The 1HUNDRED collection, originally inspired by Sloane Angelou’s reflection of the many ways God’s name has been recorded, signifies the several ways in which the elements of life can morph. Beyond these records, the various names people call God result from personal experiences and encounters directly with God or one’s belief. This is also a means of understanding nature itself. Life and its components can take different forms and by extension, we as humans have our idiosyncrasies, an element that enables us to achieve and be anything we desire.
Sloane’s creative journey also depicts the likelihood of this manifold quality. Creativity wasn’t always her main forte, but somewhere along the line, after the pandemic, the realisation of how art has always been her refuge drove her into practising it fully. “Art has always been a part of me,” she said. “I have memories of writing, creating songs and making art at different stages of my childhood. Though unfortunately it was never actively encouraged or pursued. It was just seen as that ‘other’ thing that everyone in my biological family seemed to be able to do if they wanted to. I started to only take my art very seriously after the pandemic when I realised that even at the lowest points in my life it was all I wanted to do. When I had nowhere else to turn to, I turned to art. That’s how I started to take myself seriously as an artist in recent years and face my work as one.”
Two years after this pursuit of desire career-wise, Sloane has carved a trait peculiar to all her pieces. She links it to science and the manifestation of spirits, “I like to think that all my pieces interrogate spirit then find imperfect ways to reflect a picture of it. In other words, I think a peculiar trait all my pieces have is that they’re scientific because all science really does is engage and study manifest spirit to relay an observation.”
The 1HUNDRED collection is indeed a reflection of possibilities, taking us deeper into the outstretched arms of nature’s morphology.
I believe art always tells a story that can be perceived from the features of the art piece. For 1HUNDRED, it is a remix of spirals. What makes the spirals a better component for this story as opposed to other shapes? For the choice of colours used, what is their significance?
The collection attempts to illustrate the many ways we try to apply descriptors when assigning personhood to the image of God, we will always fall short. The spiral symbol reflects a continuum. It highlights a motion of infinity, an unending ever ongoing process. I can’t think of a better component to tell the story of this imperfect yet continuous attempt to know God, which humanity has ceaselessly embarked on over the ages of time. As for the choice of colours, colours are transmitters of Information energy. Everything vibrates, and the vibration of Colours has a vital influence on our being at both the physical and intellectual levels. When we attempt to describe anything, especially in this case God, we apply our senses both on the physical and intellectual plane. What better way could there be to express this process through the collection other than by applying different variations of colours, as many layers upon layers as possible to illustrate the same unending ever ongoing process I spoke about with the component of the spiral?
Talking about 1HUNDRED, the description stated “Symbols represent (other) possibilities of how things do and can exist (across timelines).” What event distinctly inspired the variation 1HUNDRED represents?
Symbols are absolutely important as language both consciously and unconsciously. As odd as it may sound, the symbol which I applied in the variation for the 1HUNDRED came to me (my mind’s eye) in bright red on a certain Saturday morning just when I was getting ready to watch a movie on Netflix. After that event, I began to discover and uncover what it meant, also what it represents in various cosmologies in the world at large. The idea to use it for this collection only came much later when I realised I needed a symbol to centre the variations we needed to apply for the 1HUNDRED.
Looking at the 1HUNDRED collection, what was the best part of creating it, and what would you have done differently with the piece if you could go back in time?
The best part of creating it for me was having to show up each time and apply each new thought-out form of variation on my canvas. I wouldn’t do anything differently, but it’s great that it’s an ongoing collection so I’m excited to see what other forms I might add to it.
As an artist, what is your creative process like and how did it impact the making of this collection?
I get an idea; either the idea comes to me or I go to it. I write down the idea in a journal or on a piece of paper or in an email draft for myself. Then I go about the business of my life; reading, socialising, listening to music, watching films, taking a walk, doing some intuitive cooking, liaising with clients etc and somehow in the mix of these things that idea grows, and builds itself up. It does whatever it needs to do to get me to the next stage which will usually involve execution. In the case of this collection, the impact was bringing out my digital canvas and going about its painting.
What’s the best part of being an artist? And why did you settle for your current niche?
The best part of being an artist for me is that I have endless channels at my disposal to distribute the weight of creative energy that flows through my being a lot of times and can feel overwhelming if I don’t do something with them. It also instils discipline. Being an artist for me is like being in an energetic field. The more it is harnessed the more potent it can become. I don’t know that I have a niche yet, but if you’re referring to having spirit as the centre, it’s the only way I know and am comfortable with.
Tell me about some of the personal and career achievements of the past 2-4 years that you’re most proud of.
Truly the achievements I am most proud of have to do with my notion of self. I am very proud of how far I have come with regrounding myself after being swept off my feet by immense loss and grief. Career-wise, I am proud of the lives (as a storyteller and human development strategist) I’m privileged to touch directly and indirectly, as well as the lives that touch me back.
I’d love to know about your personal development journey. At some point in your life, there are probably some habits and ways of life that you generally are not satisfied with. What are some of these habits that you’re comfortable sharing and what are the practical models you used to outgrow or overcome them and become a better version of yourself?
Listen, when it came to cigarettes, I was a French smoker. Whatever that means. Smoking was basically a major part of my daily routine, and I’m a sucker for routines so that’s serious business. It’d be dishonest to say I stopped because of anything other than how my spiritual development started to affect my wellness habits and health. Apparently, my body stopped tolerating smoked tobacco, so I had to stop. As for a practical model I used to outgrow it, I just decided very strongly (mentally) to stop at first, and then I got rid of everything and anything in my home that encouraged the habit. Then I told my friends and colleagues that I no longer smoked, and asked them to stop offering them to me. That’s it, I haven’t looked back since.
Do you have a personal mantra?
Yes, one of them is to let go and let love.