“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time” – Thomas Merton

Exactly five years ago, I liked an artist’s post, I was drawn to a painting she had shared. I can say we immediately clicked, and I was privileged to write a story about her and her work. Recently, we reconnected. A lot had happened since the COVID-19 pandemic, and as such, it felt only fair to do a follow-up article.

Five years ago, one of Sara’s paintings stated: “Always female, my portraits capture the essence, sensuality, and inner ‘Goddess’ that I feel all women inherently possess regardless of whether it is exuded as bold defiance or a quiet inner calm, it is there nonetheless.”

Talented visual artist Sara Siân (SS) shares with us her art, along with her recent and current projects.

L.G: Are you still inspired by South African women; their faces, emotions and thoughts in your work?

S.S: Yes I am. I am inspired by the beauty and inner strength of all women and capturing their essence and divine ‘Goddess’ spirit. I often channel my own journey and life experience, and I create artworks that invite the viewer to explore and connect with the emotions and stories that are woven into them. The African woman will always be an inspiration to me, there is such beauty and so many stories spring out of each woman.

L.G: You are a Painter & Mixed Media Artist who was born in 1974, in England and you have lived and worked in Johannesburg, South Africa for the past 20 years. Is there a particular reason why you moved to George?

S.S: I was born in Burnley in the North of England in 1974. The pandemic affected me a lot. My parents and sister and her family are in the UK and there was of course no travel for a long time. I found that hard. I found it very hard to be in Johannesburg and ‘trapped’ with no escape into nature. It was a strict lock down here in SA and we were not even allowed to leave our homes. Even the park where I used to walk my dog was locked up. I remember the first time I was able to get out into nature, it felt like the first time I had actually been able to breathe deeply in months. That is when my husband and I decided we needed to get out of the city. George it was! We have a view of the Outeniqua mountains from our garden and I can walk into the forest from my home. I can breathe! I am grateful everyday.

L.G: I recently saw pictures of your Art Gallery and Studio, where is the location of this wonderful place?

S.S: My Art Gallery and Studio is in my home. We live on one of the oldest streets in George, just down from the Botanical Gardens and so it attracts both tourists and locals. I have held a number of events at the Gallery and its always so fulfilling to have the space full of people and be able to share my art with them in person. 

L.G.: Your journey from Burnley to Brighton, and eventually to South Africa, is rich with creative pivots and personal discoveries. What was it about Africa and particularly the women of this country that shifted your artistic focus so profoundly from architectural forms to deeply emotive portraits?

S.S: I always loved to draw and would often be found with a pencil and sketchbook in hand, drawing the family dog or anything else that was around me. It was only in high school though that my art teacher really encouraged me to take my art further. I went on to do A ‘Levels in art and then a BA (Hons) in Illustration in Liverpool at Liverpool John Moores University.

I moved to Brighton on the South Coast and carried on with my art there with a number of exhibitions and in 1999 I had a piece of my work presented to HRH the Prince of Wales! My work then was architectural, mixed media representation of the many beautiful buildings in the Brighton area. I had a desire to travel which I gave into, spending a year touring South America and Africa. It was Africa however that captured my heart!

I have been living here now for just over of 25 years. I ran my own design business initially and started a family but the need to create and get my ‘hands dirty’ was strong. A friend signed me up to take part in a group exhibition as part of the Jo’burg Fringe Festival and I had to plunge in head first, broken arm and all! It did not feel right to go back to architectural images, I had moved on. Instead it was the women of this country that moved me, the faces and the emotions and thoughts behind them.

L.G: Besides painting us, the black goddesses, do you have other areas that you feel passionate about? 

S.S: Another love of mine is the African wildlife. I use my art where I can in collaboration with charities and other artists to raise money for wildlife conservation and awareness.

L.G: Please explain your painting process.

S.S: I usually always start with a number of charcoal sketches before commencing with a new work, this gets me a real feel for the subject in question. I then sketch up some ideas in my sketchbook for layout and composition before commencing with a rough outline in charcoal directly on the canvas. The next stage depends on what the planned end result is, if it is to be a charcoal piece then the initial sketch slowly needs to be built up until it is a finished piece. If it is to be an oil work then I will fix the charcoal and commence with the paint and other mediums to be used. I mainly work on canvas even with the charcoal works. 

