Born in the 60s and raised in French Quebec, Seyekoya, has always been a gifted artist. Yet, growing up, she kept her art to herself. Instead of pursuing her gift, she became a social justice activist.
She channeled her passion into founding the Quebec feminist e-zine La Feminité. Upon a move to Toronto, she spent 12 years as a director on the boards of several grassroots community organizations and over 8-year as a life coach for at-risk youth. All the while, she did continue to learn about art and strengthen her skill, being mentored by various artists including her father Dr. Fritz Etienne, her aunt Dr. Denyse Pierre-Pierre, Jean-Pierre Heurtier and Laurent Imsand, a few years before his death. But her art was never her main focus.
Then Seyekoya experienced a series of life-changing events that made her question her identity and raison d’être. She chose to express her emotions and struggles through paint, as words seemed, during this period of her life, to not be enough.
Her art became her therapy.
Leaving the comfort of a paid job, she moved back to Quebec and decided to follow her childhood dream of being an artist. She finally decided to follow the advice she would give the kids she coached: To find happiness you must Dare to Dare. Seyekoya has been doing just that as a full-time artist since 2015.
Seyekoya now expresses her passion and courage by leaving her comfort zone and shyness behind to share her most intimate and secret emotions on canvas. Refusing to hold anything back, her quest for authenticity takes her on various paths colourfully expressed through the multimedia components she chooses to include in her paintings.
Seyekoya currently lives in Gatineau, Quebec with her husband, children, a cat and a dog.
Powered by Artwork Archive