Artist Decoded by Yoshino

After studying filmmaking with Leslie Thornton at Brown University, and French New Wave director Eric Rohmer at The University of Paris-Michelet, Sam Levy began his professional career as an apprentice to cinematographer Harris Savides.

Sam first gained recognition as a cinematographer in his own right when he photographed Wendy and Lucy for director Kelly Reichardt - voted one of the “Best 25 Films of the 21st Century” by The New York Times.

Sam went on to shoot three films for director Noah Baumbach: Frances Ha, Mistress America, and While We’re Young.

Sam’s recent films include Lady Bird - nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture - as well as two projects for director Spike Jonze: Changers and Untitled Frank Ocean Project.

Sam has photographed commercials and music videos for such directors as Spike Jonze, Mark Romanek, Fredrik Bond, Stacy Wall, Randy Krallman, Lisa Rubisch, and Brigitte Lacombe among others.

Show Notes:

• New experiences while shooting “Mayday”
• Sam’s experience being a producer and cinematographer
• Logical and emotional headspaces
• The genesis of “Mayday” 
• Women filmmakers
• Using reference material
• Sam’s path into cinematography 
• Spirituality
• The role of a filmmaker / How it’s changing
• Sam’s upcoming project
• Wrap up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.samlevydp.com

www.instagram.com/samlevydp

John Wentz is a contemporary painter born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. His interest in art began at the age of 6 when he first discovered Batman and Spiderman comic books. After years of copying comics panel by panel, he worked in the commercial arts as a muralist, billboard creator, and freelance illustrator. After learning to paint by doing airbrushed billboards, he decided to pursue fine art and work in oils. Since then, he has had 3 solo exhibitions in San Francisco and numerous group exhibitions both nationally and internationally. His works have appeared in many publications and have won multiple awards.

Show Notes:

• Cultural nuances
• John’s shift towards digital artwork
• Imposter syndrome
• The effects of COVID on people’s consciousness
• NFT’s
• The background to John’s latest gallery show, “Liminal Spaces” at Stolen Space Gallery in London
• The Liminal Space
• Grieving
• The concept of “ritual”
• How painting has changed for John over the years
• The idea of self-expression
• Voice and style
• Intentionally living
• The future of gallery exhibitions
• Wrap up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.johnwentz.com

www.instagram.com/johnwentz

Books Referenced In This Yoshinocast Episode:

• "The Millionaire Next Door" by Thomas J. Stanley
• "The Psychology of Money" by Morgan Housel
• "Atomic Habits" by James Clear
• "The Miracle of a Definite Chief Aim" by Mitch Horowitz

Link To Yoshino's Strava Profile:

www.strava.com/athletes/63049717

Other Links:

www.artistdecoded.com
www.yoshinostudios.com
www.nohwave.co

Joe Sill is a filmmaker and founder of world-building lab Impossible Objects.

Joe likes to think big. He forged his path as a live-action feature and commercials director, often using visual effects to bring new worlds and ideas to life. His love for telling grand visual stories has led him to work with top brands such as Apple, NASA, Nike, and Tesla, as well as his first foray into feature filmmaking with "Stray”.

Recently, Joe decided to double down in the landscape of animation and virtual production, energized by the constant innovation and ability for artists like himself to imagine and create without limitation.

Joe is currently developing an original television series with writer Matisse Tolin based on their short film, “Autonomous”, with Jon Berg and Greg Silverman of Stampede Ventures producing.

Show Notes:

• Joseph Campbell on giving meaning to life
• Honestly expressing oneself
• Being journey focused vs. being results focused
• Turning interests into a career
• The role of the director on set
• The potentially toxic ideology behind the “self-starter”
• Joe’s work as a director
• Bruce Lee’s impact on culture
• The process of creation/ego
• Joe’s reflections during the pandemic
• VR in cinema
• Social media
• Seeking validation
• Relinquishing ideas of ownership
• Joe’s company, “Impossible Objects” 
• Wrap up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.joesill.com

www.impossible-objects.co

Liana Finck, New Yorker Cartoonist, who has been deemed by ELLE, "Instagram's favorite cartoonist," and has been featured on Adult Swim and HBO's Very Semi-Serious, as well as authored multiple graphic novels and a cartoon book (and a forthcoming novel as well), and has drawn the cover for a Justin Bieber + Ariana Grande single.

Show Notes:

• 00:03:34 - Artistry and childhood
• 00:05:26 - Different modes of creating art
• 00:10:45 - Finding one’s voice as an artist
• 00:12:54 - Liana’s artistic evolution
• 00:15:11 - Naive art and perfectionism
• 00:18:12 - Finding one’s rhythm
• 00:20:55 - Cities being a hub for a variety of people and perspectives
• 00:26:45 - What we say vs. what we mean
• 00:31:02 - Personality tests
• 00:34:20 - The anxiety of being around people
• 00:40:58 - Life changes
• 00:47:55 - Wrap up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.lianafinck.com

www.instagram.com/lianafinck

Ayoto Ataraxia 鄭博榕; pingyin: Zheng Borong; born 23 August 1985) is an artist, director, writer, performing artist, producer, poet, and musician. He graduated from Istituto Europeo di Design with cum laude in 2009, and from the School of Visual Arts with honors in New York City, 2013.

His works have been exhibited at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, and are part of the Beyond Fashion exhibition of the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography.

He is currently hosting Asian Provocation, exploring queer Asian diasporic identities through conversations and stories

Show Notes:

• 00:04:55 - Ayoto’s reflections time in New York
• 00:09:06 - The dangers of romanticizing working artists
• 00:12:18 - Artistic expression
• 00:16:42 - Modern American culture / getting lost in the American dream
• 00:19:52 - Considering what we truly value in life
• 00:22:14 - Observing people in different dimensions
• 00:27:24 - The illusion of control
• 00:29:08 - Identity
• 00:35:37 - The background to Ayoto’s original name/freedom from dogma
• 01:00:23 - Wrap up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.instagram.com/ayoto.ataraxia/

www.ayotoataraxia.com

NYC-based Iranian songwriter, producer, and vocalist Kris Esfandiari, also known as King Woman, is set to release a striking full-length album, Celestial Blues, on July 30, 2021, via Relapse Records.

Kris Esfandiari (NGHTCRWLR, Dalmatian, Miserable, Sugar High, i8i) founded King Woman in 2009 — a solo project which later gained the talents of guitarist Peter Arensdorf and drummer Joseph Raygoza.

Now wiser and holding less animosity than King Woman’s previous sentiments on 2014 EP Doubt and the highly-esteemed 2017 full length Created in The Image of Suffering, the fantasy world that once plagued Kris' psyche is dancing in a new light on Celestial Blues. Feeling compelled to reshape the biblical archetypes that once bound her, Esfandiari has created a theatrical tale of rebellion, tragedy, and triumph — a metaphor for her own personal experiences over the years — Celestial Blues was born.

Show Notes:

• 00:05:17 - Monotheism/experiences with Christianity
• 00:17:16 - The fluidity of expressing emotions through music
• 00:21:08 - Opening up to her creative spirit
• 00:25:44 - The current state of the music industry
• 00:27:22 - Surrounding oneself with the right people
• 00:29:12 - Her newest album with her band, King Woman, entitled, Celestial Blues
• 00:36:14 - Art being a gateway
• 00:38:17 - Deconstruction
• 00:44:00 - Kristina’s multiple side projects
• 00:50:00 - Wrap up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.instagram.com/kngwmn

www.kingwoman.bandcamp.com

Poet, artist, and Daughters vocalist Alexis Marshall has announced his solo debut LP HOUSE OF LULL. HOUSE OF WHEN for July 23rd via Sargent House and along with it the first song and video for “Hounds In The Abyss”.

Directed by Jeremy W., Marshall notes of the video’s concept “The long stare into the room of self—the universe’s middle distance—the many hidden doors we locate, the many rooms we find. Populated not only by whom else we are, but by places, we have been. The places we are. We don’t always pull away from the hot stove.”’

