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Artwork for The love that loves you back
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The love that loves you back

First Floor Gallery Harare

Valerie Kabov and Jonathan Freemantle have been talking about painting for almost a decade, sometimes it spills into life, it might be interesting to others.

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  • 20 episodes
  • monthly
  • Avg 31 min
  • English

Episodes 20

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  • #28
    August 13 · 46 min

    Redefining the now with Abdollah Nafisi| Episode 28

    Valerie and Jonathan welcome contemporary sculptor, Abdollah Nafisi for a second round, return to a questioning what it means to be an artist in difficult times. From war and displacement to the pressures of the contemporary art world, they ask whether art can and should respond to political turmoil. Abdollah argues for slowing down and looking at ideas from the past rather than obsessing over the demand for constant originality. This episode considers what it means to live in the present, and whether artists can help imagine futures that are less obsessed with speed, consumption and certainty.

  • #23
    June 23 · 33 min

    Art & Science – Twin Flames| In Conversation with Simeon Nelson

    Simeon Nelson is an artist who’s always been preoccupied with systems and systems thinking, which has at regular intervals have landed him in the realm of science. In his most recent incarnation he is visiting art professor at the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford University. Supported by an inaugural Faraday Discovery Award from the Royal Society in London, he is collaborating on a research project called “Responsive Disorder in Functional Materials”. We speak to Simeon about negotiating the broad spectrum of knowledge and experience between art and science, the possibilities for meaningful synthesis and how to work through the constraints.

  • #26
    May 27 · 27 min

    Outsourcing Humanity: The AI Conversation| Episode 26

    As society rushes to automate creativity, we ask a difficult question, what happens when humanity begins outsourcing the very things that make us human before we’ve even understood our own humanity? Join hosts Valerie and Jonathan in conversation as they unpack AI participation in the creation and critique of art.

  • #25
    April 22 · 22 min

    Fuck Process| Episode 25

    What happens when the preciousness of process in practice itself to be challenged? Join hosts Valerie Kabov and Jonathan Freemantle as they explore when to adopt a process and when to release it

  • #21
    March 12 · 38 min

    Abdollah Nafisi in Conversation: Public Sculpture, Iran, and Nature | Episode 24

    Our special guest this episode is Abdollah Nafisi, a public sculpture artist born in Tehran, Iran, during the Iran–Iraq War. In his twenties, Nafisi travelled with nomadic tribes to learn traditional crafts and local material practices. Originally trained as a furniture maker in Iran and later relocating to the UK, he has developed a sculptural practice that considers the relationship between material, space, and identity. Working primarily with wood, his work often reflects a deep sensitivity to trees.

  • #23
    February 26 · 20 min

    Alternative Models for Art Fairs | Episode 23

    In Episode 23, Valerie and Jonathan propose some iconoclastic new paradigms for art fair business model, which would both promote economic equity and access as well as artistic innovation. Change must happen if art fairs are to survive and thrive! What changes would you like to see? Comment below, we would love to hear from you!

  • Dec 18, 2025 · 22 min

    Life of an Artist, Well Lived. In Memory of Charles Hardaker (1934-2025)| Episode 21

    This episode explores the concept of a career, definitions of success, and the pursuit of stardom and measurable outcomes. It considers generosity of spirit in painting as a measure of a meaningful life and career. This episode is dedicated to the inspirational life and practice of Charles Hardaker, artist and lifelong mentor to host Jonathan Freemantle.

  • #19
    Nov 1, 2025 · 28 min

    Craig Yee in conversation at the scary edges of intercultural dialogue | Episode 19 part 1

    In this episode, curator and director of Ink Institute, Craig Yee, shares insights on how engaging with different cultural and historical perspectives can deepen and expand the foundations of contemporary art. We dive into his work at Ink Institute, a gallery project dedicated to traditional Chinese calligraphy–based practice, and explore how art can become a space for dialogue.

  • Oct 6, 2025 · 28 min

    Lawrence Lemaoana in conversation: Art, Access, and Opportunity| Episode 18 part 2

    Lawrence Lemaoana, South Africa’s leading conceptual artist and activist in conversation on art world realities and what it means to create access in a cultural sector still emerging from history of apartheid; how we can redefine success and what that means for artists as well as his relationship with the legendary Henri Vergon, founder of Afronova Gallery and how that connection shaped his path as an artist.

  • #16
    May 22, 2025 · 43 min

    In Conversation with Helen Teede | Episode 16

    In this episode, we welcome Zimbabwean painter Helen Teede as she shares her approach to painting is a form of dialogue and how motherhood has shifted her approach to creativity and time.

  • #15
    Apr 29, 2025 · 44 min

    In Conversation with Gresham Tapiwa Nyaude | Episode 15

    Valerie and Jonathan welcome the pod’s very first guest, Gresham Tapiwa Nyaude one of Zimbabwe’s most dynamic painting voices. The episode journeys through Gresham’s life, inspirations and insights as an emerging painter reaching maturity.

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes