Dec 7, 20212 min read

082: Intersection: Sareka Unique, Abstract Painter

Updated: Dec 15, 2023

In the previous episode, we met Billi-Rose Ledoux who reminded us of how she enhances natural beauty through her art, helps people feel empowered through her craft and the fact that inspiration can come from anywhere. She also reminded us that art can be used to create safe spaces and today’s guest agrees.

Allow me to officially introduce you to today’s guest: Sareka Unique.

Sareka Unique Is an Artist, Illustrator, Designer and Creator of bright, fun colorful things. She grew up in Detroit, Michigan and studied Visual Communication Technology at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Later, after studying Graphic Design, Sareka fell in love with Illustration and Surface Pattern Design and then finally gave into the calling to paint in 2017. Since then, she has been using her love of color to transform products and create artwork that evokes a sense of vibrancy and joy.

In our conversation, Sareka and I discuss the inspiration present all around her, the way her current mood dictates her final product, how she knows when a piece is complete and the special community she’s created for other artists online.

Key Ideas Discussed:

Sareka is a graphic designer and illustrator by trade and she just recently (in the last few years) got into painting
Bright colours, joy, making people smile Inspiration all around her; inspired by colour everywhere
She sometimes has a clear idea of composition, other times it's about layering colour without knowing where it will lead
Mood dictates her final product; how she's feeling at the moment has a huge impact on her work
She'll often start with the brightest, most translucent colours in palette (pinks, yellows, oranges)
Finding balance in her composition and in her use of colour
She knows a piece is done when her gut tells her so or when she's looked at a painting for a couple of days and hasn't wanted to change anything
She works on multiple paintings at a time
She did a residency this summer where she got to work on larger canvases
Pink and teal are her favourite colours
Created community @blackgirlsillustrate
Her vision for the future is to have her own bricks and mortar studio space and a space for the community, art education

Among many insights gained, Sareka reminds us that bright colours bring joy. In the next episode we meet Caroline, a textile designer who shares Sareka’s feelings about the wonder of colour.