London-based artist Sebastian showed PLTFRM around his two workspaces, explaining how each one embodies a different aspect of his creative practice
Sebastian Sochan, 24, is a London-based fine artist who specialises in sculpture, textiles and drawings. He is known for his giant, abstract pastel sculptures that explore colour, materials and surfaces, as well as smaller homeware pieces such as handmade rugs.
A Fine Art graduate from Goldsmiths, University of London, Sebastian enjoys working with new materials, pushing them to their limits and finding unique ways of creating things that are unusual and striking yet still beautiful.
Last week, Sebastian showed PLTFRM around his two workspaces, explaining how each one embodies a different aspect of his creative practice. Both spaces are full of personality, featuring the same unusual shapes and pastel tones as the work itself, and provide a wealth of workspace inspiration.
Where is your workspace?
I currently have two spaces that I travel between. I’ve had a sculpture studio since 2018 with Creekside Artists, an artist-run not-for-profit studio space in Deptford, South East London. This is where I create my large abstract sculptures, installations and more messy, industrial works. Plaster, concrete, filler, resin, splats of sugar, wire work and casting all happens in this magical den.
For my textile work, such as rugs and fabric work, I work from my home. This was also affected because of lockdown. When I couldn’t visit my studio in Deptford, I had to find ways of creating within my reach. I moved all my tufting equipment and sewing machines to my house as I wanted to still be productive and continue making. As the year progressed, I have also brought some other elements, like resin, to my house so I could make my homeware objects at home.
Who uses this space?
My sculpture studio is shared with 20 other people who are also fine artists, all at different stages of their career. It’s a good mix between graduates, tutors and freelancers. Our practices range from sculpture, painting, performance, film making, photography, writing, printmaking and more. We are split into three big spaces that are then divided into smaller ones, so everyone rents a section.
Mine is 150 square foot and my studio mate next to me is Lizzie Munn, who creates small abstract paintings. Our building also offers studios to architects, designers and even a yoga studio so there is always something interesting going on.
My house is the total opposite – it’s just me and my mum and she often becomes my assistant helping me complete my work. I mainly use my bedroom, but over time, my practice has slowly started to take over the house. I have a cute cat called Marcella that also keeps me company – she likes to sit next to my artwork and protect it.
What does your space look like?
My sculpture studio has the classic three white walls and mostly artificial light. I try to decorate my space with colourful drawings around me, but mostly my sculptures fill the space with colours. I have two wooden shelves on the wall where I keep some of my work as well as some more important materials.
My bedroom, on the other hand, is completely different – it’s more lived in and way less sterile. I decorate all my walls with postcards of my favourite artists, places I visited, cards from friends and photo-booth photos of me, my friends and my boyfriend. I have a pretty big window next to me, so I hang some plants from the railing and have some beautiful objects on the windowsill like my clear bookend, vase, oil diffuser, glass objects, wooden mirror and jewellery collection. Overall, it’s a very cute space full of pastels.
What can you smell or taste in this space?
I use essential oils in my bedroom to give an aroma and a sense of comfort to the space. My favourite oils are blackberry, amber, lily of the valley and a bergamot and lemongrass mix. It makes me feel at ease and comforts me.
On the other hand, my artwork has a sweet smell as I use sugar in my work, so that gives off a smell apart from the usual paints and plaster. I have also experimented with smell in my sculpture – one big sculpture was made with body cream that my boyfriend uses and another with the oils I mentioned. My artwork is a reflection of my queer identity, so I’m often inspired by my relationship.
I use sugar in my artworks and although it would be sweet if you tasted it, it’s also toxic because of the pigments use, so I wouldn’t recommend it! I like the bittersweet connection it has.
What does your space sound like?
Whenever I create, I always listen to music in my headphones as it helps me get in the mood and concentrated. I also get most of my titles from song lyrics. I listen to a lot of different music – from electronic to K-Pop, R&B and pop. My favourite albums recently have been Aquarium by Bronze, Times by SG Lewis, Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa, Nobody Has to Know by Onra, Warning by SUNMI and Reboot by Wonder Girls.
What does the space feel like to you?
My space definitely has a calm and quiet energy. Everything has its place and a position where it sits just right. Organisation has always given me a sense of harmony, so I think my space embodies that. It’s tranquil, harmonious, calm and sweet.
What is your favourite item in the space?
My favourite item in my space has to be my rattan table – I use it as a prop in most of my photos and it just reminds me of those summery days that I’m yearning so much for at the moment. It looks like a piece you might find on Jeju Island, South Korea; I spent the summer there two years ago and I have such fond memories of it. It’s a truly magical place.
What would be your dream space?
My dream space would have loads of plants and big windows from every side, or at least half of the studio. I would love to be in an old industrial factory complex that’s very similar to an apartment in LA, so lots of brick walls and wooden floors. I would have a whole wall of my yarns where I could align them in colour order, and a big wooden table in the middle of the space so I could create my resin objects and castings. That would be the dream.
You can follow Sebastian on Instagram @imnotu and find his work on his website.
Check out Sebastian’s workspace playlist on Spotify.