Chica Seal: Painting from Lived Experiences

In Conversation
Chica Seal’s practice moves fluidly between painting, printmaking, sculpture, and collage, yet at the heart of her work lies a deep engagement with the figure, particularly the female form.
 
Her paintings balance vulnerability and strength, often charged with bold, intuitive use of colour and a strong narrative undercurrent. Drawing inspiration from both art history and lived experience, Seal reimagines long-standing traditions of figurative art through a contemporary lens that foregrounds authenticity and intimacy.
 
In this conversation with Otomys, she reflects on the perspectives that shape her work, the experimental processes that guide her across mediums, and the emotional resonance she seeks to capture in each piece.
 
September 11, 2025
  • OTOMYS: The female form and perspective features prominently in your work, often rendered with a sense of intimacy and strength. What draws you to the female as a recurring subject, and what kind of narrative or emotional resonance are you exploring?
     
    CHICA SEAL: I paint largely from my imagination, but I also like to ground my work in the everyday and in a sense of self. As a woman who often works alone, my own perspective naturally informs the figures I create. During my education, I was influenced by the old masters and the pre raphelites; works that often depict idealized, mythical female forms in narrative settings but I began to reflect on the fact that these images were almost always painted by men, shaped without the lived experience of being a woman. As a figurative painter, I feel a strong responsibility to portray women with authenticity, imbued with both strength and vulnerability. My work aims to explore the emotional depth, social pressures, and quiet realities of what it means to live as a woman today. Over time, this perspective has become a central part of my process and a key element of the narratives I want to express.
  • OTOMYS: Your use of bold colour feels central to the energy of your work. How do you approach colour as a tool for
    storytelling or emotional impact, and what role does it play in defining the visual identity of your practice?
     
    CHICA SEAL: When I first imagine a painting, it is often without colour, so when I begin working and introducing colour, it becomes a kind of experiment. While the composition usually stays the same throughout the process, the colours often change dramatically. I enjoy challenging the expectations of colour and seeing how far I can push it while still holding the emotional or narrative thread. With each new painting, I start with a fresh palette, often laying out as many colours as possible. Mixing the paint is a very intuitive and expressive part of my process and can contribute to the emotional tone of my paintings.
  • OTOMYS: You move seamlessly across mediums, shifting between printmaking, stone carving, sculpture, and painting. What drives this material exploration, and how do you see these varied processes enriching your work as a whole?
     
    CHICA SEAL: Over the years I have taken the opportunities to experiment with different mediums, I think it can really deepen what you’re trying to say in your work. For me, when I imagine a body of work, I often see it in multiple forms, not just painting, but also sculpture, print, or collage. I think we often only see the polished final pieces, but I really value the earlier stages and experimental processes that come before.
     
    When I feel stuck, I naturally turn to sketching, watercolours, or collage. These playful methods help free me creatively and allow for more intuitive decisions. I’ve tried many materials and techniques I’ve had no formal training in, which I find exciting because there are no rules or expectations. That freedom lets me build a more expansive visual language which can help you create an environment for the works to exist in.
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