Words: Carla Louise Gailey

Ashleigh Francis, owner and founder of SOÖCHi

C: Ashleigh, tell me about yourself.

A: I always find it incredibly difficult to talk about myself because I’ve never been able to settle on a description because I feel different every day, but maybe that’s an artist cliché. I’m South African by birth, but as strange as it may sound, I’ve never felt like I belong here, it’s my home, but anyone who knows me knows that I really believe I should’ve been born in Italy, Paris or some other romantic place, I live as a complete culturalist. I’m attracted to complex people and started life studying psychology in Australia where I lived for 4 years before getting my PR, ironically I longed to come back home. I’d say I’m a chameleon of sorts, adapting to the people around me. Crazy, serious, sensitive, cold – for me it all depends on the environment. When I’m not absorbed in my work, I like to play golf or just enjoy good wine and food with friends and family. My partner is a professional rugby player, so rugby has become an integral part of my life. There is a huge ying and yang in my life, from art, wine and classical music to a girl who is passionate about rugby and golf. I love that balance very much.

C: What inspired you to become an artist?

A: Inspiration is the wrong word for me, it was an itch I just couldn’t ignore anymore, a need. I had to try, I wasn’t happy with anything else, I just couldn’t figure out what else would give me meaning or drive, I kept returning to art to escape. I’d say that I’ve struggled with trauma in my life, just like everyone else. I just get lost in the process of creating and then find this great relief and interest in working through those feelings. I’m equally fascinated by the human spirit and hope that one day I can combine psychology and art in my own way. It’s a banal reaction, but art for me isn’t about what’s pretty, it’s about making you feel something, it’s my emotional box. I consider myself lucky that people want to buy the embodiment of those feelings. Music also plays a big part, because again, music triggers emotions, and when I hear music and I feel something, I want to stand in front of a canvas and show myself what that looks like.

C: What does your creative process look like?

A: My creative process varies from day to day because my moods vary from day to day. On some dreary days I wake up, go straight to the canvas, put on classical or emotional music and just feel at ease, dark colours, aggressive brush strokes, crying, whatever, I get into my state if I feel I can draw from it. On days when I am fine, I listen to happy music, dance (cringe, I know, but I really do), and have fun with bright colours, and organic strokes. On days when I have deadlines and need to muster up the courage to work even when I do not feel like it, I use certain breathing exercises to increase my adrenaline and get into that ‘flow’ or concentration state. I often listen to neuroscience-related podcasts to activate the other side of my brain and learn how the mind works. However, for artists and creatives, it is important to recognise and respect when you are creatively exhausted. Even professional athletes need rest days. You can not give your best 24 hours a day. Your creative process must also include not creating.

C: How do you choose the subject for your art?

A: With abstract art, the subject is complicated. For me it’s not so much a concrete decision from the beginning, it’s more about the feeling/mood and going from there. It’s a distorted sequence of events as if the decisions only reveal themselves afterwards. At least that is the case for SOÖCHi originals. Other collections, like the one I am currently working on for the joint exhibition SOÖCHi X HOLAH (House of Love and Hope), it’s about tailoring the art to the cause. So big, bold portraits that allow the viewer to see the lives that are impacted by their good work. These choices come from analysing the foundations, aims, achievements etc of the charity, business or client I am working with and incorporating these aspects into my work.

C: Can you talk about a particular work of art that is close to your heart and why?

A: ‘Venom’, a work now on view at the Pencil Club, has a special meaning for me. I feel that it is the only artwork that fully represents my spirit visually. So much research has been and is being done on the human psyche, one of the most interesting developmental studies for me, briefly showing us innate behaviour in relation to the individual inner structure compared to the externals of life. I feel that this piece reflects my interpretation of that understanding.

C: What advice would you give to budding artists who are just starting out?

A: Build your portfolio, which will help you establish yourself with clients, companies and galleries. You are your own boss, this is a blessing and a curse, be disciplined but respect your creative input and output. If you can, make your own canvases, it will save you money in the long run and will not limit your work. I am in the unfortunate position that I just do not have the time or experience to make my particular canvases as my work is very textured. Show yourself, go to galleries, and try to collaborate with others to showcase your work. Money makes money – sometimes you have to give to get and make your contribution, donate a piece of art, and take commissions at lower prices. Exhibitors are important. Be careful where you exhibit your work. It’s okay to have standards if you also want to build a brand. Staying true to what you enjoy, what ignites your soul, will serve your longevity and productivity, but you also need to pay the bills, and make art that sells and establishes you.

C: What do you hope viewers take away from your art?

A: Honestly, I just hope that people will stop and experience a deeper feeling for a moment. Whatever that feeling is, I just want to bring some kind of depth to their experience. Whether it’s inspiration, sadness, happiness, pain or joy, I hope that they allow themselves to accept their interpretation and develop some self-awareness of what that might mean to them. Art is all around us, without it this world would be bleak at best. Immerse yourself in it, acknowledge it fully, and open yourself up to a wonderfully chaotic world that makes perfect sense.