Join our co-founder Ted in conversation with Terri & Adam (CHIAOZZA) on Instagram Live this Friday 7/16 @ 12 PM PST. Simply follow @poketo and go to your IG Story dashboard to click in!

"What is it?? Is it aliens? Is it brains? Is it spaghetti?" - anonymous 

Terri Chiao and Adam Frezza go by the combinations of their last names, CHIAOZZA. CHIAOZZA’s work is immersive and makes you feel like you are in a different world. The way they view art is like life - it’s organic, evolving, additive, and playful. Like us, there is a connection to their art, life, relationship, and philosophy. All co-existing, parallel and interconnected with one another. Below are snippets from a conversation Ted (co-founder of Poketo) had with the two artists. 

 

On their beginning collaborations:
Ted Vadakan: How did you guys start working together?

Adam Frezza: One of the first times we worked together was when we made pancakes Terri noticed all the dips and crevices in the pancakes. I was like, “These are beautiful! You should make prints or make it more permanent.” So we put some printmaking ink on the pancakes and we made a plate essentially, along with these model prints of little cosmic Petri dish or moon-like designs. And each one was different so it felt like snowflakes or something.

TV: Oh wow.

AF: That was a lot of fun, one, and a way to play together in the kitchen. A lot of domestic relationships share making food, and that encouraged us to play beyond the kitchen.

On finding their inspiration:
Terri Chiao: Doing what you wanna do means also taking the time to follow through on ideas. However small they might be, or however unsure we might be about them. If there is a compulsion, then I feel like that just to be able to see where that goes and give it time to grow is something really valuable. 

TV: For you guys, what are you following? 

AD: That is a great question. I think it's sometimes an elusive hunch or phantom almost. For example, I really loved the shape of that stone we saw on that walk. It was an independent, unique experience but it was also shared when Terri saw another shape in a form she liked. A lot of it is pulling from experiences in nature, including the nature of the streets of New York. A certain shape of a pile of trash might be inspiring or something that we might get at the deli might inspire decisions we're making in the studio. It’s all sort of interconnected, strung together by hunches like "Oh, how could this guide me toward something." In the end, the discovery might be something we haven't seen before.

On creating art while taking care of their daughter, Tove:

TV: How's it been with Tove, your 9-month-old daughter, and your work? 

TC: It's been amazingly pretty smooth. We're building a little loft for her because she's starting to move a lot...I think the first nine months have been nice - she chills out at the studio, there's a lot to look at and she's very engaged throughout the day. Now, she's really wanting to explore.  

AD: She's been a sweet studio mate. Generally, she has her moments, mainly when she's tired. Otherwise, you look over and she's playing and smiling and bopping. There's always music playing, here [at home] and in the studio. She gets a lot of stimulation. It's a shared space so we have other people around that she gets to interact with.

 

CREATIVE SPACES is out now.