Five interviews with artists you need to watch

Learning from artists, part one

Over six years ago, I started collecting video interviews with artists. From photographers, to painters, fashion designers, musicians,… I believe we can all learn something from everyone. Without further ado, here are five of my favorite interviews, I have come across ever since.

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This one’s a deeply grounding talk from Belgian designer and curator Axel Vervoordt, where he explores the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi. In short, wabi sabei is about finding beauty in imperfection, simplicity, and the natural flow of time. He shares how this mindset shapes his art, spaces, and life philosophy: embracing impermanence, valuing raw honesty over polish, and cultivating a serene, soulful environment. The key takeaway? True elegance comes from authenticity and accepting the imperfect—inviting us to slow down, appreciate the now, and find depth in simplicity. It's a gentle reminder that less can indeed be more.

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This Sterling Ruby interview from 2016 is a raw and honest reflection on his journey from disillusionment and depression in his early years to creative self-discovery through art. He shares how growing up in a rough environment and working blue-collar jobs shaped his worldview, and how discovering Bruce Nauman’s work cracked open a new language for processing his inner life. The key takeaway is this: creativity isn’t always polished, it can be born from restlessness, repetition, even pain. And it doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s path to be real.

There’s beauty in just making something, over and over again, until it begins to speak.

Simply beautiful.

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Watching Rick Owens respond to questions from fellow creatives is like listening to someone who’s spent a lifetime dismantling convention. Both in fashion and in life. He doesn’t separate work from living because to him, his life is the work. From designing dystopian boots to baking vegan versions of his mother’s persimmon cookies, everything is personal, everything has story.

He speaks with honesty about being shaped by queerness, sobriety, rebellion, and beauty—especially the kind of beauty that doesn’t fit within traditional molds. He embraces the discomfort, celebrates eccentricity, and reminds us that being different isn’t just okay, it’s essential. There’s wisdom in his contradictions: a self-proclaimed “sloppy sugar slut” who also finds clarity in solitude, discipline in chaos, and dignity in subversion.

The one big twakeaway? Live artfully. Don’t apologize for being extreme. And if you’re gonna wear sequins to brunch, make it count.

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I quite like David Shrigley. I think he’s a genius. Here, in this video, he offers a reflective, humble, and humorous insight into his life and mind. He talks about his creative process, the unexpected path of becoming a professional artist, and the evolving relationship with his parents, who once didn’t understand art as a career, but now proudly collect clippings about him. Shrigley never takes himself too seriously, admitting he doesn’t always know what his work means, and finds joy in the cathartic act of creating.

You don’t need to wait for inspiration to make meaningful work. You need to just show up, do the work, and let the meaning emerge along the way.

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Last but not least, an interview with one of my all-time favorite film makers: