The British painter Rose Wylie was born in 1934 and is one of the most celebrated artists working today. Pop culture, art history and everyday moments have equal footing in her expressive, messy paintings. She welcomes Tim Marlow into her Kent studio to discuss reality, beauty and how the seating plan from a recent lunch party inspired her new work.

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Rose Wylie, 2025

Photography by Gabby Laurent

© Rose Wylie

Courtesy the artist and David Zwirner

Credits:

Producer: Emilia Eyre

Recordist & Editor: David Clack

Project Manager: Katie Burdett

Series graphics: Rosie Leggett

A Cultureshock Production

https://cultureshock.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From illegal welding jobs to big brand collaborations, the American artist Tom Sachs has been devoted to expanding the field of sculpture for 30 years. In this week’s episode of Making Sense: Conversations on Creativity, he joins Tim Marlow at the Design Museum, London, to dive into his daily pot-making practice, his Nasa projects and why his archive of incomplete works and dirty offcuts are the “most valuable materials” he has.

Warnings: Strong language and adult themes.

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Tap here to catch up on last week’s episode featuring Magdalene Odundo.

Credits:

Producer: Emilia Eyre

Recordist & Editor: David Clack

Project Manager: Katie Burdett

Series graphics: Rosie Leggett

A Cultureshock Production

https://cultureshock.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The renowned ceramicist Magdalene Odundo joins Tim Marlow on this week’s episode of Making Sense: Conversations on Creativity to discuss the deep connection between clay and the human body, the importance of vessels throughout history and her desire to create the “perfect bowl”.

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Tap here to catch up on last week’s episode featuring Thomas Heatherwick.

Magdalene Odundo

Credit: Wedgwood

Credits:

Producer: Emilia Eyre

Recordist & Editor: David Clack

Project Manager: Katie Burdett

Series graphics: Rosie Leggett

A Cultureshock Production

https://cultureshock.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode of Making Sense: Conversations on Creativity Tim is a little closer to home, speaking to Thomas Heatherwick at his London studio. From his fascination with making and fixing objects as a child, to his advocacy for reusing and repurposing older buildings today, Thomas covers his early desire to be an inventor, the importance of collaboration with colleagues and how the marginal gains sought in British cycling have inspired his practice today.

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Tap here to catch up on last week’s episode featuring Ai Weiwei.

Thomas Heatherwick

Credit: Raquel Diniz

Courtesy Heatherwick Studio

Credits:

Producer: Emilia Eyre

Recordist & Editor: David Clack

Project Manager: Katie Burdett

Series graphics: Rosie Leggett

A Cultureshock Production

https://cultureshock.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei is known globally for his powerful, frequently political works. He sits down with Tim Marlow to discuss his life and career, including his early childhood in the Gobi desert and an 81-day secret detention by the Chinese government in 2011. Weiwei also discusses his use of humour and irony, and why tricks, parallel meanings and coded references are key to the art he creates.

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Tap here to catch up on last week’s episode featuring Marina Abramović.

Warnings: Strong language and adult themes.

Credits:

Producer: Emilia Eyre

Recordist & Editor: David Clack

Project Manager: Katie Burdett

Series graphics: Rosie Leggett

A Cultureshock Production

https://cultureshock.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first episode of Making Sense, host Tim Marlow (art historian and director of the Design Museum, London) travels to New York to speak with the world’s best-known performance and conceptual artist, Marina Abramović.

Join them as they discuss the moments that have shaped her extraordinary career. From early childhood memories to the extremes of Rhythm 0 and The Artist Is Present, Marina reflects on fear, transcendence, endurance, and the search for “full emptiness.”

Follow and rate the show to never miss an episode.

Warnings: Strong language and adult themes.

Portrait of Marina Abramović, 2025

Photo by Marco Anelli

Courtesy Lisson Gallery

Credits:

Producer: Emilia Eyre

Recordist & Editor: David Clack

Project Manager: Katie Burdett

Series graphics: Rosie Leggett

A Cultureshock Production

https://cultureshock.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Launching Tuesday 25 November 2025.

Where do ideas come from? And what does it mean to create something in today’s world? Join the art historian and director of London's Design Museum, Tim Marlow, as he makes sense of it all in conversation with the biggest names in art, design and architecture.

Making Sense: Conversations on Creativity is a Cultureshock production, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Credits:

Producer: Emilia Eyre

Recordist & Editor: David Clack

Project Manager: Katie Burdett

Series graphics: Rosie Leggett

A Cultureshock Production

https://cultureshock.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.