Ro Owens is a 26 year old Multidisciplinary Artist from Lurgan, but currently living in Belfast. Ro’s art focuses on performance and mainly on Illustration. Ro studied Drama at Queen’s University where she was introduced to performance art and also a great friend, Emily Foran with who she founded The Movement Collective, a devising social and political performance group.Ro got back to illustration a few years ago, she took part in Inktober in 2017, doodling everyday for the month resparked her love for drawing and reminded her of how cathartic it is.
What genre / style do you create in?
Mainly digital illustration, ink drawings or performance art. My genre would be honest and open art, across all platforms my focus is on building mental health awareness and reducing the stigma still attached to NIS mental health epidemic.
What would you be best known for?
A lot of people would know me solely for my illustration work, I’ve collaborated with Inspire and Adam Dougal to create the art for his incredible Mental Health Podcast series ‘Like Minded’.
In 2018 The Movement Collective brought our show SHARKTANK examining life as an artist and mental health to Stoffholm fringe where we received The Audience Choice Award. I’ve had the privilege to share the stage with incredible artists, working as part of the Run to the Rock cast with Amanda Coogan was a phenomenal experience.
What would you consider your biggest achievement?
My 45 durational community focused piece Building The Grief Process, I spent 45 days sewing 4500+ tallies into 50 meters of fabric in remembrance of every person who lost their lives to suicide since the signing of The Good Friday Agreement in NI. The people I met, connections made and stories shared during this piece was more than I could have ever imagined. Patches and tallies covered the fabric in memory of those failed by our lack of government support. The solidarity and unity that came out of this piece reassured me that the stigma attached to NI’s mental health epidemic is shrinking, but also how far we have still to go. Thank you to those who came and joined me.
What would you consider to be the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your industry?
Stay authentically you. Don’t try to fit yourself into the box you think people expect you to be in. Create for yourself and remain honest and truthful for yourself. That’s enough. You’re not in competition with other artist’s but in a community with them, and that support is such a joy when you open yourself up to it.
What has been your biggest challenge to date?
Dealing and living with depression during particular dark spells. I am incredibly fortunate to have a loving support system and to have received the help and guidance of counsellors. When initially diagnosed I had a lot of shame, It was eating at me and it was a process to accept my head no matter how it was feeling and pull myself out of a dark suicidal place. Reminder it does get better, and it ebbs and flows and when the dark periods take over I remind myself of my strength and ability to overcome it.
Tell us a little about your personal life, are you married, kids, hobbies etc?
I live with my glorious partner and our cat Elwood we are currently in the process of moving. I’m from a big loving family, my parents, 3 siblings, cat Mel and pup nova. They are all phenomenal . I work several jobs alongside creating commissioned human and animal portraits. As far as hobbies, nature’s a huge love of mine, so is dancing and bringing myself to a cafe to draw. I’ve a lot of plants and tattoos and have a love for sustainable and preloved fashion.
Tell us about your most recent work?
Recently I have been focused on putting out content on my art page. Mainly mental health related illustrations and videos. During lockdown myself and my partner Ciaran made ‘What are my feet doing?’ For NI’s Mental Health And Art Festival, a mix of stop motion , film and illustration.
What would you like us to tell people about?
The movement collective have been chosen as part of The MACs Hatch artist scheme and we’re really excited to show you what we’re creating, we are also hoping to bring SHARKTANK to a Belfast stage when it’s safe to do so so please give us a follow.
Check out Like Minded Adam Dougal’s mental health podcast, I feature on an episode with Adam, I found a lot of support listening to Adam chat to such a diverse talented range of people all being so open and honest about their journeys with mental health.
Post pieces are a phenomenal organisation to come out of Northern Ireland. Peter and Odhran do such a fantastic job reducing NI’s mental health stigma through such a range of inspiring cathartic art styles. I love those lads so definitely check out their social media’s.Â
If you had to describe your work to someone who has never heard of you what would you say?
It’s open and honest, focusing on reducing the stigma and building awareness around the Mental Health Epidemic Ni is currently facing. In terms of my illustration work, it’s supportive and comforting. Aesthetically I feature a lot of strange neck and head shapes and a lot of pastel tones. In terms of my performance work I would say politically minded, chaotic, cathartic and high energy.
What’s the funniest experience you’ve had in your business?
Dancing around Belfast Culture Night 2019 with a group of snazzy New York 80s business sharks in ‘Corporate Sharks’ was the perfect balance of wholesome and bizarre and really was a good laugh.
What would your advice be to young people hoping to pursue the same industry?
Be kind to yourself, don’t take your worth from your creative output, it’s a hard industry at times and where you are is ok, take breaks if you need to, and take your fulfilment from yourself not based on how people view your work. Be truthful to you and you’ll always create something unique. Don’t feel pressured to network and fit in, be you. And know there’s a big loving community of other artist who aren’t in competition with you but who are here to support you.
Anything else you want to tell people about yourself or your work?
Thank you so much for everybody that shared my artwork or commissioned a piece of me over the past few months it is so appreciated, the sense of community and support among fellow artists at the minute is so reassuring and I love it.
Who do you look up to and why?
Two answers, firstly every person out there who is battling and ultimately living with a mental health illness you’re doing it and your strength is such an inspiration, keep continuing to talk and grow because you’ve no idea how much it helps others. Remember how strong you are.
Secondly all the creatives during this time, the support and love amount the community is so pure. To those producing and sharing work thank you. This Island is filled with such a diverse range of artist exploring a multitude of art forms, the talent is oozing out of it, and it’s so appreciated. It is a constant source of inspiration.
Stay up to date with Ro here on Instgram >> @_art_by_ro @themovementcollectiveni