EP 167: Inner World with Director/Writer/Producer Xenia Matthews

What does it mean to make the invisible visible? For filmmaker and visual artist Xenia Matthews, the answer lives somewhere between memory, grief, the physical body, and the boundless possibilities of the imagination.  On this episode of the **Visual Intonation Podcast**, host Vanté Gregory sits down with Xenia Matthews, an emerging voice in experimental cinema whose work transforms deeply personal experiences into vivid, sensory worlds. From the intimate exploration of grief in *Stroke* and the vulnerability of *Good Blood* to the surrealist, science-fiction landscape of *OURIKA!*, Matthews challenges conventional storytelling through saturated color, abstraction, sound, and an uncompromising commitment to emotional truth.  A 2022 Filmmaker Magazine *25 New Faces of Independent Film* honoree, Matthews approaches cinema as something that can extend beyond the screen, inviting audiences to experience the interior worlds of Black womanhood, memory, and the human body in unexpected ways.  In this conversation, we trace her artistic journey from making art with flower petals in her grandmother’s garden to developing an expansive visual language that merges experimental film, installation art, and personal storytelling. We explore the relationship between grief and abstraction, the courage required to transform intimate experiences into art, and what happens when a filmmaker refuses to separate beauty from discomfort.  This is a conversation about trusting your instincts, embracing the unconventional, and discovering how the most personal images can become something profoundly universal.  **Visual Intonation** is a podcast exploring the minds, methods, and creative philosophies of filmmakers and visual artists who challenge the way we see the world.    Xenia Matthews Socials:    muxeeum.com/mamababy    https://www.instagram.com/glassdick?dlrf=MTJyMzBzcHNnM3hxbg==      Support the show ***Visual Intonation Instagram***: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/ ***Vante Gregory's Website***: vantegregory.com ***Vante Gregory's Instagram***: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/ ***To support me on Patreon*** (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations  ***Tiktok***: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation