art Is Awesome with Emily Wilson

By: Emily Wilson with Go-To Productions
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 Journalist Emily Wilson talks to artists about their work and finds out what drives them to create. Art Social Sciences
Episodes
  • REPLAY! Saif Azzuz - Libyan-Yurok Artist

    REPLAY! Saif Azzuz - Libyan-Yurok Artist
    Dec 23 2025

    Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.

    Today, for our end of the year REPLAY! Episode, we revisit Emily's chat with Pacifica based artist Saif Azouz, discussing his journey in art, inspiration from nature and literature, his current exhibition 'Cost of Living', and his reflections on boundaries and displacement. Saif's experience with art, his use of materials, and his perspectives on creativity and community are highlighted throughout the episode.

    About Artist Saif Azzuz :

    Saif Azzuz is a Libyan-Yurok artist who resides in Pacifica, CA. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Painting and Drawing from the California College of the Arts in 2013. Azzuz has a forthcoming solo exhibition at Blaffer Art Museum in Houston, TX in 2025 and has exhibited widely in the bay area including exhibitions at 1599dt Gallery, San Francisco, CA; Adobe Books, San Francisco, CA; Anthony Meier Fine Arts, San Francisco, CA; Galerie Julien Cadet, Paris, FR; ICA SF, San Francisco, CA; Pt.2 Gallery, Oakland, CA; Ever Gold [Projects], San Francisco, CA; NIAD, Oakland, CA; Rule Gallery, Denver, CO; Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, New York, NY; Jack Barrett, New York, NY and K Art, Buffalo, NY. Azzuz is a 2022 SFMOMA SECA Award finalist and has participated in the Clarion Alley Mural Project and the Facebook Artist in Residence program.

    Selected public collections include de Young Museum - Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; Facebook, Menlo Park, CA; Gochman Family Collection, NY; KADIST, San Francisco, CA; North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC; Rennie Museum, Vancouver, Canada; Stanford Health Care Art Collection, Menlo Park, CA; UBS Art Collection, New York, NY; and University of St. Thomas, Saint Paul, MN.

    Learn more about Saif, CLICK HERE.

    Follow on Instagram: @SaifAzzuz

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    About Podcast Host Emily Wilson:

    Emily a writer in San Francisco, with work in outlets including Hyperallergic, Artforum, 48 Hills, the Daily Beast, California Magazine, Latino USA, and Women’s Media Center. She often writes about the arts. For years, she taught adults getting their high school diplomas at City College of San Francisco.

    Follow Emily on Instagram: @PureEWil

    Follow Art Is Awesome on Instagram: @ArtIsAwesome_Podcast

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    CREDITS:

    Art Is Awesome is Hosted, Created & Executive Produced by Emily Wilson.

    Theme Music "Loopster" Courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
    Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    The Podcast is Co-Produced, Developed & Edited by Charlene Goto of @GoToProductions.

    For more info, visit Go-ToProductions.com


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    16 mins
  • Kathy Aoki - Conceptual Artist

    Kathy Aoki - Conceptual Artist
    Dec 9 2025

    Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.

    In this episode, Emily interviews artist Kathy Aoki, known for her witty, satirical works that blend pop culture, gender commentary, and fictional narratives. Kathy discusses her “Koons Ruins” project, her creative process, and the inspiration behind her art, including playful takes on celebrity culture and the art world. Tune in for a fascinating conversation about imagination, humor, and the power of storytelling in contemporary art.

    About Artist Kathy Aoki:

    Kathy Aoki is a multi-disciplinary visual artist who uses satire to critique the absurd value systems that dominate gender, pop culture, and politics. Her printmaking work can be found in major collections across the U.S. including the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.She received fellowships at MacDowell (NH), the Headlands Center for the Arts (CA), and Frans Masereel Centrum (Belgium) and other venues. Aoki has completed commissions for the San Francisco Arts Commission, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Museum, and the San Jose Museum of Art. Her studio is located in the San Francisco Bay Area where she is a Professor of Studio Art at Santa Clara University.

    Visit Kathy's Website: KAoki.com

    Follow Kathy on Instagram: @KathyAokiArtist

    For more info about Kathy's exhibit Koons Ruins CLICK HERE.

