FEATURED ARTIST:
SARAH SOLANET
Conversation with
an Artist in MotionBetween gesture and memory, her work unfolds as a quiet dialogue between what is seen and what is felt. Trained through observation — of bodies, of movement, of presence — she developed a language that moves fluidly between modeling and painting. From her grandmother’s hands to her own, creation becomes an act of transmission. Today, her practice carries two voices within it, shaping a body of work that is both intimate and deeply embodied.
Q: How would you describe your painting?
A: My painting begins with colour—amber brown, ochre, mouse black, crimson. Warm, quiet, alive. I draw portraits and still lifes with a Posca pen, a thin line marking a soft boundary between presence and silence. Colour carries voices within me, reflecting both my close French family and my more distant Senegalese roots. Painting is how I navigate that space—it’s about feeling, not explaining.
Q: How did your style develop?
A: Moving to North London, living in a creative warehouse with other artists, my style finally found its voice. Today, I live in Brighton, near the sea, with my partner and our son. Motherhood has brought a quiet strength, allowing me to create freely and follow what feels true.
Q: What role does intuition play in your work ?
A: Intuition is the foundation of my work, grounded in human connection. I draw on stories and experiences as creative fuel, letting them guide each step of the process.
Q: How do you balance your different identities, Artist, Model, mother within your practice?
A: Each role sharpens different skills that I bring to my work. Motherhood, modeling, and painting all come together to create a complete and interconnected creative practice.
‘Colour carries two voices within me’
-Sarah Solanet
Q: When did your artistic journey start?
A: I started with my grandmother, Beatrice. At ten, I joined the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris, learning life drawing, anatomy, and how to truly see. Later, I studied fashion and art, then film and wardrobe, working with incredible fabrics and hands. Photographing gestures and movements became part of my process, feeding into my paintings.
Q: How did your experience as a model influence your work?
A: Becoming a model, and later a life model, transformed my understanding of the body—its weight, tension, and duration. Standing still for painters and sculptors taught me to observe the subtleties of presence, which reshaped how I approach painting.
Q: How do you approach the act of painting today ?
A: For me, painting is a vital counterbalance to digital life and a personal necessity for staying grounded. It’s my way of slowing down, reconnecting with my senses, and finding presence in the moment.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m currently writing a book—a tribute to my grandmother and a reflection of my life as a life model. My story is one of transmission: from her hands to mine, and from mine to the canvas.
Film Realisation, photos & Interview
by Clementine Rovere
shop sarah’s works
Three exclusive pieces created for MUSE
