EPISODE 14: STUDENT OF THE UNIVERSE
JOIN US FOR A ROUND TABLE WITH with guests Urban Koi and Aundre Larrow AS WE DISCUSS LISTENING AND LEARNING FROM ALL THE WAYS THE UNIVERSE SPEAKS TO AND TEACHES US.
THE ROUND TABLE EXPLORES
Together we discuss with guests, photographers Urban Koi and Aundre Larrow, how to break free of a creative rut, looking after your mental health as a creative, and how to come to the middle in a world of extremes. All through listening to what surrounds us and how the universe speaks to and teaches us daily.
“I like to challenge myself with - when I feel like I'm in a creative rut or something, I try to immerse myself in a different environment cause it puts your brain in a different perspective and you have to think in different ways. You have to learn new things. I always say, I'm a student of the universe because I'm learning from every single person that I need. I'm learning from nature. I'm learning from everything that surrounds me,” reflects Urban Koi. “Mental health is like really important…The pandemic really changed my perspective on everything really. I've put more emphasis on checking in with myself to make sure that I'm okay, because if I'm not okay, how can I help others if I am not my full 100%. And something that I really leaned on when I felt like this was creating, because I feel that creating is healing. And I really leaned into this.”
“For me, I’ve tried to allay my imposter syndrome by just trying to make things that are reflective of other people’s experiences, because that digital empathy I think is valuable and allows us to do good things.
And I think that’s the role of an artist is like not to always be the voice, but to be like the mirror of the situation. ”
MEET THE GUESTS
URBAN KOI. A creative director, photographer, scientist, aircraft pilot, and scuba diver. Guided by the mysteries of the universe, Koi can be found exploring with a camera in hand — documenting her adventures on Earth and beyond. When she is not traveling, she is studying as a future Doctor of Medicine. Born by curiosity and wistfulness, her visual stories interlace the enigmatic realms of health, travel, and space. As a Student of the Universe with her unique artistic lens rooted in the philosophy of life-long learning and discovery, Koi has established an international clientele with world-renowned brands. Koi is also a Co-leader on the 100cameras Board of Creatives and was selected as an independent photographer for NASA. Her clients include Apple, Chanel, Google, Montblanc, Prada, Nespresso and more.
AUNDRE LARROW. A Jamaican-born photographer based in Brooklyn, NY. Beyond these frankly reductive labels, at his core, Aundre seeks to understand people. From his work as an Adobe Creative Resident exploring stories across the country to working on the set of W. Kamau Bell’s United Shades of America, Aundre seeks to see the fundamental truth in each human being, regardless of background, culture, or upbringing. The primary question he asks in his work is, “What is the shortest distance from me to you?” When Aundre received a Minolta from his high school drama teacher at 15, it wasn’t as much a discovery as it was a completion, an additional sense with which to navigate the world. He truly believes that all people are worth knowing. That pursuit has taken him to Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to capture the Gwich'in people, to his home state of Florida to document the stories of formerly incarcerated folks fighting for their right to vote and to WeWoka, Oklahoma to photograph the largest Black-owned farm in America. His work is an honest portrayal of social issues through the eyes of his subjects who he views as collaborators and not just people to fill his frame with. His work has been published in The NY Times, The Wall Street Journal, Teen Vogue, and many more.