Within51:49 Melis Ragusin Interview April 2025

Q1. When did you first discover AI, and what inspires the artworks you create?

I’ve always been really drawn to technology—it fascinates me how it keeps evolving and shaping how we live and create. So when AI, especially generative tools, started becoming more accessible, I couldn’t help but dive in. I had this feeling it would be a big part of our lives, and I wanted to understand it from the inside out. Over time, it became a natural part of my process. I was also curious to understand AI more deeply—not just creatively, but from a broader perspective. So I took the AI in Business program at UC Berkeley online and completed it with an A. It helped me grasp the bigger picture of how AI is shaping the world, which naturally fed into how I started experimenting with it artistically.

What really inspires me is emotion and perception—those fleeting, hard-to-describe moments we all go through. You know, the kinds of feelings that slip through your fingers before you can name them. That’s where AI has become such an important tool for me. It doesn’t follow a fixed path, so when I feed it an idea or a mood, it responds in unexpected ways—sometimes capturing exactly what I was trying to express, and other times reflecting something I didn’t even realize I was feeling. It’s like collaborating with something intuitive but not emotional, and that adds emotional depth and an imaginative, dreamlike quality to the work. It feels like something real and unreal at the same time, inviting people to explore it on different levels. Almost like shaping a dream—turning the invisible into something you can actually see and feel.

Q2. In your opinion, what are the positive aspects of using AI to create art, how does it enhance the art world?

I think AI opens up so many new possibilities—it’s not about replacing traditional methods, but expanding them. It gives artists the chance to explore ideas in ways that might not have been possible before, whether that’s through speed, scale, or just pure imagination. For me, it acts like a creative partner—sometimes it really surprises me and takes the work somewhere unexpected. At times, I also like to experiment and see how AI interprets things when I give it a bit more freedom—but it’s always within the frame of my vision and process. Sometimes it turns out beautifully, and other times it’s just fun to see what it’s capable of.

I also love that it’s making creativity more accessible. People who might never have picked up a paintbrush are now exploring visuals through AI, and that’s exciting. It’s pushing the boundaries of how we define art and who gets to make it.

Q3. Do you think human creativity can continue to exist in harmony with AI in the future?

Definitely. I actually think that’s where the magic is—when human intuition and emotion meet AI’s generative power. AI on its own doesn’t have lived experience or emotion, and that’s what gives art its soul. But when we guide it—when we bring in our stories, our moods, our instincts—it becomes something more meaningful. So I don’t see it as a threat to creativity at all. I see it as an extension of it. The future feels like a collaboration, not a competition.

Q4. Art can be self-exploratory… What have you learned on your journey so far?

One thing I’ve realized is how much beauty there is in the unexpected. Working with AI taught me to let go of some control—sometimes the glitches or strange outcomes are the most powerful parts of the piece. It’s changed how I see my own process. I’ve learned to trust my instincts more, and to stay curious. The journey has also made me more reflective—I’ve had moments where a visual I created with AI made me feel something I hadn’t even processed yet. It’s been a mirror at times, and I didn’t expect that.

Q5. When you collaborated with WITHIN 51/49, what inspiration did you take from the brand’s vision and spirit?

The moment I connected with WITHIN 51/49, it felt like an extension of what I already believe—that everything begins within. What stood out to me was how they combine science and wisdom, and how much they value the inner world—not just what you can see. That really clicked with how I work too. I usually start from a feeling or a thought that’s hard to explain, and slowly turn it into something visual and tangible.

Art, for me, always starts in the invisible. It’s a felt sense, a memory, a whisper of something I can’t name yet. The brand’s vision gave that inner space clarity, and its spirit reminded me that transformation often starts quietly—within—before it ever shows up in the outside world.

Working with WITHIN 51/49 felt easy and familiar. Their belief that real change starts from within and eventually shows up in the outside world is something I connect with deeply. That’s exactly how I approach my own creative process—I often begin with a feeling, something personal and internal, and build from there until it takes on a visual form. That shared mindset made the collaboration feel very aligned and genuine.

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