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cover art for Jon Gray - “The Plate is a Passport”

ON THE COUCH

Jon Gray - “The Plate is a Passport”

Season 1, Ep. 1
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ON THE COUCH's first-ever guest is Jon Gray — co-founder of Ghetto Gastro, the Bronx-born collective that uses food to spark conversations about culture, race, power, and belonging. Jon calls himself “the dishwasher,” but his work has moved from the block to the museum to the boardroom, merging food, art, fashion, design, and music into a cultural movement. What many people don’t realize is that Jon doesn’t think of food as his product — he sees it as his medium, using it to tell stories that will make you rethink every meal you've ever eaten. In this episode, he’s seated on a foam couch by John Chamberlain — the perfect setting for a conversation about making art from everyday materials.


Follow our host: https://www.instagram.com/alexandrafairweather/

Follow our guest: https://www.instagram.com/ghettogray/


Stay up-to-date with the John Chamberlain Estate:


Timestamps: 

00:20 Introductions 

1:51 Origin story of Chamberlain’s Shelter Island studio 

2:51 Jon’s early discovery of art 

4:32 Jon’s dream place to live

7:20 G SPOT, Jon’s new gallery project

9:29 How to make museums more accessible

11:17 Jon reflects on his residency at The Met 

13:38 How Ghetto Gastro came to be

17:54 What’s next for Ghetto Gastro? 

18:21 The Bronx in three words 

19:26 Jon’s riskiest early-career moves

22:23 How the matriarchs of his family influence Jon’s work

24:57 Chamberlain's work as a hairdresser in the Motown era

26:48 Jon on being honored by the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit

28:00 Little-known stories from Chamberlain’s early life 

29:07 The best meal of Jon’s life

32:53 The unique history of gumbo

35:03 The legacy Jon wants to leave

39:51 Chamberlain’s restaurant on Shelter Island

40:47 Jon teases his new concept on sushi

41:32 The best piece of advice Jon received in his youth

42:08 Making art that’s hard to define

45:52 Bringing back play

47:00 Lightning round questions  

48:35 Outro & Credits




Stay up-to-date with the John Chamberlain Estate:

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  • Coming Soon - ON THE COUCH

    00:38||Season 1
    ON THE COUCH invites you into the inspiring worlds of today’s cultural leaders. Join host Alexandra Fairweather as she sits down with guests on one of artist John Chamberlain’s iconic foam couches to discuss all aspects of creative life. In the debut season, you’ll hear from bold thinkers and creative polymaths like artists Daniel Arsham and David Salle; designers Misha Kahn, Sasha Bikoff, and Fernando Mastrangelo; fashion designer Alexander Wang; architect Annabelle Selldorf; and Jon Gray, Co-Founder of Ghetto Gastro. Each conversation sheds different light on how bold, original, and even seemingly impossible ideas come to life – and If you’ve ever wondered how legacy is truly built, this series is for you.Tune in to episodes of ON THE COUCH via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, YouTube, or wherever you prefer to stream. New episodes drop every other Tuesday starting May 19.