Beneath the Siren's Song
Flight Over Flirtatious Waters by Precious Opara
Meet multidisciplinary artist Precious Opara. Her practice delves into the surreal, weaving dreamlike encounters between the human form and natural elements such as water 🌊
Addy: Precious, thank you for joining me! How did your artistic journey begin?
Precious: It’s a bit cliché, I've been drawing since I was a kid. I did art GCSE and A level at school, then went on to do a foundation, but I actually ended up switching from the fine art pathway quite early on. I was quite worried about how to have a career as a fine artist, and I wasn’t really presented with reliable examples of what it meant to have a career as an artist. A lot of the time when we were studying artists, it was either they achieved career success posthumously, or like, their father was a painter, and that's just not the background I had.
So I switched to fashion communication, because I figured that it would be a more pragmatic way to apply my creativity whilst having a stable job, which now that I look back, I laugh, because like, there’s no money in fashion. I ended up going to the London College of Fashion, where I studied creative direction. I think towards the end of it, I realised that it wasn’t enough for me to facilitate other people's work. I would always come to points where the line between curation and creation was blurred.
Summed Up (Seated) by Precious Opara
The feedback from one of my lecturers was “Are you the artist? Or are you the curator?” And I remember one comment that kind of stuck with me, where I was told “You can't be an artist because you haven't gone to art school.” I didn't realise how much it hit me, until I noticed that I would start to hesitate a bit more about doing certain things. At times I felt like I didn't know what I was doing because I didn't go to art school. Fortunately for me, I had female mentors all around me, and they would listen to my feedback and my comments and what I'd say, and they were like, “You're an artist.”
I graduated in 2019, so obviously, we went straight into lockdown. That was a time when I began to become more reflective. I began to paint again, to take more photos, and make collages. I just started doing it. Around 2021, I was working as an art director for a magazine. At the same time, I was just doing my art stuff as well, then I began to post more. I was beginning to understand more about the way I process emotions and the way that I see my immediate environment. So through that, I saw a call for mentorship for people who were mid-career and kind of thinking about pivoting.
I don't know what led me to apply for it, but I just did. I got the chance to work with Molly Barnes, who's an independent curator, and she runs a platform for women in art called She Curates. I applied to that, and luckily, I got it. I feel like I came to Molly quite naked. I knew I wanted to be an artist, but I guess I was quite wide-eyed in terms of my knowledge of the art world. Then from there, I got asked to be part of a show at Gillian Jason Gallery, and that was amazing.
Addy: It's interesting that you felt that you had to be more formally trained to be a full-time artist. I feel like there are often so many barriers to entry in that sense, despite the fact that many successful artists, historically, were self-taught and didn't do an MFA or anything similar.
Precious: That was something that felt like an obstacle, perhaps initially.
Addy: I’m so glad that you’re forging your own path.
Precious: I’m thankful.
Addy: Your practice spans painting, collage, and site specific installation, just to name a few areas. How does this influence your creative process?
Precious: I used to think of them as quite fragmented. Often, when I have an idea, it's with the medium in mind, especially in the earlier days when I was just with my film camera a lot. But now, across the mediums, I kind of see painting as like the ultimate base, because it allows me the freedom to really describe different scenarios with creative licence.
Construction of A Friend by Precious Opara
Whereas with the others, I have to kind of negotiate with the limitations of photography, with the limitations of space. So, for me right now, I've been really heavy on painting, because I use that to influence everything else that I do. For the earlier collages, they were very much rooted in the idea of limitations. Because of lockdown, I was working on the basis of memories, or taking photos during my daily walks. Whilst I appreciate those works, I'm no longer in a place where I'm working out of isolation anymore. I'm not an isolation artist.
In a way, I think those were necessary for me to understand the way that I think about the outside world, and the way that I think of nature as a sentient space. It’s not just a space for me to dwell in, but something that I look to, and something that looks back at me. For example, with collage, using so many different cuts of water and grass really helped me to understand the way that I create landscapes.
When I paint, when you see depictions of rocks or seascapes, they're influenced by so many places that I've visited. It's quite layered. I didn't realise this until later on. So yeah, the different mediums influence each other. It's really cool.
Addy: Amazing, everything is so connected. Your work combines surreal elements with the human body and nature. What draws you to these themes and how do they intersect within your art?
Precious: It's been a very cool thing to kind of connect the dots into why. I think in the earlier days, I romanticised how I could just draw out narratives and profiles from anything. I think maybe it has to do with having a religious upbringing, this idea that everything has some sort of consciousness and is created to serve God. It's just so easy for me to think that a tree has a mind of its own. In that way, it makes me less different from nature. I think that develops into being able to portray these elements with agency. It becomes less of a divide of like, a human and a tree, but instead just two beings.
Also, from a personal perspective, I’m someone who tends to experience emotions quite intensely, to the point where it almost feels like a physical reaction. I’ve grappled with how to express these emotions without being disruptive. I feel like talking with people sometimes has its limitations, because people have different ways that they like to receive emotions, or just communication in general, as everyone has their own different kind of capacity. There's a point where maybe it’s easier to choose repression, in order to maintain relationships, but I end up feeling kind of backed up, emotionally, and not fully expressed.
I did a residency in 2022, where I was just in nature for like a month. It kind of made me realise that being in that space, especially being in water, I felt really at home in a way. I didn't feel separate from it. I began to look more closely at elements like water, thinking about how fluid it is, how easily it moves, and how these are things that I would often want for myself as a person. So I began to discuss the ways in which water moves and behaves. Then I tried to portray water as a physical parallel to the emotional needs that I was craving.
Then, I got to a point where I didn’t want to only draw parallels, but also to discuss how indivisible we are. Like, just remembering the fact that humans are made up of about 70% water. I started thinking about what this means for us, and exploring this idea of the extension of the self and what it means to express yourself truthfully without being disruptive. Water can be a tsunami, an absolute wreckage, but no one blames it, it has this forgiving quality. When water becomes steam, it can come back to you as condensation.
As human beings, we tend to be greedy and want to covet things. I really wanted to express a more mutual relationship. So I feel like in my paintings now, it's more about discussing varied states of indivisibility between water and the human body, but also showing agency between the two bodies as separate as well. In that way, they are constantly interacting with each other. It's a way to discuss this idea of the extension of the self. How to extend not just your bodily capacity, but your own emotional capacity through water, which is like this crazy, powerful element. Right now, I'm very excited and just looking at how figuration plays a part in that, and how maybe other mediums other than painting will factor into that later on.
Where the Light Touches by Precious Opara
Addy: That’s so poetic, I love the recurring theme of water in your work. It's great to hear more about where that inspiration comes from. I like the idea of being forgiving, when it comes to water. I think that's really interesting. What message or emotions do you hope to evoke with your works?
Precious: That’s a good question. Well, I don't want to really focus on making the viewer feel anything. I think every time I paint, there's an intention because I felt something. I think one thing I realised about showing my work is that people are going to come with different perspectives, which I have no control over. I think also, the emotional intent changes. But ultimately, there’s this sense of release in knowing that what I'm trying to express is going beyond me.
A few years ago, someone asked whether I found painting therapeutic, and I was like, “No, for me, I'm just taking an idea out of my head.” In a way it makes me feel grateful, because even when a painting is hard, I’m grateful that I can work through it. I can channel my writing, channel images, and memories. I can somehow put that into colour and composition, and it exists outside of my brain.
So yeah, the only thing that I would say is that if you happen to engage with my work, be curious. If I would hope for anything for someone to take from my work, I think I would hope that it would make them want to communicate more with the people that they love. I hope that it would make them want to be a better friend or person to people that they love.
Addy: That’s really sweet. Can you describe your creative process?
Precious: Long. Oftentimes, I wish I could be the type of person who can finish a painting in like, a week. That's just not me. In terms of my creative process, I’m a note scribbler. As in, if I have a thought that I’ve scribbled on a notepad, it won't make sense to anyone but me. I've become more fond of sketching, just because I've got slow hands and a fast mind. So sketching has become a really good way for me to remember concepts and compositions, whether or not they become final works. Oftentimes they develop into works, which is cool.
For a painting that's larger than 100 centimetres, it will take over several months. Nothing ever looks the way I think it will. For me, concepts and compositions are like a movie in my head. It's often like I'm trying to capture things at the right take, at the most intense or the most poignant part. I've become braver at painting over things when I feel like something's too forced or too contrived, or if I feel like something's not quite right. I care more about what I'm trying to convey. That doesn't mean that I don't let things flow. I let things flow, especially in the beginning, because I think that's the best part; when you're really loose with mark making, just to kind of see what the vibe is. But there's also like, a decision to not just not include things in there that don't need to be there.
I believe in necessarily composition, so my process is quite slow. For me, it’s quite challenging, especially in this climate where it's quite favourable for artists to be fast workers. Maybe I might get faster over the years, but right now, I feel really grateful to be able to do this. Each work I make is really a time-based work. Like, I can remember the process, I can remember how I was feeling when I was painting a particular piece. For example, in one work where I painted rocks, I can remember myself kayaking and seeing an old man between the rocks. My works hold so much in them. I think that is kind of relative to the time that it takes. Also, my style tends to be heavily figurative. The details take time.
Addy: That's cool, I didn't know that it took so long. At the moment, it feels as if fast painters are rewarded for producing lots and lots of work within a short space of time, but I think it's important for you to create rather than produce to meet demand, so it's great that you're taking your time.
Your work can function as a memory of a summer, or you know, a time in your life where something really special happened, and you can look at it and say, “I remember what I was listening to during that time.” I think that's really nice. What role does colour play in your work if any?
Precious: I use lots of blues and greens to depict water. But I've realised that light has also been a massive factor in terms of this idea of illuminating or igniting the space. It's almost like the ignition of the surrealist aspect itself. I’ve become more sensitive to colour, especially shade. I think about the fine balance of vibrancy and dullness, and a sense of how different tones can shift the balance between reality and this completely other world.
In terms of portrayal, there's a presence of a human figure. Whether or not I paint myself as black or I change to different colours, personally I never really thought about it, because to me, I'm black. So I'm going to paint myself as such. It wasn't until I created a work where I’m completely green, that I realised how much it could ostracise certain people, in terms of seeing the figure as a human being.
Lull (Over the Edge) by Precious Opara
It was funny to me personally, but it also emboldened me in the way that I use colour. If I'm going to use it, then I'm going to discuss the idea of humanity and extension. Water is an extension of humanity, from my viewpoint. In the same way that my blackness and my humanity are indivisible.
Addy: Yes, exactly. It’s so important to acknowledge that. Who or what are your greatest influences?
Precious: My memories inspire me. I think that having a religious background heavily influences my work because I just see everything as sentient. Everything has this ability to speak. But also, I'm really moved by raw emotion. Often when I work, I'll probably listen to gospel music because it's this absolute naked expression of pure love, despair, desperation, or just, honesty. I think that it's a very conductive energy. It's emotive.
What else influences me? Peace of mind influences me, because it’s something I hope to have. In terms of art references, I feel like it's really obvious. I don't like him as a person, but Dali. The way that he was able to paint in a way that was on this earth but also completely wasn't. It's so subtle and it's something that I've always loved. I've always felt like I'm here, but I'm also not, so it's very easy for me to just go into a whole fantasy in my head. I’m also inspired by Sola Olulode.
Addy: Yes! She's the first artist that I ever interviewed for the blog, love her <3
Precious: Her work makes me feel very warm and cosy and just makes me want to be with my friends. I like Francis Bacon. Again, the way that his work takes you out of reality, you’re just like, teetering on the edge, finding balance. I think culturally, I love me some Solange.
Addy: I had a feeling that she might be an influence for you!
Precious: I think the biggest thing that I take away from her is just how cool it is to be yourself in a way that is very honest. Like very honest in your craft, but also in a way that could be unpopular, because you're taking your time. I take inspiration from her and the way that she works it out, but also, yes, the music. I just like being a free person as much as I can be.
Addy: Love that for you. You’ve mentioned blurring the line between body and landscapes. What emotions or experiences do you aim to capture through this technique?
Precious: Through body position, I'm trying to convey a need for something. Whereas the way that the water is painted, often tends to answer that question in the work. If there's an absence of water, then maybe the body is distorted. For example, I think there's an early work where it's a completely fluid form, and more of a manifested scenario. So I think when it comes to blurring the lines, through the point of contact, the motion is conveyed.
Great Exhale by Precious Opara
Right now, what I'm working on is showing different points of manifestation, so what happens either before the point of contact, or what happens after they merge. This began to show as a physical joining. I’m trying to convey emotions through water, rather than through the full presence of a human figure. A lot of the times when I've been inspired, it's not been through looking at my body, it's been through looking at these elements.
Last summer, I spent time looking at the way that waves change. We were docked near a rock, and every second or so the waves would crash against the rock and break formation, then they just seemed to fall back in. I began to think about this idea of community, refuge, and what it means to be part of a bigger body. But also, what happens when you fall out. I began to think of the waves as friends in this community that help each other. Also connecting the way that I feel about my friends and family to this landscape. These are the ways that I began to think about how water and the human experience are closer than people tend to think. And again, because it's normal for me to think of natural elements of having their own stories, having their own agency, I'm able to think about these relationships. Their own ability to convey such emotions as we do. Surrealist distortions and animations.
Addy: Beautiful. Do you have a favourite work that you've created?
Precious: I do, but I haven't shown her yet. I worked on the painting for like, probably over five months. It was really slow, because I was working on another piece at the same time. And again, I was discussing this idea of longing, and romanticism, and wanting affection. What is the aftermath of receiving this, what is the chemical reaction after kissing? What is the molecular reaction after having some kind of satiation of romantic, or sexual affection? And the concept of thinking that to be loved is to be changed, and what it really means to be changed. So I do have this indulgence and affection that can be likened to the idea of extreme thirst or a lacking of something. It’s quite a vulnerable work. I kind of sat on it for a while because I didn't really know if I wanted to show it.
Also, I felt that it was quite timely. Especially as the World Health Organisation announced that loneliness is going to become one of the world's leading issues. And so, especially in major cities like London, we experience how hard it is to connect with the absence of third spaces. Isolation is just so easy to fall into. This particular work explores a lot of these ideas. It’s vulnerable to say that you want to connect with something, that you want to be more than yourself with something else. It's my favourite work because there were no expectations on it. I just got to sit down with it. I think it's probably the first work where there's been kind of a metamorphosis between the human body and the watery landscape. It’s quite transformative.
I Ate My Friends by Precious Opara
Addy: It sounds amazing, I feel like I can see it in my head. It makes sense that your favourite work would be the one that isn't attached to anything, no expectations in terms of having to create it for the purpose of someone else or something else. It's just you expressing how you feel. That feels very natural. Lastly, what's next for you?
Precious: This year, I'm just really excited to make things. I’ll be doing a lot of research because sculpture has become an interest of mine, in terms of discussing this abstract cohesion of the human form and aquatics. Also, I’ll be doing a residency this year with Palazzo Monti.
Addy: Congrats!
Precious: Thank you. So looking forward. Again, this is like the greatest privilege of my life to actually be able to do this. I’m excited to just experience it and see how the residency goes and just see what I might take away from from it. But yeah, this year just working, researching, reading, a show here or there, and restaurants.
Addy: That sounds like the dream. Hopefully there’s room for self care.
Precious: Yeah, I need to get heavy on self care. Spending more time with friends, saying yes to more activities and random stuff. Also remembering that life exists and having a good studio-life balance, because there are no rewards for getting sucked into your little studio and not coming up.
Addy: Yes <3 get some fresh air, touch grass, see the sun.
Precious: Basically, yeah. I can't wait for spring when I can go home and it's not dark outside.
Addy: I’m honestly so excited. So at the end of interviews, I like to do something called a rapid fire round 🔥 Painting or collage?
Precious: Painting.
Addy: Dali or Picasso?
Precious: Dali.
Addy: Self-portrait or still life?
Precious: Self-portrait.
Addy: Beach or mountains?
Precious: Omg. Mountains.
Addy: Flying or swimming?
Precious: It’s weird. I'm gonna say flying.
Addy: I had a different answer in my head, I thought I knew what you were going to say lol. Coffee or tea?
Precious: I drink more tea, but I refuse to like it. If I don't have coffee in the morning, I get really upset.
Addy: Are you one of those like “Don't talk to me before my morning coffee” people?
Precious: No, no, not like that. I really like the taste. So it's not even for the caffeine. I just like the taste of it.
Addy: Interesting! Sunrise or sunset?
Precious: Sunrise.
Addy: City lights or starry night?
Precious: I’m a city girl.
Addy: Yes, we love a city girl. Favourite film?
Precious: Omg, no one's ever asked me this question. Right now I've just got like Disney animation films in the background to keep me chirpy. I can't think of a favourite film, but the last film that I watched that really made me happy was a Bollywood film, Rocky and Rani. I feel like I have this responsibility to cling to romance and fiction as a way to keep some kind of light in me. For example, if I read a book on political theory, the next book I read is going to be something really cheesy to offset it.
Addy: I think it’s called intellectual comfort food. It's a way of neutralising your palate and can also act as a form of escapism when everything around you gets really heavy and intense.
Precious: I'm all about sustaining, I don't want to become a jaded person. So yeah, that’s the film. It’s cheesy. It's very colourful. We love love.
Addy: Love wins. Okay, last one! What’s the last song that you listened to?
Precious: So, I've had it on repeat today because it just came out. Beyoncé 16 Carriages. I was on the train home, and it just takes you into a movie. It moved me.
Addy: Wow, you’re quick because I feel like that literally just came out.
Precious: Yeah, it just came out. I think it popped up on my Spotify and I was like, oh, she dropped. I'm gonna listen to it.
Addy: That’s cool, I'll put it on my list.
Precious: It’s country inspired, which I don't mind because, for me, I love the scenarios that country music takes you down.
Addy: Love it. Precious, thank you so much!
For more art and updates from Precious, check out her website here!