FRANCESCA OKONTA ART
FRANCESCA OKONTA ART
LONDON FINE ARTIST
FRANCESCA OKONTA ART
LONDON FINE ARTIST
Studying Life Drawing as a young adult heavily inspired my current artistic style and practice. I am completely enamoured by the raw and ‘unpolished’ nature of Life Drawing, as well as its ability to capture subtleties of the muse that is often overlooked. I believe that it is important to draw and depict humans as they are, perfectly imperfect. What began as an academic study of the human form has since evolved into an act of resistance and a form of therapy for me against the ever growing internal and external pressure to be ‘perfect’.
Art As Resistance
In my early twenties, I gained weight unexpectedly and was confronted with my internalised fatphobia. I believed the harmful idea that “fat is ugly,” which led me into cycles of dieting, starving myself, losing weight, and then regaining it. This was until I finally decided I was done with society telling me to hate my body.
The body positivity movement helped me grow the confidence to feel comfortable in my skin, and this has shaped my art. I now paint figures in poses that celebrate the rolls and folds I once felt ashamed of. I see our bodies as neutral. They are simply the vessels for our minds, hearts, and souls.
Some people may find my work provocative, but my aim is to normalise our natural state. I want to challenge the idea that we must hide parts of ourselves to make others comfortable. Instead, my art encourages self-acceptance and celebrates the beauty of being human.
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