The Lives Of The Artists

Ep #18. Sara Frazetta ~ Granddaughter Of Frank Frazetta The Godfather Of Fantasy Art

Sara Frazetta is the granddaughter of legendary fantasy artist Frank Frazetta and a key figure in preserving and promoting his artistic legacy. As co-founder of Frazetta Girls, a company she helped create to celebrate and license her grandfather’s work, Sara has played a central role in reintroducing Frank Frazetta’s iconic imagery to new generations through apparel, books, exhibitions, and collaborations across pop culture. Beyond business, she’s become a vocal advocate for creative independence, often speaking about the power of imagination and the importance of family in stewarding an artist’s vision. With her blend of entrepreneurial spirit and deep personal connection to Frazetta’s mythic world, Sara has helped solidify his place as a titan of visual storytelling.

Ep #17. Ru Knox ~ Neo Surrealist Artist

Ru Knox is a British visual artist based in London, whose practice evolved from classical portraiture to immersive, abstract figurative painting. Originally trained in architectural interior design and academic oil painting in Italy, he began his career fulfilling private portrait commissions and exhibiting in respected venues like Mall Galleries and the Rijksmuseum. Seeking more creative freedom, he completed an MFA at City & Guilds in 2019, and his MA show led to his debut solo exhibition
"Rapture" at Waluso Gallery in Hackney. Since then, he has become known for his expressive, large-scale works that blend semi-figurative and abstract forms, exploring the boundary between waking and dreaming, particularly through the exploration of hypnagogic and hypnopompic states. His dynamic canvases have featured in prestigious group and solo shows such as "Art in the Age of Now" at Fulham Town Hall and "Palimpsest" at Graffik Gallery and he's exhibited internationally, including a recent New York show with Guerin Projects. Knox's work is rooted in emotional resonance, aiming to stir viewers into their own subconscious memories and narratives, merging structure and spontaneity for richly evocative experiences.

Ep #16. Lydia Pettit ~ American Artist Based In London

Lydia Pettit is a London‑based American artist whose arresting self‑portraits and textile‑infused paintings explore trauma, body politics, PTSD, and the objectification of women. Working across oil, embroidery, quilting, and occasionally video, her work embodies both vulnerability and confrontation—often appearing as a personal “battleground” where tenderness meets callousness. Pettit earned her MA from the Royal College of Art in 2020 and has exhibited widely, including solo shows at White Cube (2022), Galerie Sébastien Bertrand in Geneva (2021), and Galerie Judin in Berlin (2023), where she presented “In Your Anger, I See Fear”—a visceral, horror‑inspired exploration of female rage and bodily boundaries. A new exhibition of her work has just opened on the 28th June 2025 for a month at Galerie Judin in Berlin again!

Ep #15. Daniele Bolelli ~ Historian, Host Of ‘History On Fire Podcast’ & Caravaggio Expert

Daniele Bolelli is an Italian-born historian, writer, lecturer and podcaster. Known for his eclectic and rebellious approach to history, philosophy, and religion - he is a legend of the game. Born in Milan in 1974, he moved to the United States where he earned degrees from UCLA and Cardiff University, and has taught at several institutions including California State University, Long Beach. Bolelli is the author of several books, such as On the Warrior’s Path and Create Your Own Religion, blending academic insight with a fiercely independent voice. He gained wider popularity through his podcasts History on Fire and The Drunken Taoist, where he explores historical events and figures—ranging from Caravaggio to Native American leaders—with a passionate, narrative-driven style. Bolelli is celebrated for making history visceral, philosophical, and accessible, often highlighting the rebels and rule-breakers who have shaped our world.

Ep #14. Emil Oskar Andersson ~ Curator Of Daily Paintings & Cultural Writer

Emil Oskar Andersson runs and curates the hugely popular Instagram page Daily Paintings, where he posts and writes about paintings that move him every day. He is also a cultural writer for Corren a Swedish national newspaper and media outlet.

Ep #13. Kay Gasei ~ London Based British Zambian Artist

Kay Gasei is a London-based artist born in 1991 who traverses the intricacies of narratives and myths in his artistic practice, illuminating a realm of profound artistic exploration. Employing symbolism, recurring motifs, and enigmatic characters set within abstract spaces. Gasei breathes life into the narratives on his canvases, evoking an enigmatic allure that bewitches viewers.

Ep #12. LUAP ~ Contemporary British Artist

Paul Robinson, better known by his alias of LUAP, is a Contemporary British Artist based in London. He is known for his depiction of ‘The Pink Bear’ which he uses as a muse within his artworks. His work spans the creative fields of photography, painting, sculpture and performance art.
https://www.luapstudios.co.uk

Ep #11. Paola Vojnovic ~ Leonardo Da Vinci’s Life, Drawings & Vitruvian Man

Paola Vojnovic is an art historian with two master’s degrees and more than two decades of research and writing about Renaissance artists. Paola brings an exceptional level of expertise about Renaissance Europe and passion to her work as lecturer, teacher, and tour guide.

Ep #10. Michael Shane Neal ~ America’s Leading Portrait Painter

Michael Shane Neal (born November 23, 1968) is an American portrait artist who currently serves as the chairman of the Portrait Society of America. Since beginning a full time career as an artist at the age of 21, Neal has completed more than 600 private and public commissioned portraits on display around the world. His work includes seven U.S presidential cabinet members, four former U.S. Ambassadors, seven U.S. senators, over a dozen Federal Judges, four U.S. governors, actors, and heads of universities. He has painted notable figures such as President George H.W. Bush, actor Morgan Freeman, jazz great Ron Carter, comedian Jimmy Fallon, journalist Carl Bernstein, authors Jon Meacham, Margaret Atwood, Colm Toibin and Doris Kearns Goodwin, fashion designers Anna Sui, Naeem Kahn, Valerie Steele, as well as Henry Lewis Gates Jr., former United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Sir Malcolm Colquhoun, Chief of Clan Colquhoun, 9th Baronet, 31st of Colquhoun and 33rd of Luss, and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Ep #9. Toto Bergamo Rossi ~ Director Of Venetian Heritage

Toto Bergamo Rossi is a restorer specializing in the conservation of stone, has restored important monuments in Italy and abroad. Since 2010 he has been the director of Venetian Heritage, an international nonprofit organization with offices in New York and Venice, which supports cultural initiatives through restorations, exhibitions, publications, conferences, studies, and research, with the goal of making the world more aware of the immense legacy of the art of Venice. He has led numerous restoration projects, exhibitions, and publications.