Produced by Seth Manchester the album is crafted around moments of spontaneity and sonic detritus. For the album, Marshall brought together an impressive group of collaborators to execute his vision, a vision that for the first time was under his full creative direction. Jon Syverson (Daughters), Kristin Hayter (Lingua Ignota), Evan Patterson (Jaye Jayle, Young Widows) joined Marshall in Pawtucket, Rhode Island at Machines with Magnets studio with no material. The strategy was to embrace new sounds, employ the element of chance, and capture the creative process in a song format. The genesis of a song could be anything—a fragmented piano line, a drum pattern—but the impetus was often a non-musical sound. Marshall sourced a lot of his textural contributions from a hardware store all contributing to a proto-industrial rattle-and-rumble reminiscent of early Einstürzende Neubaten.

The resulting material stands to be the boldest and exciting work of his career.

Show Notes:

• 00:06:21 - Artwork acting as a mirror to the viewer
• 00:08:12 - Positive and negative feedback from his band, Daughters
• 00:10:54 - Alexis’s personal growth
• 00:14:48 - Success, addiction, and trauma
• 00:21:30 - Romanticism and selfishness
• 00:25:17 - Discussing the progression of society
• 00:32:45 - His new solo album, “House of Lull. House of When”
• 00:40:14 - Arts affect on Alexis
• 00:48:37 - The recording process for “House of Lull. House of When”
• 00:53:46 - Lessons from Daughters comeback album and subsequent
• 01:02:34 - Wrap up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.instagram.com/asfmarshall

Alexis Marshall's "House of Lull, House of When" on Bandcamp

Emilio Villalba is a Mexican-American painter living in San Francisco. Born in Chula Vista and raised in Southern California, he grew up interested in drawing and art. He created a career in Los Angeles as a visual effects artist where he animated television commercials and films. After 2 years in the industry, he left for San Francisco to study fine art. He’s now focused on exploring painting figuratively, pulling inspiration from both old masters and contemporary artists—from Velázquez to Alice Neel and Basquiat. 

Emilio’s latest exhibition, “People and Things” will be on view at Hashimoto Contemporary in New York from Saturday, July 17th to Saturday, August 7th, 2021.

Show Notes:

• 00:03:12 - Emilio’s latest body of work
• 00:06:50 - Exploring new visual avenues
• 00:13:33 - Self-awareness of one’s work
• 00:20:30 - Saying vs. doing
• 00:32:42 - The psychology of reward systems
• 00:36:03 - Identity / fitting in
• 00:42:40 - The conceptual basis of Emilio’s newest body of work
• 00:53:37 - Owning who you are
• 01:03:33 - The painter's alphabet
• 01:25:42 - Wrap up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.instagram.com/emilio_villalba/

www.emiliovillalbaart.com/

Stuart Biddlecombe is a director of photography for The Handmaid’s Tale. Biddlecombe graduated from the National Film and Television School in 2003. He has also worked on Doctor Who, Call To Midwife, and Cold Feet.

Show Notes:

• 00:02:53 - Adapting to an environment on set
• 00:07:26 - Stuart’s creative process
• 00:12:28 - Collaboration within the filming process
• 00:17:06 - The continuity of filming television shows
• 00:19:24 - Artistry vs. Craftsmanship
• 00:21:22 - Inspiration through different types of art
• 00:23:47 - Observing the world through the lens of cinematography
• 00:25:23 - How he sees his role as a DP
• 00:28:18 - Spontaneity while filming
• 00:33:40 - Stuart’s journey as a cinematographer
• 00:50:00 - Stuart’s best piece of work / working in TV
• 01:02:51 - Wrap up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.instagram.com/stuartdop

www.stuartbiddlecombe.co.uk

For the first episode of AD’s Movie Club, Justin will be discussing Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s 2008 Film Tokyo Sonata with three of his close friends.

First, we are joined by photographer and podcast host, Yoshino.

Yoshino uses his photography to draw out deep lingering emotions while seeking to unveil a psychological truth embedded within all of us. He attempts to create a dichotomy and a confluence between his observations, molding them together between varying ideas and disparate elements. With these images, he invites the viewer to enter his world and to give space for the contemplation of their own personal framework and reality.

Yoshino is also the host of the Artist Decoded podcast.

Amirtha Kidambi is a composer, performer, and professor currently living in New York City.

