Vancouver artist Zoë Pawlak joins Aly Velji to share her journey as an artist, creative collaboration, and how she pushes herself to expand herself beyond the traditional canvas. We get into original art vs. planned obsolescence, fashion and rug collaborations, collecting with intention, and why creative discipline matters as much as inspiration. Recorded live at IDS Vancouver inside our custom booth by Bureau.
In this episode, we talk about
Why spiritual wellness fuels creative flow
Original art vs. planned obsolescence and how to build a meaningful collection
From canvases to hand-knotted rugs, fashion collabs and the Vessels & Muses Oracle Deck: making art you can live with
The real economics of a working artist: pricing, partners, and creative capacity
Why collaboration (with makers, brands, designers) elevates the work
Travel as muse: LA, NYC, Mexico City, New Mexico skies - and the permission to rest
Zoë’s favs: music, mood, and studio rituals (yes, one song on repeat counts)
About Zoë Pawlak
Zoë Pawlak is a Vancouver-based artist known for telling honest, vulnerable stories through painting, drawing, and industrial design. With 18 years of professional practice, her work explores emotional, physical, and spiritual wellness. Her latest creation, the Vessels & Muses Oracle Deck, pairs 40 of her artworks with journal prompts for daily reflection.
A graduate of NSCAD and Concordia with studies at Universidad de las Américas, Puebla, Zoë’s work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Interior Design, and Martha Stewart Living, and collected by the Government of Canada, Cobie Smulders, and Club Monaco.
Website: https://www.zoepawlak.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoepawlak/
Substack: https://zopawlak.substack.com/
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors
SILK & SNOW
Better Materials, Thoughtfully Made
Silk & Snow is a Canadian home goods brand creating beautifully crafted pieces from high-quality, responsibly sourced materials — designed to elevate your everyday. From mattresses and modular sofas to bedding and décor, everything they make blends comfort, quality, and conscious design.
Visit silkandsnow.com or explore their stores across Canada.
INTERIOR DESIGN SHOW
As Canada’s premier showcase of new products, superstar designers, and avant-garde concepts from North America and beyond, IDS is the platform to experience the importance of design firsthand, uncovering not just what’s new and what’s next, but taking part in the larger conversation around design. Experiential and transformative, we bring together compelling concepts, innovative products, upcoming talent and key experts in the industry so you can be inspired by the best of the future.
BUREAU
Bureau is a furniture and design company specializing in workspace fit-outs and made-to-order furnishings. We believe that modern workspaces are decidedly unmodern, fixed on out-of-touch, catalogue cliché notions on what it means to make deep and meaningful work. Utilizing data and technology, we design spaces that flex and modulate to the ever-changing, often abstract needs and behaviours of its people, furnishing businesses with the tools they need to shape workspaces that work.
Website: withbureau.com/ca/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bureau.global
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/bureauglobal/?originalSubdomain=ca
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