We sat down with the multidisciplinary artist and face of our Pre-Spring '21 collection, Seala Lokollo to talk on her love of object making, and how art has become a vessel for her to connect to her Maluku Islands heritage. 

Where did your love of object making come from?

"Object making has always been a part of my life. When I was little my father was a practicing jeweler, so I was always surrounded by stones being cut, metal being molded and materials being woven together. Jewelry and objects were always a topic of conversation in the house. My love of clay came a bit later on. I was inspired by some artists I met when I first moved to Melbourne. From there I discovered the connection clay had to my Maluku Islands heritage, which spurred me on to continue my practice with clay. My art has always been a way for me to connect to my ancestors, and in turn, to share with my audience the visual representation of those connections in art form."

When do you feel most creative?

"I am most motivated when I find an interesting piece of information or photo to connect me to what I am wanting to concentrate on when I am in the studio. From there, once I get going the clay is the motivator. It's like it wants to move, wants to build, wants to experiment. That's one of the reasons I love clay so much. I usually am not working with an end goal of a collection in mind, however at the end of the month, of course, the pieces I make do end up relating to each other and become a family so to speak. My latest works will be pieces that can be hung on the wall, a new way for me."

How does your identity play into your creative process?

"My practice is a personal journey, so it is important to me to process the concepts at the front of my mind. Identity is a big thing for me so far on my journey. It's been really important to understand who I am and where I came from. My Maluku heritage has a strong presence in my work because I am extremely proud to be of Maluku heritage. It is also my way of keeping my culture alive for myself and possibly the generations that may follow in my footsteps in the future."

You have been living between Melbourne and Byron recently, tell us a little about that...

"Yes, with a stroke of luck, every time there has been an extended VIC lockdown, I have been lucky enough to be visiting my family in Mullumbimby. The borders have been closed and that is why I have been living here. I definitely see myself living back here or somewhere away from big city life. To me nature is such a beautiful gift, it doesn't make sense to live a life without it."

What was your favourite look to shoot from our Pre-Spring '21 Campaign? 

"I really loved shooting the Kate Dress - We shot this piece in the afternoon down by this absolutely beautiful lake full of purple and green plants. The edges of the lake were covered in long wispy golden grasses and I felt like I was a girl from a Jane Austin book. The Kate Dress is lightweight and perfect for warmer weather. The elegant cut is flattering on the body and so very easily makes you feel beautiful."

Follow Seala on Instagram

@sealalokollo

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