logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
27m 54s

In the Studio: Kevin Kwan

Bbc World Service
About this episode

In recent years, dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker Kevin Kwan, author of Crazy Rich Asians, has made Los Angeles his home. The city is rich with art, fashion and intriguing social structures, all of which are key sources of inspiration for Kevin’s novels. Los Angeles has become his living and breathing studio, and going out into the city is a huge part of his creative process. In the first of several ‘deep dives’ into the LA life that sustains Kevin creatively, we attend the opening of a new show (featuring the work of artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby) at the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Gardens, out in Pasadena, where the old money families of LA live.

Up next
Today
Searching for hope as a hostage in Gaza
After two long years President Trump has announced a ceasefire agreement which should see the remaining hostages returned home in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. How have the families of Israeli hostages and their loved ones, held captive in dark tunnels for hu ... Show More
26m 29s
Yesterday
Global dancefloor: Saigon
Frank McWeeny heads to the dancefloors of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) to uncover what Vietnamese alternative culture looks and sounds like today. With 70% of the country under 35, young people are the driving force behind a different image of Vietnam, far away from poverty and war. ... Show More
36m 35s
Oct 8
The biker gang ‘securing’ deadly Gaza aid sites
We have identified seven members of an anti-Islamic biker gang who oversaw security teams at aid sites for starving Palestinians, run by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Correspondent Andy Verity unearths who they are, what they believe and how their ideology may h ... Show More
22m 25s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2018
Kevin Hart
With persistence and sheer will, Kevin Hart worked his way up from selling sneakers in his hometown of Philadelphia to selling out stadiums all over the world as a stand-up comic. Today, Kevin is a blockbuster comedic force breaking box-office records in movies like "The Secret L ... Show More
35m 31s
Jun 2020
Christopher Knight: The Critic Whose Love for LA Uplifted Its Arts Community
In his current position as art critic at the Los Angeles Times, Christopher Knight has been speaking truth to power for almost four decades. He charted the contemporary art waters in a city that has since become one of the world’s art hubs before most people ever noticed. He does ... Show More
40m 46s
May 2022
The journey to find a creative home
Alaa Krimed is a luminary of the Middle East's contemporary dance scene. For the better part of the last decade, the Palestinian choreographer has been an ardent advocate of the art form through his Sima Dance Company, which he founded in Damascus in 2003. On a path that has been ... Show More
17m 53s
Apr 2024
Jeff Koons: Installations from New York to Doha
A series of conversations with Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and people who have been part of Qatar’s architecture & culture development journey. In this episode, Her Excellency hosts one of America's most influential artists, Jeff Koons. Rising to prominence in the ... Show More
49m 2s
Aug 2023
A brush with... Larry Achiampong
In this first episode of a new series of A brush with…, Ben Luke talks to Larry Achiampong about his influences—from writers to film-makers, musicians and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped his life and work. Achiampong was born in London in 1 ... Show More
1h 8m
Mar 2023
Women in Hollywood: Styling the stars
Kim Chakanetsa meets two of the most influential stylists in Hollywood. Camille Friend is a hair stylist and she’s been nominated in this year’s Academy awards for her work on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She has worked on 7 other Marvel movies – including Captain America – an ... Show More
27m 41s
Jul 2023
Episode 2: Danceteria - New York, US
Danceteria wasn’t just a nightclub. It was an artistic incubator at the heart of New York’s early 80s cultural renaissance. It became a space for musicians, artists, and activists to seek inspiration.  It was the club where Madonna performed on stage for the first time and Keith ... Show More
45m 36s
Sep 2021
Quentin Tarantino
When Quentin Tarantino’s debut novel, was published earlier this summer, he gave his only UK broadcast interview to Front Row. Now in a special edition of the programme, Kirsty Lang presents an extended version of that interview. For the subject of his new book, Tarantino turned ... Show More
28m 5s