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In this episode, we meet Canadian textile artist, actor, and writer Kirk Dunn, whose extraordinary knitted works weave together themes of faith, social justice, and human connection. Best known for Stitched Glass - a 15-year knitted triptych inspired by stained-glass windows - Kirk uses yarn as a metaphor for healing across divides.

His one-man show The Knitting Pilgrim blends storytelling, projected imagery, and textile art to explore the shared tensions and hopes within Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Through his podcast The Knitting Pilgrim Talks and hands-on workshops in colour work and spiritual improvisation, Kirk invites dialogue, empathy, and participation.

This conversation touches on xenophobia, interfaith understanding, and the power of craft to build bridges. Stitched Glass premiered at the Aga Khan Museum, and his Patchwork Pride Project was showcased at Canada House in London during Pride Month 2025.

Recorded on 8 August 2025

Discover more:
Website: kirkdunn.com
Instagram: @kirkdunnknits
YouTube: The Knitting Pilgrim

Podcast details:
Podcast email: artiststalespodcast@gmail.com
Website: www.artiststales.net
Instagram: @artists_tales_podcast
Threads: @artists_tales_podcast

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In this episode, Nigerian visual artist Jacqueline Suowari shares the philosophy behind her striking ballpoint pen drawings — vast, intricate works composed of thousands of layered strokes. Blending drawing, painting, and design, Jacqueline explores identity, emotional expression, and cultural heritage with fearless honesty.

Her portraits confront societal taboos around grief, depression, and shame, inviting empathy and cross-cultural dialogue. Infused with indigenous Nigerian aesthetics, fabric motifs, and gold leaf, her work becomes a living archive of personal and collective histories.

Guided by emotional clarity and a belief in art’s power to transform, Jacqueline’s practice is as intentional as it is evocative.

Recorded on 25 July 2025.

Discover more: jacquelinesuowari.com
Follow on Instagram: @jacquelinesuowari

Podcast details:
Podcast email: artiststalespodcast@gmail.com
Website: www.artiststales.net
Instagram: @artists_tales_podcast
Threads: @artists_tales_podcast

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This episode features British filmmaker and photographer Mal Woolford and actor-educator Charlotte Woolford to discuss No Relation — their powerful collaborative project exploring ancestry, identity, and the legacy of transatlantic slavery.

Though not family, their shared surname sparked a profound artistic journey. Using wet-plate collodion photography and archival research, No Relation confronts colonial history and reclaims representation. Their portraits subvert traditional power dynamics, featuring averted gazes, ancestral textures, and Demerara sugar from Guyana — a visceral link to the colonial past.

Themes include historical accountability, the politics of portraiture, and photography’s role in exploring the legacy of colonialisation.

Recorded on 14 August 2025.

Follow the project on Instagram: @relationproject

Podcast details:
Podcast email: artiststalespodcast@gmail.com
Website: www.artiststales.net
Instagram: @artists_tales_podcast
Threads: @artists_tales_podcast