“I wonder why people always expect things from others that they themselves can’t or won’t do.” -Genki Kawamura, If Cats Disappeared From the World, Eric Selland (Translator)
We often expect things from others without stopping to notice whether we’re willing—or even able—to meet those same expectations ourselves. It’s a habit that quietly shapes our relationships, our work, and even how we see the world. But what if we flipped the lens? Instead of waiting for others to show up in ways we haven’t, we could start by modeling the qualities we’d like to see, things like generosity, patience, consistency, or care – whether for others or for the self.
Naomi Okubo joined us to talk about her recent show, Resonance on a Surface, which ran until July 27 at Fou Gallery. Her paintings are multi-layered, using materials from old kimonos, media images, and photoshop alterations to create a unique collage style work. She explores themes such as home, intimacy, solitude, and escapism. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
Claudio Zulian spoke with us back in 2022 from the north of Spain where he was working on a new exhibition for the Galician Centre for Contemporary Art in Santiago de Compostela. Those new works were a continuation of his previous practice of exploring neighborhoods and working with groups of people therein to uncover their memories of immigrants who have arrived in their town. To learn more about Zulian’s latest work, visit his website. To hear our complete conversation from 2022, click here.
A Few Words to Keep in Your Pocket.
Create a ripple effect by modeling the qualities you’d like to see in others.
Outings.
Join me at the Guggenheim for Jenny Holzer: Light Line
Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android, please click here. All weekly essay pieces are here in a shareable format. The full archive of interviews is here.
More Books to Read.
Ours is a community of readers. Tell us what books you’re reading now by adding your titles to our reading list here. An anonymous Praxis user has been reading Capital: Critique of Political Economy, Volume 1 by Karl Marx, translated by Paul Reitter.
Opportunities.
Applications are open for the Spring 2026 Edgar Heap of Birds Family Artist Residency at Tyler School of Art, offering studio space, stipend, exhibition, and student mentorship for a Native-focused artist. Learn more at the website. Deadline for applications is September 22.