L.G: How do you balance your roles of being a wife, mom and an artist?

S.S: It’s not always easy and if I am honest, sometimes I don’t get into the studio as often as I would like. I think finding balance in life is an ongoing challenge for most of us!

L.G: The Covid 19 pandemic schooled us in various ways. Which lessons can you say you got which are still relevant now, both in life and your art?

S.S:The biggest lesson was to not take anything for granted and that art is needed in our world now more than ever. We all just need to try and follow our dreams as much as we can and when life is hard, look for the small things, the little glimmers in life. 

L.G: On the endless list of events and exhibitions you were part of over the years, which stand out the most for you and why?

S.S: My most memorable experience was actually with a client who found me online. She had seen a painting I was busy with and wanted to buy it. I had an idea for a title but thought it would be nice for her to be involved so I gave her a choice of three. She ended up choosing the one I had in mind and it was “Still I Rise” the title of a poem by Maya Angelou. It was only after this that she then explained how poignant the title was to her. She had recently found the courage to leave an abusive marriage and was now raising her two children single-handedly whilst also trying to start her own business. She wanted the portrait as she felt it portrayed her own inner strength and served as a daily reminder of all she had overcome and who she was striving to be. 

In one of Sara’s recent instagram posts she shared the story behind one of her latest artworks, and one that a lot of women can relate to, that of the transition through menopause:

Blossoming is a metaphor used to describe a girl’s transition from girlhood to womanhood and then motherhood. Let’s imagine this transitioning beyond youth and motherhood and into the menopause years. A transition which for so long has been stigmatized or silenced. Let’s imagine this as a ‘second bloom’: a time of freedom, transformation and deep wisdom. 

These latter years of bloom are the best (though it may take some time to come to that realisation!). Yet, these years are her wisdom years. 

This small piece is the start of an exploration into femininity and ‘blossoming’ as a metaphor for transitioning into these ‘wisdom years’. For those women on this journey with me or heading this way, welcome. It’s quite a ride 😅 but so much better together!

L.G: Can you please explain further the meaning of Blossoming?

S.S: It’s very pertinent to my recent and current journey and where my work is heading. Many women struggle through menopause and peri-menopause. Until very recently it was an extremely taboo subject that was not talked about and so many women are left feeling lost and unsupported. It’s something that every woman in the world will go through on some level and its time that women feel supported during this erred in their lives. I hope my work can help to inspire or uplift a woman in some small way and encourage her to keep striving forward knowing that this is simply a transition, a pause, before some kind of rebirth of a wiser, more intuitive, stronger version of herself.

L.G: In one of our chats you spoke about conducting workshops, please give more details and how it’s been received so far.

S.S: I have just done two so far but they have been received really well so I am busy planning more. I think there is a need for creativity of some kind in everyone’s lives, it can be anything at all. My workshops are aimed at women who want to have some fun and maybe learn something about themselves at the same time. Maybe discover a little of that ‘inner Goddess’ of theirs!

L.G: Can you safely say you are fulfilled and have achieved all you set out to do in your art?

S.S: I am fulfilled by my art yes but I have definitely not achieved all that I set out to yet. I feel my work is always evolving and there is a lot I still want and need to say in my work. 

Sara was christened Sarah Jane but has adopted Sara Siân (pronounced ‘ Sara Shaan’) – the Welsh version of her name given to her by her Welsh Grandfather. Sara currently resides in George with her husband Dion and two children, Bethany and Joshua and ‘studio companion’ Marley, their Golden Retriever.

Each creative we have showcased here so far has shared personal experiences, their journey and future prospects. It is my hope that someone can draw inspiration from this write up, that whatever you put your mind to, will surely come to pass.

See the links below to explore Sara Siân’s selection of original paintings on canvas, hand embellished limited edition prints on paper, bespoke 100% silk scarfs, mini mementos, prints on wooden blocks and original Sara Siân artwork on stunning glass coasters. There is indeed something for everyone.

Get in touch to link up with Sara Siân via her website https://www.sarasian.com