“No hierarchies are implied.” If it is advisable to know something about Katie Merz, begin with that. The Brooklyn-born and bred artist has been taking part in on the streets each metaphorically and not too long ago actually, for many of her life. Hierarchies would have gotten in the way in which if she allow them to. Artwork was throughout, or maybe higher said, it might be all round. For Merz, improvising was the objective, and the ever-evolving canvas that’s her house borough gave her the creativeness and the thoughtfulness to learn and react to the world round her that has now blossomed right into a public artwork profession that can also be prolonged into wonderful artwork and industrial tasks. And that is the place we discovered her.
It was serendipity that on the time we had been assembly up with Katie in her Brooklyn studio, she was finalizing her long-awaited collaboration with Simplehuman. The Southern California-brand is legendary for his or her, effectively, superbly easy trash can designs and residential items, however there was one thing moderately superb about pairing an artist to create a design for cans. Concepts come and go within the studio, tasks can get thrown away however the perform of an artist is to take the on a regular basis object and switch it into artwork. For Katie, that is in her DNA.
On this episode of The Unibrow’s Radio Juxtapoz podcast, we communicate with Katie concerning the collaboration with Simplehuman but additionally how she includes spontaneous play into her work, how a lot rising up with the romantic historical past of NYC performs into who she is and the method of storytelling with traces.
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The Unibrow’s Radio Juxtapoz podcast is hosted by Juxtapoz editor, Evan Pricco. Episode 161 was recorded in Los Angeles and Brooklyn on April 21, 2025. This episode was made attainable by Simplehuman and their upcoming capsule assortment with Katie Merz.
Simplehuman x Katie Merz
Thursday, Might 1, 2025
6:00pm—9:00pm
413 Bleeker Avenue
New York, NY