Podcast
Artifice
Hosted by Artifice Podcast by Emily Merrell · EN
Great art almost feels like magic—it opens our minds to brand new ideas, and teaches us to see ourselves and our world more clearly. Of course, behind all great art, there are artists. And that’s where the real magic happens…
As we go beneath the art itself to explore how different artists do what they do, we see glimpses of the sorts of creativity, resilience, and bravery that lead to the art that moves our world. And maybe we can learn to borrow some of that magic for our very own thinking.
Join professional musician Emily Merrell for conversations with artists of all kinds. Together, we examine the mysteries of our own experiences, our muses and fears, our gifts and foibles, our beliefs about the origins of creativity, and the secret magic we’ve discovered in our unique creative processes.
Mediums include: studio art, graphic design, dance, cooking, illustration, creative writing, storytelling, comedy, music composition, music performance, film making, acting, production, fashion design, photography, and more.
Visit https://emilymerrellmusic.com/artifice-podcast/ for more information.
- Theme Song "As You Are" by Emily Merrell @emilymerrellmusic
- Illustration and Graphic Design by Sarah Keele @sarahkeeleart
- Photography by Jen Palmer @jenpalmerphoto
- HMU by Shawna Turner @shawnaturnerdesigns
33episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep. 235: Olga Rybalko
Apr 701:56:09Tap to summarizeOlga Rybalko is a Ukrainian-Canadian painter based in Vancouver, BC, working primarily in oils. Her work focuses on landscapes and still life paintings, with an emphasis on observation, light, and quiet storytelling. Born in Sevastopol, Ukraine, and immigrating to Canada at the age of 13, Olga has spent much of her life moving between environments. That experience continues to influence how she approaches painting, paying close attention to atmosphere, subtle shifts in light, and the small details that give a place or scene its sense of presence. Olga often works directly from life, painting outdoors or from careful studio observation. Her process is intuitive but rooted in traditional techniques, allowing each painting to develop through looking, adjusting, and responding over time. While her practice began with landscape and cityscape painting, it has expanded to include more narrative-driven work, including still life paintings that hint at stories without spelling them out. Through her paintings, Olga aims to capture not just how a place looks, but how it feels to be there, and the moments that stay with you after you’ve left. Her work is held in private collections across Canada and internationally. Website: https://www.olgarybalko.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olgarybalkoart/
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Ep. 234: Hannah Veiga
Mar 1701:41:07Tap to summarizeHannah Veiga is a pyrography (wood burning) artist from Southeastern Ontario, Canada. In her practice she creates intricate designs burned into salvaged live-edge wood that compliment the shape and natural beauty of the wood itself. She strives to create wood burnings that are a reflection of her love for the outdoors, offering sanctuary, moments of peace, and an invitation to stay curious for the everyday wonders of nature. Website: hannahveiga.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/hannahveiga Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hannahveiga
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Ep. 233: Lily Morello
Mar 1002:01:24Tap to summarizeLily Morello is a Malaysian Chinese American food photographer and blogger based in San Francisco, California. She enjoys making carbs look pretty and exploring connection through food. By sharing about food made in her small home kitchen with photography work done entirely with her phone, her hope is to make beautiful food feel more accessible and to inspire others to create their own joy through cooking and eating at home. Her hobbies include gardening (to grow flowers for her food styling pursuits), travel (to expand her experiences with foods around the world), and cuddling with her dog. Instagram: @lilybubbletea
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Ep. 229: April Waller
Mar 301:38:49Tap to summarizeApril Waller @aprilmakes is a "whimsical artsy mom" and content creator based in Atlanta, Georgia. She specializes in creative DIY home projects, sewing, painting, and homemaking.
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Ep. 232: Casey Parlette
Mar 302:07:05Tap to summarizeGrowing up in Southern California, Casey Parlette developed a deep connection to wildlife while exploring the region’s hills and ocean. Inspired by these experiences, he began sculpting at a young age. After earning a degree in anthropology from UCLA, Casey worked as a commercial diver and later as a career ocean lifeguard in Laguna Beach. His adventures include operating underwater cameras for the television series Inside Sportfishing, traveling to remote regions of the world, and spending eight months in the Peruvian Amazon, where he discovered a previously unknown fish species now classified as Rivulus parlettei. A naturalist at heart, Casey draws on his lived experiences to inspire his sculptures. Casey works with wood, metal, and stone to capture the movement and feel of the natural world. He selects materials whose inherent patterns and textures echo his subject. curly redwood may suggest the stripes of a tiger shark, while a manzanita burl can reveal the form of an octopus. Through blacksmithing and metal fabrication, he hammers life into sterile sheets and rods of metal while carved stone adds permanence and color. By combining these materials, Casey creates one-of-a-kind sculptures that reflect the beauty, complexity, and vitality of nature. website: www.caseyparlette.com Instagram: @caseyparlettesculpture Podcast: Creative Pursuits with Casey Parlette Email: casey@caseyparlette.com
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Ep. 231: Connor Book
Feb 1601:52:19Tap to summarizeMy name is Connor Book, I’m 26 years old born and raised in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. I currently work as an Assistant Winemaker at Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery in Jordan, Ontario. I went to Brock University for Oenology and Viticulture and have travelled around and worked harvests at wineries in Australia, British Columbia and Niagara. There are a lot of aspects I enjoy about winemaking but the whole process of watching the grapes grow and creating a very different and complex product in the end is something that never gets boring.
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Ep. 230: Moritz Simon Geist
Feb 1001:58:34Tap to summarizeMoritz Simon Geist is a music producer and researcher working with sound, robotics and algorithms. Beginning his academic career in semiconductor sciences as a PhD student, Geist made a career shift to focus on art and music, where he now merges sound with robotics and algorithms. His approach to electronic music, which involves creating sound through mechanical robots, has earned him international recognition. In 2012, Geist's first work, the "Drum Robot MR-808," went viral, and he has since explored the sound making and producing of electronic music with robots and mechanics as well as releasing many influential and viral works. Geist's compositions are influenced by a broad range of musical styles, including various electronic music genres and classical music, creating a unique and experimental sound. Over the years, he has collaborated with a range of renowned artists, including Mouse On Mars, Tyondai Braxton, Robert Lippok, and Thieß Mynther. His work has been showcased at many international venues and events such as the Venice Biennale, South by Southwest (SXSW), the Philharmonie de Paris, and the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. He has also presented his work in Japan, Australia, and South Korea. From 2017 - 2020 he held a master class at the NYU Berlin. His contributions to the field have been recognized with numerous awards, such as the ISEA Conference 2024, the Working Grant ZER01NE Seoul in 2023, German Pop Music Prize 2022, and the VIA VUT Award in 2019. Life and education Geist has a classical music education on piano, clarinet and classic music, but turned to electronic, punk and noise music in his student years. After finishing his diploma in electrical engineering and starting his PhD in a research facility, he turned to work as a freelance artist full-time in 2012. Works In 2012 Geist build his first robotic music instrument the “MR-808”, designed after the classic electronic drum machine “TR-808”. The “MR-808” features 12 drum instruments which are beaten by small robots, such as a snare, toms or bass drum. The instrument is controlled with MIDI, and can be played by the audience. The work gained a lot of attention online and was displayed at many occasions. The installation won the Cynetart Prize 2014 and is part of the touring exhibition 'Electro' by the Philharmonie de Paris alongside works of Jeff Mills and Jean-Michel Jarre. Tripods One (2017) In 2017 Geist released the installation “Tripods One”, which is a small robotic music system featuring five robotic percussive robots. In an interview for the magazine Fast Company Geist states he wanted to create DIY futuristic instruments which have something new to them, and which don’t reference something that already exists. The installation won the Visual Music Award 2017 and was nominated for the design price of saxonia 2018. Album “Robotic Electronic Music” (2018) In 2018 Geist released his debut Album “Robotic Electronic Music” distributed by Kompakt Distribution and produced by Andi Thoma from the band Mouse On Mars. On the 8-Track Album, Geist used only physical instruments, and it was sold with the claim of being the first techno album entirely played by robots. Collaboration In 2014, Geist started a collaboration with the electronic duo Mouse On Mars. They played together at international occasions, such as the Moog Festival or at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. In 2018, the Mouse on Mars Album Dimensional People was released, for which Geist built a custom made robotic music system. With this system it is possible to trigger various objects and percussion elements with MIDI. Exhibitions Since 2016, Geist has exhibited several works at museums, for example at the AIx Music exhibition at the Ars Electronica Center or at the Science Museum Milano. In 2019, Geist was nominated for the VIA/VUT Award alongside Holly Herndon, who won the title. Since 2020, Geist runs a studio also doing corporate works in Dresden, Germany
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Ep. 228: Olga Saretsky
Jan 2701:59:28Tap to summarizeOlga Saretsky is a visionary performance artist, designer, and choreographer based in Miami. She is the creative mind behind Kikimora Studio, a unique performance art company that brings divine wearable sculpture and living art to life. Olga’s creations, often described as “high fashion,” blend mystery with beauty, evoking a sense of the extraordinary. Kikimora Studio also houses Kikimora Fashion, a collection of vibrant, high-performance costumes for dancers, yogis, and performers. Born in Kazakhstan to a Russian family, Olga began her artistic journey at age 15, evolving into a costume designer and choreographer. After performing globally, she founded Kikimora Studio in the U.S., where she now teaches and produces her visionary wearable art, captivating audiences worldwide. Performance booking Art for events- www.kikimorastudio.com, Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/kikimorastudioart/ Fashion brand, custom costumes - www.kikimorafashion.com , Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/kikimorafashion/
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Ep. 227: Stephanie Kilgast
Jan 2002:02:43Tap to summarizeInspired by natural forms, Stéphanie Kilgast’s artwork is an ode to nature and its current biodiversity. Plants, mushrooms, insects and other animals intertwine in a vibrant swirl of colors under her brush or sculpting tools. Since 2017, in her series ‘Discarded Objects,’ she sculpts colorful organic growths emerging from manufactured objects, celebrating the beauty of nature in a dialogue with humanity and questioning the lost balance between human activities and the natural world. Her work has a cheerful post apocalyptic feel to it, a reassuring reminder that nature has the capacity to grow back, if we only let it. Her work has been exhibited in North America, Asia, Australia and Europe. She is French and was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in 1985. She currently resides in Vannes, France. https://www.stephaniekilgast.com/bio https://www.instagram.com/petitplat/
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Ep. 226: Elodie Durande
Jan 1302:10:04Tap to summarizeMeet Elodie Durande, a French Perfumer whose journey into the captivating world of scents began in a quaint countryside village in Normandy, France, where she spent her childhood. With a creative mind and a rational scientist's brain, perfumery emerged as the perfect fusion of both her passions. Elodie's academic journey led her to study chemistry before she embarked on a transformative two-year Perfumery course at the University of Montpellier, France. During this pivotal period, she immersed herself in the fragrant world of Grasse, working as an intern. Fate intervened when she encountered Master Perfumer François Robert on the Île Sainte-Marguerite. From that moment, François became her mentor, guiding her on the path to realizing her dream of becoming a Perfumer. In February 2014, Elodie commenced her journey with Quintessence Fragrances as an intern. Swiftly rising through the ranks, she joined the evaluation team within six months. Three years later, an opportunity to continue her training as a Junior Perfumer presented itself, with François as her mentor. In January 2019, she officially earned the title of Perfumer. Elodie finds joy in the perpetual process of learning. A self-proclaimed globetrotter, she draws inspiration from her travels, reveling in the diverse cultures and natural wonders our planet has to offer. Her unique ability lies in finding beauty in the ordinary, turning the "ugly" into a masterpiece through the transformative art of perfumery. With a palette boasting hundreds of ingredients, Elodie is captivated by the alchemical process of discovering the hidden charm of scents that may challenge conventional notions. She perceives scents not just as fragrances but as textures, shapes, and colors, infusing each creation with a multidimensional allure. Her mission is to craft fragrances that transcend the olfactory senses, eliciting emotions and transporting individuals to distant landscapes or cherished memories. Elodie Durande has been the nose behind Ffern since 2018. Together with Owen Mears, the founder of Ffern, and his sister Emily Cameron, the creative director, the team conceive and develop each seasonal scent. As Ffern’s in-house head nose, Elodie is fuelled by a passion for experimental and innovative natural perfumery. Beyond perfumery, Elodie's eclectic tastes manifest in an array of hobbies, from cooking and pottery to leather work and acroyoga. Her life rhythm is complemented by a love for music, series, films, and the serene embrace of paddleboarding. LINKS: https://ffern.co/ https://quintessencefragrances.com/ https://www.fragrantica.com/noses/Elodie_Durande.html https://www.instagram.com/elodie.durande/
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