Meet Roanna Seekings | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Roanna Seekings and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Roanna, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I’m not sure it was a fully conscious pursuit to be honest 🙂 It’s maybe more of a compulsion. You just have to get it out of you otherwise it stews around in your head, ideas I mean. They’re just there, thoughts as images and then you’re like I need to make this, this would be sick, and then you make it and its either the best thing since sliced bread or this shittest thing you’ve ever expelled making you question your entire artistic existence, but at least its out and you can move on to the next idea! Then before you know it, you’re making a bit of a living out of it, it’s mental! Haha but I love it. I couldn’t not do it, I don’t how to not do it. Drawing and making is something that has been so consistent in my life, since my earliest memories, when you’re not even aware that you’re doing it, you just do. I’m so grateful for it, especially because its allowed me to meet some of the most amazing people along the way, who support and inspire me, have become friends, and created new opportunities for me. There is definitely a lot to be said for the community that evolves around you when “pursuing” an artistic career, embrace them and support them back, it’s so important to lift each other up, it’s a significant part of each other’s success.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’d say lines and hands drive my creative process, with a slightly incessant interest in non-verbal communication, sense of belonging and identity. I work across drawing, sculpture and play around with film. It’s a great way to have flexibility in realising single ideas and bringing together larger ones. My longest running work to date is the evolution of my clothing brand ‘EA’. It started in the fields of East Anglia; sweaty revellers, heavy basslines, and a diverse bunch donning a single gesture of two hands forming two letters; EA. Then you find yourself painting a little mural of ya best mates hands in the middle of Ibiza, unknowingly birthing the first run of EA originals tees and hoodies about 6 months later, all thanks to the very community it originated from. The journey has been mad, manifesting EA in new designs including ‘a state [of mind]’ and ‘EAmbassy’, a collection of illustration, tees, and sculpture exploring what it means to be part of East Anglia and the beauty of migration in and out of the counties that form it. EA is now in its 7th year, with its newest design; EA:23. An ode to rave, belonging, and East Anglia. I was blessed enough to do a residency in London with Broke Boutique Events, painting a mural celebrating a brief history of EA:23 whilst launching my new collection of garmz including Tees, Hoodz, Crews, Joggerz, Leggingz and Shorts. It means a lot to keep things local to EA when making too, and I have to give a shout out to Dandis print family who are the screenprinting, embroidery dons and have been on this journey with me since day1! I couldn’t do this on my own, it really is a community brand, it exists only because of the people around me. The hardest part is balancing a brand whilst producing other work and taking on commissions, it’s a constant flow of highs and lows, hard graft and waving the white flag, there’s no happy medium, but I guess I’ve just accepted that now and I wouldn’t change it. I’m actually pretty lucky.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oooooh good question… Norwich is a beaut of a city to explore. So, there definitely has to be a day floating around the lanes, looking up because the buildings bring some stunning historical eye juice! Then we’d get lunch off the market, I’d pick Fresh for their ramen’s but there’s a whole bunch of feasts to get ya teeth into there. Need to get the nature fix in so we’d have some mega adventures around the Secret Garden, Whitlingham Lake, Mousehold woods, finishing with a pub and paddle past Cow Tower having a pint at the Red Lion before panic paddling back to solid ground. Too many good places for dinner but to name some gooduns we’d munch out at XO’s Asian fusion mouth jazz, Ciscoe’s too pretty to eat sushi, Sicily Trattoria for bangin’ proper pizza (rated no.1 by my boyfriend but Brick is a close 2nd), and The Bun Exchange for the best chicken wings you’ll ever taste, ever. We might wash that down with some cocktails whilst haggling for antiques at Arboretum or a cheeky mulled wine off Sir Toby’s beers on the market. To quench the art thirst we’ll go check out the freshest new work at Moosey Art Gallery, a check-in at my guys artist collective Norwich Art Shop, if we’re lucky the Undercroft or St Mary’s Works Shoe Factory may have a show on and then head to the quaint lil’ contemporary Fairhurst Gallery, We can go from quaint to base face with some drum and bass at Epic or Gonzos before a well deserved hangover brekkie at The Street Cafe or roast at either Blue’s NR3 or The Temple Bar and stuffed farewell!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Oh wow, there’s no short answer to this! I am so blessed for the many that have and continue to support me, whether it’s encouragement, buying my work, commissioning me, inspiring me, looking after me, making me accountable, I wouldn’t be where I am without the friends, family, collaborators, tutors, lecturers, employers who have been part of this journey. I reckon my top shout out has to go to my old sixth form art tutor, Mr Phelps. My 17year old self will forever be indebted to him dragging me by the scruff of my hoody (when manhandling students was still socially accepted) from the tennis courts, across the carpark, firmly parking my backside at a desk in the art room advising I wasn’t leaving until I’d finished (everything I needed to pass). He saw potential and refused to allow me to fail at the hands of my own inability to prioritise choices at the time. Lessons were learnt that day and sit with me still. Mr Phelps, the scariest, most compassionate of all teachers, built like a unit, exceptional hyperealistic painter, total ledge!

Website: www.roannaseekings.com

Instagram: @rba_roannseekings

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/roanna-seekings-29b1b0163