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    About Podcast Host Emily Wilson:

    Emily a writer in San Francisco, with work in outlets including Hyperallergic, Artforum, 48 Hills, the Daily Beast, California Magazine, Latino USA, and Women’s Media Center. She often writes about the arts. For years, she taught adults getting their high school diplomas at City College of San Francisco.

    Follow Emily on Instagram: @PureEWil

    Follow Art Is Awesome on Instagram: @ArtIsAwesome_Podcast

    --

    CREDITS:

    Art Is Awesome is Hosted, Created & Executive Produced by Emily Wilson.

    Theme Music "Loopster" Courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
    Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

    The Podcast is Co-Produced, Developed & Edited by Charlene Goto of @GoToProductions.

    For more info, visit Go-ToProductions.com


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    20 mins
  • Jamil Hellu - Photographer & Visual Artist

    Jamil Hellu - Photographer & Visual Artist
    Nov 25 2025
    Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area. In this Episode, Emily interviews artist Jamil Hellu. Jamil shares his multicultural background—Brazilian, Syrian, Paraguayan, American, and queer—and discusses how these identities inform his work. The conversation explores his journey from Brazil to the U.S., his evolution as an artist, and his teaching at Stanford.Jamil talks about his latest exhibition, "In the Studio," at Rebecca Camacho Presents in San Francisco, which delves into identity, transformation, and the use of vibrant color and materials in self-portraiture. He reflects on his creative process, the influence of queer culture, and the importance of community in the Bay Area.The episode also features Jamil’s thoughts on representation, the impact of artists like Claude Cahun, and the significance of residencies in his artistic development. Tune in for an inspiring discussion about art, identity, and the power of self-expression.About Artist Jamil Hellu:Jamil Hellu is a visual artist based in the San Francisco Bay Area, who creates personal and politically charged projects to expand the discourse on identity representation. Through an interdisciplinary studio practice rooted in photography, his work is a dynamic exploration of queerness, community, and cultural heritage.Born in Brazil and of Middle Eastern descent, Hellu's diverse ethnic background informs his practice and research, offering a critical lens through which to examine issues of race, discrimination, and belonging. In today’s political climate, where LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, and racial justice remain central to social struggles, Hellu’s projects invite viewers to consider the ways we construct, perceive, and validate identities.Through a vibrant visual vocabulary, he repeatedly engages in self-portraiture, activating conversations around visibility, cultural lineage, and the evolving nature of self-representation. His work contributes to ongoing discussions about who gets to be seen and who doesn’t and the power of visual storytelling as a form of resistance.Hellu earned his MFA in Art Practice from Stanford University and has exhibited widely. His work has been discussed in publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, Artforum, and VICE. His projects have been supported by grants and residencies such as the Fleishhacker Foundation, the San Francisco Arts Commission, and the Headlands Center for the Arts. An active participant in the San Francisco Bay Area arts community, Hellu serves as an Advisory Board member for Recology’s Artist-in-Residence Program and represents local artists in the Board of Directors of SF Camerawork. He is a Photography Lecturer in the Department of Art & Art History at Stanford University. Visit Jamil's Website: JamilHellu.netFollow Jamil on Instagram: @Jamil.HelluFor more about Jamil's exhibit "In The Studio" at Rebecca Camacho Presents CLICK HERE. --About Podcast Host Emily Wilson:Emily a writer in San Francisco, with work in outlets including Hyperallergic, Artforum, 48 Hills, the Daily Beast, California Magazine, Latino USA, and Women’s Media Center. She often writes about the arts. For years, she taught adults getting their high school diplomas at City College of San Francisco.Follow Emily on Instagram: @PureEWilFollow Art Is Awesome on Instagram: @ArtIsAwesome_Podcast--CREDITS:Art Is Awesome is Hosted, Created & Executive Produced by Emily Wilson. Theme Music "Loopster" Courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 LicenseThe Podcast is Co-Produced, Developed & Edited by Charlene Goto of @GoToProductions. For more info, visit Go-ToProductions.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    15 mins
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