The through line to all of this has been her innovative use of sketch and pattern as a founding block of her design; a love of travel and a delight in absorbing the world around her into her work; and her deep-rooted friendships with the likes of artists Andrew Logan, David Sassoon and Duggie Fields. Diagnosed with cancer in 2020, the electric-pink haired  Dame Zandra has defied the grim diagnosis and remains as exuberant and erudite as ever, quick to throw out a throaty chuckle and share a salty anecdote with her trademark gregariousness. As The Holburne Musuem in Bath, England, stages a retrospective of her famous prints, the 85-year old takes a moment out of her jam-packed schedule to talk to Danielle Radojcin about just what it is that makes her keep on keeping on…

For Hambling, the sea has always been both muse and adversary – unpredictable, overpowering, and endlessly alive. Here, she unveils new works, including Time, an intimate installation honouring her late partner Tory Lawrence, and her ongoing Wall of Water series, paintings that crash with the force and emotion of the waves themselves. As well as her relationship to the sea, she talks about how her painting process relates to her grief and the passing of time. 

Alongside Hambling, Robertson’s site-specific sculpture The Swell rises in Wolterton’s Marble Hall – a fluid, steel form rooted in nature’s cycles and the artist’s own connection to the queer body in the landscape.

Together, their works transform this historic house into a space of reflection, grief, power, and renewal – inviting us to confront our place within the vastness of the natural world. Both discuss the sea as both subject and metaphor, about love and loss, queerness and sexual desire, identity and memory, and how Wolterton’s history has become a showcase for these ideas. 

Born in 1971 in West Germany, Wermers moved to London in the 1990s and has lived and worked here ever since. She studied at Central Saint Martins and was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2015 for her exhibition Infrastruktur.  Her installation, The Violet Revs, representing a fictional female biker gang, is currently on display at Tate Modern. She’s also a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, and her work continues to offer a sharp, humorous commentary on the shifting landscapes of cities and the invisible forces shaping how we live.

Portrait of Nicole Wermers. Courtesy of the artist and Herald St, London. Photo by Peter Guenzel.

In this episode, Danielle visits one of London’s most astonishing hidden gems: The Cosmic House in Holland Park, the former home of the late Charles Jencks and his then wife, the landscape designer Maggie Keswick. Designed between 1978 and 1983, the house is a maximalist, multi-layered essay in built form - every inch of it embedded with symbolism, references to cosmology, art history, and post-modern thought. There’s an upside-down dome, a Solar Stair, and a Cosmic Oval: this is not your typical Victorian townhouse.

Danielle is joined by Eszter Steierhoffer, Director of the Jencks Foundation and former Senior Curator at the Design Museum, who walks her through this truly unique building and the mind behind it. Together, they discuss Jencks’ radical approach to architecture, his belief in “radical eclecticism” and his support of Maggie’s Centres for cancer patients following Maggie’s death in 1995, as well as the legacy he left behind - not just in the bricks and geometry of his home, but in his writing, his gardens, and his intergalactic thinking.

Part museum, part manifesto, The Cosmic House remains almost exactly as it was when the Jencks' lived there, and is now open to the public as a site of critical experimentation and creative response. Tune in to discover the legacy of one of architecture’s most original thinkers, and hear how the house continues to inspire artists, architects and visitors alike.

The Cosmic House

Through it all, she has never stopped creating. Known for her instinctive use of colour and emotionally resonant abstraction, Glick studied Painting at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she received the Florence\ Leif Award, and later earned her MFA from the University of Buffalo. Her work was widely shown throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with solo exhibitions in New York and Los Angeles. Her paintings have also featured in group exhibitions at Pat Hearn Gallery, the Drawing Center, and the Buffalo AKG Art Museum. More recently, she has held solo exhibitions at White Columns (2016) and The Journal Gallery, New York (2021). For this conversation, Danielle Radojcin met Pam at the Maruani Mercier gallery in Brussels, which is holding an exhibition of her work. 

Known for his bold, humorous, and unabashedly sexual work, Wesselmann explored desire through iconic series like Great American Nudes, his close-up depictions of female mouths, his larger-than-life still lifes, and his lesser known but no less striking penis paintings. First exhibited in New York in the 1970s, these works push his signature flat, abstract style into deeply personal territory. They also invite reflection on the male gaze, eroticism, and how his art is perceived today.

Joining host Danielle Radojcin to discuss Wesselmann’s legacy is Jeffrey Sturges, director of The Estate of Tom Wesselmann. Having worked closely with the artist in his studio and home during the 1980s, Sturges offers a rare, firsthand perspective—not just on Wesselmann’s work, but on the man himself.

Recorded at Almine Rech gallery in London, where Wesselmann’s penis paintings and other works are on view until 12 April 2025, this conversation unpacks the wit, provocation, and enduring impact of this fascinating artist.

Photo: Portrait of Tom Wesselmann, 1969 (detail)

© 2024 The Estate of Tom Wesselmann / Artists

Rights Society (ARS), New York - Courtesy of the Estate and Almine Rech. Photo: Jack Mitchell

From her early days as a magazine editor in Milan during the late '60s and '70s to launching Italian Elle in 1987, Carla’s career has always been driven by an unwavering commitment to creative integrity, even when it came at the cost of her own career. Along with her late sister, the legendary Italian Vogue editor Franca Sozzani, she has shaped the lives of some of the most important fashion designers and photographers of the past 50 years, and created some of the most memorable imagery, working with photographers like Paolo Roversi, Peter Lindbergh and Steven Meisel. 

Throughout her career, Carla has been a mentor to independent designers, offering friendship, guidance and resources. She shares heartfelt memories of her great friend, the late Azzedine Alaïa, whom she helped save from bankruptcy, ultimately founding the Alaïa Foundation to preserve his legacy.

In this episode, Carla talks about fashion designers today, from the independent designer she most rates, to her thoughts on incoming Chanel creative director Matthieu Blazy,  as well as discussing what makes print magazines relevant, and why you can't rely on AI to replace individual human creativity. 

Carla is the founder of 10 Corso Como, the groundbreaking concept store she opened in Milan in 1990. Long before spaces like Dover Street Market or Colette existed, 10 Corso Como redefined the shopping experience, becoming a pilgrimage site for fashion lovers worldwide. She is also the founder of Fondazione Sozzani, which aims to support new generations of creative talent. 

Carla’s new book, Carla Sozzani: Art, Life, Fashion by Louise Baring, offers an intimate look at her life and contributions to the worlds of fashion, art, and design.

Resources:

• Carla Sozzani: Art, Life, Fashion by Louise Baring (2024, Thames & Hudson)
• Fondation Azzedine Alaïa
• 10 Corso Como
• Fondazione Sozzani

Born in 1997 in the Netherlands, Joline grew up in a small Dutch village where her creativity was nurtured from an early age. Her parents’ hands-on, creative approach to life sparked her fascination with making and inspired her journey into the arts. Initially trained in fashion design, she graduated in 2019 and discovered a love for painting as a medium for expressing her unique visual language. Over the years, her work has evolved to include a collection of garments that reflect the diverse personas and narratives within her self-portraits.

In this episode, Simon and Joline discuss her path from fashion to fine art, the transformative power of self-portraiture, and how her work challenges traditional notions of identity, representation, and history. 

https://www.traceyeminfoundation.com/joline-kwakkenbos

https://jolinekwakkenbos.nl/

https://www.instagram.com/joline_kwakkenbos/

Originally from Botswana and now based in the Netherlands, Pamela's practice encompasses drawing, painting, and installation. She intricately weaves together mythology, science, and narrative storytelling. This episode delves into her latest exhibition, "It Will End In Tears," her debut solo show at a prominent UK institution, the Barbican’s Curve Gallery, running until early 2025. This site-specific installation plunges viewers into a world inspired by film noir, crime fiction, and her distinctive alter-ego characters.

During the conversation, Pamela explores her influences and inspirations, including the writings of Bessie Head; Alfred Hitchcock's meticulous approach to film-making; and the aesthetics and drama of film noir. She shares insights into her concept of "world building," discussing how her extensive collection of vintage clothing informs the characters that inhabit her creations.

Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum is represented by Goodman Gallery.

Goodman Gallery

Barbican

Photo: Lotte van Uitterst

Phoebe was born in Staffordshire, the heart of the British ceramics industry. She studied Three-Dimensional Design at the University of Brighton before completing an MA in Ceramics & Glass at the Royal College of Art in London. A lack of funds to pay for a kiln forced her to begin working with unfired  clay, and over the years, Phoebe has carved a unique path in the art world, becoming known for her ephemeral sculptures crafted entirely from the material.

Her work is a reflection of nature’s transient beauty and the passing of time, often exploring themes of growth, decay, and the fragile relationship between humanity and the natural world. Phoebe’s pieces, which dissolve or disintegrate over time, challenge the traditional expectations of ceramics as a durable, permanent medium, and are more of a performance than static art piece, to be cherished as a memory rather displayed forever in a museum. 

In 2011, she won the prestigious British Ceramics Biennial Award, and her installations have been exhibited in notable institutions like the Victoria and Albert Museum and York Art Gallery.

Join Danielle and Phoebe as they explore Phoebe's creative journey, the influence of nature in her art, and her upcoming exhibition at the Sid Motion Gallery curated by Tom Cole, where her work will be shown alongside that of Robert Mapplethorpe and Magdalena Abakanowicz.

https://www.phoebecummings.com/

https://sidmotiongallery.co.uk/

Her physical artworks are characterised by their large scale, and thick, energetic strokes of oil paint. Soft, feminine colours evoke a quiet, introspective mood, inviting viewers to reflect. At the onset of an exhibition of her new paintings at the Maruani Mercier gallery in Brussels, this episode delves into Jaclyn's thematic inspirations, their contemporary relevance, her artistic journey, and how her work interwines with other aspects of her life. 

The elegant five-storey, 18th-century townhouse, where Ilse and her family live, overlooks a historic market square surrounded by grand houses and the imposing Bourla Theatre. Opened with her husband in 2010 with the help of world-renowned architect Vincent Van Duysen, it boasts a basement restaurant and a terrace perfect for fine-weather lounging. Danielle speaks with Ilse to explore her refreshing approach to retail, the journey of establishing Graanmarkt 13, and the deep-rooted magic of Antwerp's creative scene.

Graanmark 13

Kassl Editions

Kettle's Yard is a charming art gallery and house that was originally the home of Jim Ede, a former curator at the Tate Gallery, and his wife Helen. From the mid-1950s until the early 70s, the Edes resided at Kettle’s Yard and created a space to display their impressive personal art collection, which includes works by Miro, Henry Moore, and Ben Nicholson. The house is arranged to maintain its domestic atmosphere, blending art with everyday objects to create an inspiring environment. Kettle's Yard also hosts temporary exhibitions, concerts, and educational programs, the most recent of which is a showcase of Megan Rooney’s work, including a site-specific temporary mural, a series of paintings, a dance performance, and a book.

Born in South Africa and raised between Brazil and Canada, Rooney's work explores themes of identity, memory, and the human experience, blending abstract forms with narrative elements. Now based in London, her vibrant, large-scale paintings and immersive installations are characterised by a dynamic use of colour and texture. She has exhibited internationally, including at prominent institutions like the Serpentine Galleries in London and the Louis Vuitton Foundation, and is recognised for her innovative approach to blending different media and creating evocative, experiential art.

Danielle visited Kettle's Yard to discuss with Megan her latest offering on the eve of the exhibition opening, which is her first major solo show in the UK.

https://www.kettlesyard.cam.ac.uk/

https://ropac.net/artists/210-megan-rooney/

Photo (detail): Eva Herzog

Trino Verkade's journey intertwines deeply with the legacy of Alexander McQueen himself. Hailing from Liverpool, she began her career as McQueen's first employee, standing witness to the genius and innovation that defined his work until his untimely passing in 2010. Since then, she has continued to shape the landscape of fashion, lending her expertise to renowned brands such as Mary Katrantzou and Thom Browne. However, her heart ultimately found its home at Sarabande in 2017, where she now orchestrates every facet of the foundation's operations. 

In this special episode, Trino Verkade sits down with Simon to share her insights, experiences, and aspirations. From her intimate beginnings with McQueen to her tireless dedication to nurturing the next generation of creatives, she talks about what makes Sarabande unique and its plans for the future. 

https://sarabandefoundation.org/

Photo: Sølve Sundsbø

Born in 1938 in Croydon, Boty studied at The Royal Academy and became a part of the nascent British pop art movement, along with the likes of Peter Blake and Derek Boshier. In the words of the writer Michael Bracewell, “She seemed to embody the early days of the Pop Age.” 

During her tragically short life, she produced an exciting and complex body of work, commenting on pop culture, feminism and so much of the era in which she lived, and much of which has been assembled for an exhibition at the Gazelli Art House in Mayfair, where this recording took place. 

Danielle Radojcin discusses Pauline Boty with  Mila Askarova, owner of Gazelli Art House and curator of the exhibition; Vinny Rawding , film director of a new, soon to be released documentary about Boty; and the curator and art historian Sue Tate, author of a biography on Boty’s life.