Kidambi earned an M.A. in Ethnomusicology from Columbia University, an M.M. in Voice and Musicology at CUNY Brooklyn College, and a B.A. in Voice from Loyola Marymount University. She currently serves on the faculty for the New School, teaching music history courses and heading a large-scale curriculum development project. She has also served on the faculty at Brooklyn College.

Ru Storey (They/Them)is a Los Angeles-based queer skater, graphic designer, and editor.
Ru and Justin are currently working on a short film to be premiered this summer.

Justin Daashuur Hopkins is an internationally exhibited artist and award-winning director.

Show Notes:

• 00:01:47 - Tokyo Sonata’s plot
• 00:04:39 - First reactions/thoughts on the patriarchy
• 00:09:03 - The historical context of duty and shame
• 00:14:00 - Structural issues of society and power dynamics
• 00:24:00 - Questioning your reality and moving towards self-actualization
• 00:35:38 - Reflections on the conversation
• 00:39:04 - Elements of a sonata
• 00:50:12 - Relinquishing of authoritarian control
• 01:00:58 - Wrap up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.mubi.com/artistdecoded

Jan Hopkins is a master at creating sculptural vessels and figurative sculptures from unusual natural materials such as citrus, melon and pomegranate peels, lotus pods, fish skin, leaves, and seed pods. Each piece is a marriage of deep sensitivity and reverence to materials with a heavy emphasis on concept and innovation.

Jan studied basketry with indigenous and contemporary artists, learning the art of meticulous construction, the basics of how to gather and prepare materials, and understanding new concepts in design beyond traditional construction. In the early 90s, challenged with the depletion and unavailability of many of the natural basketry materials, she began experimenting and innovating new ways of processing organic materials that she successfully uses in her work today. Her initial aspiration was to preserve the beauty of the materials she began to by constructing vessel forms. Jan’s work evolved to more figurative work with narratives sewn into each intricately designed piece.

Jan and her husband Chris have also embarked on a deeply personal collaborative project about a part of her family’s history, The Japanese American incarceration during WWII. Piece by piece, Jan is puzzling together family stories that are both heartbreaking and inspiring. Jan states, “This project has changed the essence of my work and has challenged me to innovate new ways of construction and storytelling.” Their two-person show was exhibited at the Schack Art Center, Everett, WA in 2018. A future exhibit is scheduled to open at Bainbridge Island Museum of Art on Bainbridge Island in 2022, The timing of this exhibit marks the 80th Remembrance anniversary of the first Japanese Americans taken away from their homes on Bainbridge Island and sent to Manzanar Concentration Camp.

An award-winning artist, Jan has exhibited across the United States and featured 8 years at SOFA International Expos, held annually in New York, Chicago, and Santa Fe. Her work is included in museum permanent collections across the country including the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA, Museum of Art and Design in New York, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Racine Art Museum in Racine, WI.

Show Notes:

• 00:04:27 - Jan’s experience being a part of a family of artists
• 00:10:48 - Jan’s journey towards artistry
• 00:17:12 - Great ideas finding us
• 00:20:15 - Results-oriented thinking, taking you away from the process
• 00:22:23 - Intuition and spirituality
• 00:26:34 - The elements and materials that guide Jan’s art practice
• 00:31:27 - Jan's focus on narrative artwork
• 00:39:15 - The inspiration behind Jan’s exhibit “Americans Interned”
• 00:58:56 - The power of cultural art
• 01:03:27 - Wrap Up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.janhopkinsart.blogspot.com

www.instagram.com/janhopkinsart

Mitch Horowitz is a historian of alternative spirituality and one of today’s most literate voices of esoterica, mysticism, and the occult. He is among the few occult writers whose work touches the bases of academic scholarship, national journalism, and subculture cred. Mitch is a writer-in-residence at the New York Public Library, lecturer-in-residence at the Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles, and a PEN Award-winning historian whose books include Occult America; One Simple Idea: How Positive Thinking Reshaped Modern Life; and The Miracle Club.

The Washington Post says Mitch “treats esoteric ideas and movements with an even-handed intellectual studiousness that is too often lost in today’s raised-voice discussions.”

