In this episode of Creative or Dead, we chat to Ty Symonds – a designer who thinks like an artist.

Ty’s creative origin story starts in Far North Queensland, where rainforest and lace-like fungi created an unforgettable impression on his psyche. This early education in the art of observation has underpinned everything that followed: from designing textiles at Peter Alexander, to navigating big-box retail, to reshaping Country Road Homewares through collaboration and long-term thinking.

This is a conversation about trusting your intuition versus over-analysing, and building impactful collaborations with a commercial mindset – all without losing your soul. We get into leadership as a creative practice, the importance of making (not just designing on screens), and why nature doesn’t believe in waste.

We also jump into flow states, mermaids, and a manifesto for slowing the hell down. It’s an episode about listening to materials, to place, to your gut, and trusting that creativity will surface when you make enough space for it.

Follow Ty on Instagram to stay up to date with what he's up to next.

Creative or Dead is hosted by David Constantine and Aleesha Callahan.

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

In this ep, we sit down with Golnar Roshan, co-founder of Amsterdam-based studio Rive Roshan, to talk art, design and what it really means to build a creative life on your own terms.

Golnar traces her journey from Sydney to Europe, from visual communication student to working at Marcel Wanders, and into a sincerely collaborative practice that sits somewhere between art, design and technology. We talk about creativity as a lived practice (not just a job title), and power for work to be coupled with emotional intelligence.

This episode digs into creative partnerships, making work with integrity, and holding onto empathy in a noisy, commercialised world. There’s Milan Design Week, experimental materials and politics layered with beauty.

If you’re searching for conversations about creative careers, art and design practice, creativity with substance, or how to build a career without flattening yourself in the process – start with this conversation.

Rive Roshan is being presented by Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert at Melbourne Art Fair (19-22 Feb 2026).

Links

See more about Rive Roshan at riveroshan.com

Sub Catcher riveroshan.com/projects/sun-catcher-rive-roshan-alcova-milan-2025

Shifting Perspectives riveroshan.com/projects/shifting-perspectives

Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert gallerysallydancuthbert.com

Melbourne Art Fair melbourneartfair.com.au

Creative or Dead is hosted by David Constantine and Aleesha Callahan.

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

In this episode (hello season three!), we chat with Viktor and James, the founders of Nasha Gallery in Sydney (Eora) to learn about building a gallery without following the rules. The guys talk about their leap from artists to gallerists, what it actually takes to run a commercial gallery and why they back emerging Australian artists who can stand shoulder-to-shoulder alongside global talent.

Expect unfiltered takes on being “brave”, how they choose artists (studio visits, taste, trust), and why transparency in the art world shouldn’t be radical – but still is.

If you’re into contemporary art, creativity, art careers, gallery life, art management, collecting, or the messy reality of making a project survive, this one’s for you. Plus: there's road trip stories, a near-illegal mega-show, and two very different death designs.

Check out Nasha Gallery and all their upcoming shows at https://nasha.com.au

Nasha Gallery is presenting James Little at Melbourne Art Fair 2026.

Creative or Dead is hosted by David Constantine and Aleesha Callahan.

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