Episode artwork: Michael Ward, Untitled (Men Only Cover Shot), 1963/2023. Courtesy of Elizabeth Seal-Ward for the Michael Ward Archive, Iconic Images & Gazelli Art House (detail)

Himid turns 70 this year. She was born in Zanzibar, but after her father tragically died of malaria when she was just a few months old, her British mother took her to live in the UK, where they settled in London. She eventually studied Theatre Design at Wimbledon College of Art, and the Royal College of Art. 

Over the course of her career, Himid has aimed to make art that creates a dialogue with her audience - she has said how the patterns in her work are a form of narrative; she has also made a point of championing under-represented artists, especially Black and Asian women. She became a key figure in the 1980s London, “Black art” movement, in which so called black art moved from the margins to the centre of British culture thanks in part to a series of influential exhibitions Himid curated. She was the first Black woman to win the Turner Prize, which she was awarded in 2017, and was elected to the Royal Academy in 2018, the same year she was made a CBE for services to art. Today, she  lives and works in Preston, where she is a professor at the University of Central Lancashire. Himid sat down with me at the Holburne in the midst of the press preview of her new exhibition, in one of the main, very large rooms there, to tell me a bit about her work…

Episode artwork: Lubaina Himid, Man in a Pyjama Drawer, 2021 via Hollybush Gardens

Born in Worthing in the 50s and raised in the northern industrial town of Hull, Remfry studied art and moved to London in the 60s, holding his first solo exhibition there in 1973. A life-threatening illness and a chance encounter with an American gallerist propelled him to fame in Los Angeles in 1980, when an exhibition of his work there sold out immediately.   

He became known for his large scale watercolour landscapes and portraits, and in particular for his ongoing series of people dancing. His portraits of the fashion designer Jean Muir and the actor John Gielgud are held at the National Portrait Gallery, as well as which he has work in the permanent collections at the V&A and RA. 

Over the years he has enjoyed a strong connection with the USA – he spent 20 years in New York, where he lived in the storied Chelsea Hotel, often asking his neighbours, who included Quentin Crisp and Ethan Hawke, to sit for him. In 2001 he was  awarded an MBE for services to British Art in America.

In 2006 he was elected a Member of the Royal Academy of Arts, and last summer he was celebrated for his enthusiastic curation of the Summer Exhibition, in which he was determined to give a voice to under-represented talent. He's also known for painting the interior of the famous tea salon at Fortnum & Mason, and a fashion campaign he drew for the fashion designer Stella McCartney.

In spite of his achievements, however, he vows he'll never be part of the establishment and continues to draw - and dance - every day. In 2025 there will be a retrospective of his work in Beverely, Yorkshire.

Founded in 1994 by Consuelo Castiglioni, Marni built a devoted following for its intellectual and artistically-minded approach to clothes. When Castiglioni stepped down in 2016, Risso was appointed as creative director, continuing the brand’s legacy of cerebral design but with a renewed focus on beauty and craft. 

Before working for Marni, the Sardinian-born, Central Saint Martins-educated  Risso spent time working for Prada, Blumarine and Alessandro Dell’Acqua.

Carlos Nazario is a New York-based stylist who was global fashion director of i-D magazine and former assistant of Joe McKenna, whose previous clients include Calvin Klein, Nike and Proenza Schouler, before being appointed style director at large for Harper’s Bazaar.

https://www.biennial.com/

@danielleradojcin

Janette grew up in London and spent time as a youth working for some of the most preeminent music and youth culture magazines of the day, such as Melody Maker and The Face. In the 80s she moved to New York, where she still lives today, and where she made a name for herself documenting the nascent hip hop scene. A career working for major magazine titles and prestigious subjects followed. More recently, she has spent time in Paris photographing the Christian Dior collections as well as documenting Black Lives Matter demonstrations. She exhibits prolifically, has published several books, and recently took part in a talk at Fotografiska celebrating women in hip hop. 

Danielle Radojcin speaks to Janette about her life as an itinerant female documentary photographer, as well as what it was like going to the  Rolling Stones concert in Hyde Park after Brian Jones died; her first assignment photographing Siouxsie and the Banshees; and how it feels having her work displayed at The National Portrait Gallery. 

janettebeckman.com

Photo: © Janette Beckman

Logo artwork: Patrick Waugh

Photo: Joshua Tarn

Logo: Patrick Waugh

Sound: Warren Borg

ICA director Bengi Ünsal explains why she decided to feature a Moki Cherry show, and Naima Karlsson, Moki’s granddaughter and an archivist and coordinator for the Estate of Moki Cherry and Cherry Archive, delves into their personal relationship, what she was like as a person, her individualistic beliefs and how it all fed into her work.

