The 21st Century Creative returns with an extraordinary tale of reinvention – meet sculptor-mosaicist Rachael Que Vargas, formerly known as John T. Unger, whose fire-and-stone artworks have travelled far beyond her Hudson, New York studio.

From cutting scrap steel with a 45,000 °F plasma torch to painstakingly shaping gemstones for life-size anatomical mosaics, Vargas shows how audacity, craft and a good story can ignite a global audience for handmade art.

‘I’ve always made things since I was a wee little kid.’ – dive into the episode to hear how that childhood spark became a blazing career.

Episode summary

Rachael Que Vargas (formerly John T. Unger)

Vargas is a 21st-century artist who forged her reputation with Sculptural Firebowls – recycled-steel fire-pits collected by Calvin Klein, hotels and public spaces on four continents. Now presenting publicly as Rachael, she is tackling her most ambitious work yet: Anatomy Set in Stone, a touring suite of fourteen seven-foot marble mosaics after 16th-century anatomist Bartolomeo Eustachi.

Her story weaves poetry slams at Lollapalooza, bartering mosaics for a mortgage, and harnessing early blogging and e-commerce to sell more than 2,000 firebowls worldwide.

Big ideas in this conversation

• Art as narrative fuel – memorable stories propel sculptures into magazines, museums and music festivals.


• Internet-age craftsmanship – blogging and social media let a self-taught artist bypass galleries and sell direct.


• Turning scrap into luxury – recycled steel and bottle-caps become heirloom objects through design and grit.


• Scale and ambition – investing firebowl profits into a museum-grade marble project aimed at immortality.

Advice worth hearing in full

• Raise the bar on what you already do well – stretch strengths rather than fixating on weaknesses.


• Think centuries, not seasons – choose materials and formats that can outlast trends, even outlast us.


• Seek offline stages – digital buzz matters, but nothing matches the impact of encountering work in the real world.

Where next?

Explore Rachael’s firebowls and mosaics at rachaelquevargas.com, watch her working on projects on her YouTube channel.

About The 21st Century Creative podcast

Hosted by creative coach and award-winning poet Mark McGuinness, The 21st Century Creative podcast helps you succeed as a creative professional amid the demands, distractions and opportunities of the 21st century.

Each episode features insights from Mark and interviews with outstanding creators – including artists, writers, performers, commercial creatives, directors, producers, entrepreneurs and other creative thought-leaders.

Make sure you receive every episode by subscribing in Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Join the mailing list to have every episode delivered to your inbox, along with the free 21st Century Creative Foundation Course.

The post John T. Unger (Rachael Que Vargas): 21st Century Artist appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness.