Maya Erdelyi-Perez is an award-winning artist, designer, and director from New York City, currently based in Boston where she is a faculty member in Animation at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University. Her hand-crafted animations and collages are inspired by imaginary worlds, memories, and the unconscious.

All artwork © Maya Erdelyi Perez. Courtesy of the artist.

art_works recently had the pleasure of meeting up with Sandy Lamb, a Montreal-based weaver whose textured works feature gradients of earthy tones and optical designs. Within the quiet confines of Sandy's studio space, we discussed the importance of listening to materials, learning from dreams, and the joys of gardening and creative rituals.

All artwork © Sandy Lamb. Courtesy of the artist.

With the Boston weather finally transitioning from winter to spring, artist Jamal Thorne welcomed art_works into his sunny studio space in the South End. During our visit, we encountered works in progress reflecting the multi-media aspects of Jamal's practice, which blends drawings, paintings, and mural traditions. His imagery references popular culture, religious iconography, and symbolism as a way to reimagine what our multilayered identities could look like in contemporary society.

All artwork © Jamal Thorne

In a recent visit to her studio, artist Guhapriya (Gupi) Ranganathan shared her simple yet profound philosophy that unifies both her personal life and multidisciplinary art practice. We sat down with Gupi in her cozy home studio to catch up on her recent creative projects, discuss her background in engineering and management, and her transition to pursuing bio-inspired art full-time.

For our first dual studio visit, art_works ventured into the shared workspace of Montreal-based artists James Lee Chiahan and Bryan Beyung, where we were greeted with bright sunlight and panoramic views. During our conversation, James and Bryan touched on the value of digital media, the perks of sharing a studio space as a generative social setting, and art's ability to create connections and feed the community.

All artwork © the artists. Courtesy of the artists.

art_works visited the tranquil creative space of Montreal-based artist Béatrice Côté as she prepared for Clay Court, her solo exhibition at Espace LouLou. Amidst large-scale stretchers and ceramic debris, we discussed fusing passions and art forms, the importance of alternative exhibition spaces, and material insights gleaned from an artist residency in Rwanda.

All artwork © Béatrice Côté. Courtesy of the artist.