episode 263 | Ben Beres

This week Miranda speaks with artist, educator, community-builder, and all-around creative force Ben Beres.

Ben first joined the podcast way back on episode six of Hello, Print Friend (née Pine | Copper | Lime), and in this episode sits down face-to-face in Chiang Mai, Thailand with Miranda while he was here for a residency at Hello Print Friend Studios.

A lot has happened since 2019. A global pandemic, major shifts in the art world, the loss of loved ones, new creative obsessions, and the inevitable perspective that comes with getting older and staying committed to a life in the arts.

They discuss growing up as the son of a pastor, building community through art, teaching the next generation of artists, and what it means to keep making work when art is no longer just something you do, but something that has become the fabric of your life. They dive into his recent fascination with paper marbling and vitreography, the evolution of his practice over the last several years, and the role that travel, experimentation, and collaboration continue to play in his creative life.

They also talk about his time in Thailand, the prints he created during his residency, finding inspiration in unfamiliar places, and the ways different cultures can challenge our assumptions about how life is supposed to be lived.

This is a conversation about art, grief, curiosity, aging, friendship, and the strange privilege of getting to spend decades doing the thing you love.