Further reading:

https://mokicherry.com/

Further reading: 

Richard Malone on Instagram

Hayward Gallery

Royal Academy of Arts

Further reading:

Charleston for more about Virginia Woolf, Vanessa Bell and the wider Bloomsbury Group. 

 The Woodman Family Foundation for more information about Betty Woodman, George Woodman and their daughter, the photographer Francesca Woodman. 

To contact In Talks With host Danielle Radojcin with comments and suggestions, please head to https://www.instagram.com/danielleradojcin/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielleradojcin/

Image: Anthony Caro in his Camden Town studio
Photo by Nicholas Sinclair © The Anthony Caro Centre

Man Ray was responsible for some of the most eye-catching photos of women in the 20th Century: Lee Miller’s floating lips, the glass tears of Kiki de Montparnasse, and portraits of fashion stars Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli to name but a few.

MoMu, the Fashion Museum in Antwerp, is currently running an exhibition showcasing Man Ray’s relationship with fashion, from his photo editorials for Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, to the gowns worn by some of the famous women who modelled them. Cockx talks about what influenced Man Ray, from Paul Poiret to Marcel Duchamp and the Marquis de Sade, and the designers he in turn has influenced, including Phoebe Philo and Martin Margiela.

Recommended links from Romy Cockx:

https://www.stockmansartbooks.be/nl/man-ray-and-fashion.html

https://www.momu.be/en/exhibitions/man-ray

Touria's visionary mindset extends far beyond the art world. Ahead of the latest New York edition of 1-54, Danielle Radojcin talks to her about pressing global issues such as restitution and climate change, highlighting the crucial role art plays in driving conversations and inspiring positive change. 

Danielle visits The Lightbox, the regional contemporary art gallery in Surrey,  where recently-appointed director Sarah Brown  made the unconventional decision to showcase an exhibition of works by Lucian Freud alongside an adjacent exhibition, curated by the young British female artist, Somaya Critchlow. Running until the 19th March 2023, the Freud side of the exhibition features a range of portraits, nudes and photos, spanning the artist’s career; while the Soul as Sphere, which sits in the same room, is filled with works by Somaya’s grandfather, the artists and expert in sacred geometry Keith Critchlow, as well as pieces by his contemporaries such as Frank Auerback and Leon , and some by Somaya herself. The effect is highly complimentary and serves to afford the viewer the chance to look at Freud through a fresh - namely female and contemporary - lens. Speaking separately to both Sarah and Somaya, Danielle gets to hear about their motivations and inspirations behind the project. 

Image courtesy of the artist and Blau International. Photography: Lewis Ronald

Born in Milan in 1942 into an industrial manufacturing family, Cinzia Ruggeri studied applied arts in Milan, interned for the fashion label Carven in Paris, and worked at her father’s tailoring company before setting up on her own and designing successful menswear and womenswear collections throughout the 70s and 80s . Although her work was widely acclaimed and in demand, she became disillusioned with the commercial constraints of retail manufacturing and  left the world of fashion at the end of the 1980s to concentrate on her work as a product designer, and to teach and work on installations. 

Although she was never formally part of an artistic movement, she was closely connected with the radical design scene in Milan in the late 1970s and was an associate of The Memphis Group, the famous 80s design movement, a connection immediately evident if you look at her work. And the work does feel familiar, even if the artist behind it is not. Perhaps her most recognisable piece is an emerald green dress featuring a stepped zigurat, or zigzag line, along its edge a common motif in post-modern design of the 1980s, which is held in the permanent collection at the Victoria & albert museum.

She was one of the first designers to experiment with electronic technologies, incorporating liquid crystals, LED lights and kinetic movement into her garments and artworks. 

She died in 2019. 

See the Cinzia Says exhibition catalogue HERE. 

From autumn 2022 until the end of April 2023, the Hepworth Wakefield gallery in West Yorkshire presents the first major survey exhibition of Starkey’s work. 

In this episode, Radojcin and Starkey discuss Starkey's process and how she works with her subjects;  what she calls “the consumer gaze” and the tyranny of social media, porn and the fashion and beauty industries on young women; and the power of photography as a tool for communication. 

Episode photo: Jeff Moore

http://www.soheila-sokhanvari.com/

https://www.barbican.org.uk/