He has discussed alternative spirituality across the national media and is collaborating with Emmy-nominated director Ronni Thomas on a feature documentary about the occult classic The Kybalion, shot on location in Egypt. Mitch received the Walden Award for Interfaith/Intercultural Understanding. The Chinese government has censored his work.

Show Notes:

• 00:05:50 - Mitch’s approach towards his craft
• 00:09:52 - The origins of thoughts and ideas
• 00:17:17 - The brain within the metaphysical
• 00:20:57 - Tapping into an imaginal realm with art
• 00:29:35 - Being honest with your desires
• 00:36:10 - Artists going unrecognized
• 00:42:42 - Being uncompromising in our desires
• 00:50:06 - Depression and anxiety
• 00:59:58 - Navigating dark energy
• 01:06:43 - Free will
• 01:10:52 - Hypnagogic state
• 01:18:47 - The pathos of death
• 01:29:46 - Wrap Up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.instagram.com/mitchhorowitz23

https://www.mitchhorowitz.com/

Damon Davis is a post-disciplinary artist based in St. Louis, Missouri. His work spans across a spectrum of creative mediums to tell stories exploring how identity is informed by power and mythology. He is well known for his body of work, Darker Gods, which explores Afro-surrealist manifestations of Black culture. Davis is a Firelight Media, Sundance Labs, TED, and Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellow. He is the founder and creative director of St. Louis-based music label/ artist collective FarFetched and his work is featured in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Show Notes:

• 00:03:18 - Reflections on George Floyd and 2020
• 00:09:55 - Power dynamics in American society
• 00:14:35 - The soulful impact of art
• 00:17:40 - America’s amnesia & the complexities of blackness
• 00:20:49 - Value systems
• 00:29:56 - Damon’s intention with the mythology he created for “Darker Gods”
• 00:33:39 - Power, wisdom, and empathy
• 00:39:15 -The desensitization and fetishization of death
• 00:45:07 - Critical thinking 
• 00:49:46 - Wrap up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.heartacheandpaint.com

www.instagram.com/damondavis

Born in Beijing and raised in Singapore, Jingna Zhang is a fashion and fine art photographer and director based in New York City and Seattle. Imbued with love for the Pre-Raphaelites and Japanese anime, Jingna’s work interweaves Asian aesthetics with western art styles, bringing unique visions of painterly and fantastical images to fashion and fine art photography.

Before photography, Jingna was a world-class air rifle shooter representing Singapore at the Commonwealth Games and World Cup. She was the only female founder of a North American esports team in StarCraft 2; and was once a concept artist and illustrator’s agent, with clients including LucasArts, Amazon Publishing, and Sony Online Entertainment.

Jingna majored in fashion design before dropping out of school to pursue photography. She is an alumna of Stanford’s innovation and entrepreneurship program Ignite and a Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 listmaker.

Jingna’s works have appeared on multiple editions of Vogue, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar. Her clients include Mercedes Benz, Montblanc, and Lancome. Jingna’s fine art works have exhibited at Leica Gallery Milan, Tsinghua University, and Japan Creative Centre in Singapore, and she has spoken at Laguna College of Art and Design, Monterrey Institute of Technology, and Square Enix.

Show Notes:

• 00:00:00 - Introduction
• 00:05:24 - Self-Expression
• 00:11:54 - Jingna's start in art 
• 00:16:20 - Competition 
• 00:18:12 - Working with certainty and uncertainty
• 00:22:08 - Resources for growth 
• 00:29:39 - Jingna's work with creative writing / the beginner's mindset
• 00:37:31 - Childlike naivety
• 00:39:20 - Jingna's relationship with video games
• 00:47:00 - Wrap up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.zhangjingna.com

www.instagram.com/zemotion

Graham grew up in Ojai, a small ranching town in Southern California with pink sunsets dipping below the mountains.  He spent his childhood exploring Europe and the Southwestern United States with his travel writer father and family.

His upbringing informs his photography, which is largely based in simplicity, nostalgia, nature, and the truth of a moment. Graham lives in Los Angeles with his wife, a kindergarten teacher, and his son, an extremely inventive whippersnapper.

