Element works with a range of very special guest artists across our creative projects. We aim to explore big themes with culturally relevant artists via their own unique creative practices. This month we are saluting Tanzanian illustrator Precious Seronga , who we collaborate with on our projects with young people.

What or who inspired you to pursue a career as an artist?

I wasn’t really inspired by a specific thing to pursue a career in art, I just knew how it made me feel. When I was younger, I would spend hours drawing and painting and it was emotionally and mentally stimulating and is something I knew I would genuinely enjoy making a living out of. Thankfully, my parents encouraged my gift and the dedication to try a career in art. However, at the time of finishing my A levels, I didn’t know what to specialize in and decided to do my BA in Visual Communications at Leeds Arts, a course that helps artists explore various creative practices and eventually narrow down a focus. I knew I enjoyed playing around with Photoshop and so I began to explore illustration with inspiration from artists like Kehinde Wiley, with a focus on black opulence. While doing my BA, I practiced illustrating with a focus on fashion illustration which led to my final project of designing my own original textile prints. One of the kimonos that I designed and shared on social media caught the attention of a Tanzanian woman living in Germany and asked to purchase it. That gave me the idea to try and seriously monetize my skills in illustration which led to applying for my MA in Fashion Entrepreneurship at London College of Fashion. And now I’m pursuing a career in creative entrepreneurship, currently navigating the world of illustration and it’s possibilities!

Tell us about your artistic practise and what influences it draws on?

My artistic practice is Illustration, with a focus on fashion and women of colour. To practice illustrating digitally, I would use base images of Haute couture fashion designs and turn them into fashion illustrations made with African textiles, something rarely seen in the mainstream fashion industry. This developed into designing with a maximalist style for my prints drawing on my vibrant African culture. I began creating illustrations with an “aesthetic of excess” with inspiration from Kehinde Wiley, combining colour, patterns and textures and portraying women of colour in states of opulence and elegance.

What role does your own heritage and identity play in the art that you make?

Being a black woman now based in the western world, plays a part in how I depict the women of colour in my illustrations. In most western art galleries, its elegant portraits of white women. I wanted my art to showcase women of colour in elegant clothing and poses and in a state of over-the-top opulence. As well as my focus on the female form, knowing how black women’s bodies are often objectified, I’ve explored nude prints in alternative way. Showing the female form in a sensual and humorous way such as my “Art of Fart” print.

Tell us about your guest artist workshop with Element x RBKC project?

It was my first workshop, so I was very excited to explore another potential aspect of my career. It was a workshop on collage, maximalist, fashion illustration. Using our old clothes to encourage recycling with art and self-expression with creating over the top pieces from our imagination. The group was all young men and was very interesting to see their perspectives as well as openness to use all kinds of fabrics and bright colours rather than just sticking to toned down fabrics. It was great to hear back about how it made them feel, calm and a little therapeutic, an aspect people who aren’t creative or haven’t tried don’t often realize.

What advice do you have for young artists?

I would say to surround yourself with people who see the good with your gift and with people who nourish and encourage it. It’s not just important to practice on yourself to grow, but surrounding yourself with people who take it just as seriously about it as you do and encourage it are important to keep you motivated, because the art world is very difficult and competitive to navigate. <3

Can you describe your relationship to colour?

I grew up in Tanzania, which was a very colourful place. I grew up in Dar es Salaam, a multicultural city with people of all shades. I grew up with African textiles with their vibrant patterns. I grew up with real fresh vibrant fruit and vegetables (which was a culture shock adjusting to Tesco groceries!). I grew up in warm weather, by the Indian ocean and in a tropical environment. If you look at my work, the environment I grew up in is seen in all kinds of forms. Living in the UK, it can be quite dull, I wanted my work to brighten up people's spaces.

What does it mean to you to be designing clothes that are made in Peckham?

For my fashion brand I wanted to continue the celebration of underrated African talent, and at the time of developing the brand, I lived in South London. I knew of the large Afro Caribbean community in the area and my seamstress was based in Peckham. Tailor Fola is also an immigrant from Nigeria, with over 20 year’s experience creating beautiful dresses from the comfort of her kitchen. She helped me bring my first textile prints to life and one of her kimonos was the first fashion item I’d ever sold. I wanted to continue my journey with her into the fashion industry to show African craftsmanship. And to show that “luxury’ doesn’t only come from an atelier from Paris, but you can also find the same quality of work from an unlikely area like Peckham.

You can find Precious at:

https://bypreciousseronga.com/

In person locations (stockists):

Solo craft fair shop at Brixton Village
Not Just a Shop in Holborn
Thingy cafe in Hackney
Visualise it first in Brixton
Canopy market at Kings Cross

Black History month blog special: Q&A WITH ELEMENT GUEST ARTIST: PRECIOUS SERONGA