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ONE DAY WITH | MASTERS & MUSES | WORLD OF CABANA
Based in Silverlake, Los Angeles, Joanna Williams has run her virtual - and sometimes bricks and mortar - gallery, Kneeland & Co, for 15 years, showing international artists in every medium. From the moment she wakes up and makes tea in her mermaid carafe, bedecked in real seashells, to when she rests her head on a bespoke embroidered pillow handmade by women in Lebanon, Joanna lives life creatively. She talks Leela Cyd through the rhythms of her day.
INTERVIEW BY LEELA CYD | MASTERS & MUSES | 17 MAY 2025
My weekdays are a little different than my weekends. But I always wake up early to either surf, run, or go to the farmers’ market. Then, I do a morning meditation, have some coffee, journal, read, and check emails.
I eat a light breakfast and then work from home during the week. This entails being on the computer for a good part of the day. I do a lot of research for my work, so I spend time going through books to learn and get inspired. Music is often playing - everything from new wave to jazz to reggae. I also love to daydream.
My environment has an impact. I recently moved out of my workspace of many years and am now working from home, which has been an adjustment, mostly because I have a small house. I’m surrounded by beautiful objects, colors, and mementos, but I like to have everything organized so my workspace doesn’t feel cluttered. I have a second bedroom that has turned into an office that my boyfriend and I share, but I find myself working more at my breakfast table in front of natural light.
I have a piece of art by my bedside, ‘Garden of Promise’. My boyfriend, Miles, painted it for me. It holds the most meaning to me of anything I own.
I always have fresh flowers in my home. It’s a reminder of the little things that bring me happiness. I also have a stained glass wave that my dear friend Jessica Winzelberg made me for my birthday, and the morning light pours through each panel making a kaleidoscope of colors in my living room.
Being in a small space does force me to get out. I'll take a walk or sit on my patio and listen to the birds, watch the butterflies and admire nature. I love sunshine and vitamin D! My home is my shell and sanctuary and I like glancing at a ceramic, a book, or a piece of art to remind of who I am, where I’ve been, and where I’m going.
Surfing is a huge part of my life, I look forward to being in the ocean. The first thing I see when I walk into my favorite room, my living room, is a large-scale fabric work by my friend Anton Nazarko. It’s made of various silks that were dyed in shades of pink, purple, and brown and then cut and pieced together. It’s titled ’Sunset’ and was inspired by being in the water and gazing at the horizon. The colors make me think of a glorious summer sunset. It is totally magical.
The best compliments I’ve received about my home are that it feels like a cozy museum. And a warm hug. My [approach to interiors] is that there must be a mix of old and new, and my home [must] feel like who I am and the life I live. I like a space to spark curiosity and be rooted in the essence of the person who inhabits it.
Materials, textures, colors, and shapes thrill me. I look to many different styles and periods. I love combining high with low, and I like the way in which objects communicate with one another.
I am obsessed with scent and am usually burning incense or a candle. I lean towards Mar Mar’s Saint-Martin candle, Santa Maria Novella’s Tobacco candle, and numerous incense from Astier de Vilatte and Persephenie. I also stock up on amber incense from a vendor at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market.
We always have music playing at home. Music was my first love in life, and I believe that it is healing. My daily work soundtrack depends on my mood, and right now I’m currently listening to a few summer playlists to get me ready for my favorite season. One of them is a mix of surf jams and garage rock with a little bit of post-punk thrown in.
My career has been focused on sharing the work of others. I enjoy it immensely, but it feels good to be dreaming up something of my own. Right now, I'm working on a few different projects that are personal and a long time coming, so that has been an exercise in creativity that feels inspiring. Aside from new professional endeavors, being at the beach is where I thrive.
My personal time is just as important as my work time. My work and creativity go hand in hand, but I also give myself time to check out and rest. What I find works best for me is having an uninterrupted focus for a few hours, and then taking a break.
My boyfriend and I cook most evenings, and then I usually watch a film or take a bath. I constantly feel as if there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do, but that gets me excited to wake up the next day and continue to be creative.
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