Is ART the Key to Life's BIGGEST Questions? A Deep Dive with Drue Kataoka

Can a single digital artwork challenge how we see faith and the afterlife? This episode, the first edition in our special April series on religion and spirituality in honor of Easter and Passover, examines this question. I had the pleasure of sitting down with artist Drue Kataoka. Drue is a globally renowned artist, technologist, and CEO of Drue Kataoka Art Studios, with clients in over 30 countries and artworks sent to space. Her work, rooted in Zen philosophy, spans sculpture, painting, virtual reality, EEG, NFTs, and art-science collaborations, with notable pieces featured at the International Space Station and auctioned by Phillips. Named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, she has presented at Davos, contributed to shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research & Education Institute Award for her community service. Through her work, Drue explores how belief systems and the sacred take shape in visual culture. From contemporary depictions of Jesus to broader themes of the divine, we discuss the evolving role of religious imagery in art, the personal inspirations behind Drue's creations, and what art can reveal about humanity's deepest spiritual questions.