Show Notes:

• 00:00:00 - Introduction 
• 00:04:55 - Teaching all aspects of history 
• 00:08:53 - Homogenization of culture 
• 00:12:22 - The importance of community 
• 00:15:56 - The confluence of non-sequiturs 
• 00:18:36 - The shifting landscape of commercial photography
• 00:25:00 - Human psychology within photography 
• 00:33:16 - Graham’s projects during covid 
• 00:42:45 - Having a “jack of all trades” approach 
• 00:48:15 - Personal values influencing the way you approach your career 
• 00:54:54 - Having a balanced life 
• 00:56:51 - Learning and adapting from experience 
• 01:06:00 - Mentorship 
• 01:08:00 - Technical learning vs practical learning 
• 01:14:32 - Wrap up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.instagram.com/grahamdunn

http://www.grahamdunnphoto.com/

AD Non-Weekly Round Up #8 with artist, Jesse Draxler, and Yoshino.

Jesse Draxler was born in rural Wisconsin, studied in Minneapolis, MN, and currently lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. A formal mixed media & inter-disciplinary artist, Draxler has exhibited extensively both domestically and internationally. 

Draxler collaborates with brands including Hugo Boss, McQ Alexander McQueen, and Ferrari, with original artwork appearing in Elle, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic, among other publications. 

Show Notes:

• 00:00:32 - Seasons in life
• 00:07:18 - Focusing on the process instead of the result
• 00:12:05 - The confluence of running and creativity
• 00:16:32 - Self-reflection
• 00:22:16 - Personal values
• 00:34:35 - The practical reality of art
• 00:39:53 - Creativity thorough destruction
• 00:47:56 - Jesse’s personal growth throughout the years
• 00:53:05 - Life and death
• 00:57:09 - The importance of being conscious of one’s physical and mental health
• 01:13:20 - Perspective shifts
• 01:26:14 - Understanding guilt
• 01:42:34 - Wrap up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.jessedraxler.com

www.instagram.com/jessedraxler

Nadia Waheed, BFA 2015 School of the Art Institute of Chicago, is a Pakistani-American painter who makes partially autobiographical allegorical figurative paintings that explore selfhood, choice, and cultural trauma. Exhibition history includes shows with Mindy Solomon Gallery in Miami, BEERS London, Thierry Goldberg in New York, and Gallery 1957 in London. Upcoming exhibitions in 2021 include shows with Andrea Festa Fine Art in Rome, Lawrie Shabibi in Dubai, and Aicon Gallery in New York.

Show Notes:

• 00:04:18 - Being aware of your youth 
• 00:05:52 - Having numerous perspectives 
• 00:09:40 - Nadia’s childhood 
• 00:16:40 - Cultural nuances 
• 00:23:07 - The core language approach and inner generational trauma 
• 00:27:54 - The influence of mentorship 
• 00:31:12 - Politics within the art world 
• 00:37:46 - Telling someone who you are, through your actions 
• 00:39:30 - Dating and relationships 
• 00:46:39 - The loss of community and connectivity 
• 00:53:01 - Intentionality and being vulnerable 
• 01:00:45 - Being comfortable with who you are
• 01:08:33 - Engaging with emotions and understanding the context 
• 01:20:16 - Nadia’s hesitance towards talking about her work 
• 01:27:54 - “The curse of the expert” 
• 01:34:23 - Commitment 
• 01:42:45 - Wrap up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.instagram.com/nadiakwd

www.nadiawaheed.com

The son of Chinese immigrants, Nicholas came to LA by way of Hawaii and Hong Kong. Working as a truly international director, he has helmed global campaigns for brands like Google, Samsung, Disney, P&G, Kia, Dewars, and Nestle, working closely with top agencies such as BBDO, Ogilvy & Mather, and Iris Worldwide. In the music world, he is an MTV VMA nominated director having shot videos for Nick Jonas, Blink-182, Sara Bareilles, Bastille, Snakehips, Jess Glynne, Monsta X, and more.

Known for his cinematic, emotional, and dynamic visual language, Nicholas' films often center on character-driven stories deeply grounded in humanity and sensitivity. His work has been featured in most major publications including The LA Times, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Variety, The Telegraph, The Independent, Entertainment Weekly, Vogue, Forbes, Booooooom, Shots Creative, Little Black Book, and many more.

When not on set, Nicholas will be found tearing through the canyons in his cars or motorcycle, creating new recipes in the kitchen, or talking watches with fellow nerds.

Show Notes:

• 00:03:04 - The “Three R’s” Philosophy  
• 00:05:41 - Finding one’s voice 
• 00:08:34 - Filtering your work through a personal lens  
• 00:10:14 - Navigating through the music video and film world 
• 00:13:10 - Hardships within directors transitioning from music videos to feature films
• 00:18:59 - “The new aesthetic”  
• 00:21:06 - Keeping a healthy mindset  
• 00:24:36 - Pattern recognition  
• 00:27:21 - Psychedelics 
• 00:32:27 - The catch-22 nature of technology  
• 00:37:00 - Difficulties and rewards within directing  
• 00:41:54 - Having a balanced ego 
• 00:46:29 - A director’s relevancy in the commercial world 
• 00:49:44 - Nicholas’s first feature film 
• 00:51:27 - The importance of representation  
• 00:53:34 - Redefining the structures within the film industry & Asian American cinema
• 01:09:38- Wrap up

www.artistdecoded.com

www.instagram.com/nicholaslam

www.nicholaslam.com

Justin Daashuur Hopkins is a multidisciplinary storyteller (Director and Cinematographer, Musician and Composer, Graphic Designer, and Gallerist).

Born into an artistic household, to renowned Illustrator Chris Hopkins and internationally collected sculptor Jan Hopkins, Justin was raised in Mukilteo, Washington, but now lives and works in Los Angeles. At the age of fifteen, he was already doing professional work for multiple clients, including conceptual merchandising and design for Costco, sound design and illustration for RedBull, and music for ESPN TV spots. He also shot the short film “Baristas,” which played to enthusiastic audiences in New York, LA, and Seattle.

At the age of eighteen, Justin was hired at Olio Inc, an architectural firm specializing in major hotels in places like Vegas and Dubai. He spent the next five years doing architectural and sound design for international clients. In 2009, he struck out on his own, working as a freelance illustrator and fine art painter. He moved to New York and began showing in numerous international exhibitions, in addition to garnering attention for his commercial work.

Upon his return to Los Angeles, Justin co-founded NOH/WAVE, an art agency, and production company, with gallery space downtown. This has given him the opportunity to curate shows by internationally acclaimed artists. His unique aesthetic and attention to detail have made him a sought-after director of film and mixed media video for clients including Universal, RCA, Warner Brothers, Atlantic, Def Jam, and Domino Records.

Show Notes:

• 0:00:00 - Introduction 
• 0:05:00 - Analysis of “Woman in the Dunes” by Hiroshi Teshigahara
• 0:11:56 - Lineage of NOH/WAVE
• 0:13:19 - Being A Multidisciplinary Artist 
• 0:16:15 - Justin's Transition From Music to Film
• 0:17:50 - Justin’s Family Allowed For Freedom of Expression 
• 0:22:10 - Gravitating Toward The Arts
• 0:24:17 - Yoshino’s Filmmaking and Photography
• 0:26:39 - Professional Careers, Making Money, and Artistic Struggle
• 0:30:51 - Romanticizing Artists VS Personal Experiences
• 0:35:23 - Sacrificing For The Work
• 0:40:04 - Learning From Each Other
• 0:41:12 - Evolution of The Self & More “Woman in the Dunes”
• 0:48:58 - Analysis of “Tokyo Sonata” by Kiyoshi Kurosawa
• 0:55:21 - Not Examining Just From Surface Level
• 0:58:10 - “An Artist Says a Hard Thing in a Simple Way”
• 1:00:27 - All About The Subtext of Information
• 1:03:55 - Demonization of Drugs and Art
• 1:05:17 - Investing and Monetization of Ignorance
• 1:08:58 - Mythology and Psychology
• 1:10:32 - Film and Book Recommendations
• 1:11:26 - Advice to Artists and Creatives
• 1:14:02 - Wrap Up

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