An Interview With Rose Electra Harris

Rose Electra Harris is an artist with a distinctive and engaging style, moving fluidly between the detailed world of printmaking and the expressive possibilities of paint. While her current focus often highlights the beauty of nature, particularly flowers, she continues to explore the unique textures and mark-making inherent in printmaking techniques. Whether through the vibrant colours of her paintings or the intricate lines of her prints, Harris brings a slightly dreamlike quality to her subjects. Her work beautifully showcases her deep appreciation for both the natural world and the rich artistic languages of paint and print.

Can you tell us a little bit about you?

Hiiii ! I am Rose Electra Harris and I work and live in London. I studied Printmaking at Brighton University as my BA but now work predominantly as a painter in my studio in Hackney. I have a dog called Jabba.

You're trained as a printmaker, but you're a self-taught painter. How does your printmaking background inform your painting practice? Do you see any cross-pollination between the two?

Yes definitely. A lot of painters turn to printmaking later on in life, but I seemed to have done the reverse. Printmaking is such a brilliant craft; very process led and on the whole very intricate. You tend to work backwards so need to have a clear(ish) idea of what you want to achieve. How I paint is very intuitive and spontaneous and I love the fact I have no idea what the painting will end up looking like. I think the drawing element on printmaking is present in my paintings, as well as my use of layering patterns and colours, like I do with chine colle in my etchings. Colour has always been the most important part of my work. Etching is my favourite printmaking process and although it requires great precision and care, accidental mistakes happen that I find very inspiring. I have definitely embraced that in my painting. For me, it brings a certain energy that I love.

It's clear to see that nature, emotion, and self-expression as key inspirations. Can you elaborate on where these inspirations come from and how these elements intertwine in your work?

It wasn't until the pandemic that I really honed in on nature, partly because I was out of London in the countryside with my family, but I think mostly because of it's tangibility. It became so representative of the simple joys of life. I have always been drawn to plants and flowers and the individual characters they have, but during Covid it became even more magnified. I was starting to paint at this point as all printmaking studios were closed. I'd wanted to paint for years but was intimated by it as a process. There was something about nature that I found very comforting. It also helped that there was an abundance around me so I could paint and draw from life. At first I relied heavily on nature in a representative way - using its form to drive the work. But over the last few years, it is almost like different flowers bring out different emotions in me. It also correlates to the time of year, the memories they bring. Alongside this, I use colour to express my emotions. It is actually very untechnical my approach to colour. I use it intuitively. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. My confidence in painting is slowly growing, the longer I do it and I think with this confidence, I've allowed more emotion to come out onto the canvas.

Congratulations on being part of Saatchi Gallery's 'Flowers' exhibition! How does the theme of 'flowers' resonate with you, and what can you tell us about the specific work you're showing?

The show at Saatchi is full and big and it is exactly how an exhibition about flowers should be. Flowers has been a consistent theme through the history of art. It is a subject everyone can relate to and it is accessible to most, particularly children ! My work 'Better Days' that is in the show is the largest work I have ever made and is painted on four canvases.

What role does texture play in your work and how do you create the various textures in your paintings? Do you use specific tools or techniques?

My work is becoming more about the process of making, than the image itself. I use a large variety of materials in my work, as they all bring something different. I am a big fan of pastels and pigment sticks as they allow you to be spontaneous and assertive in your work.

What do you hope viewers take away from your paintings?

Most probably joy. Joy through memory, through colour, through nature. I guess i want the work to make the viewer feel happy to be alive.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face as an artist?

I am starting an MA at the Royal College of Art in September. It will be the first time I have worked alongside other artists for at least 6 years. I am really excited to be in constant conversation with artists. I sometimes love working on my own but have found it harder in the last year. I think nowadays, artists are expected to be the creator, the promoter, the sales person, the accountant to name a few - it is hard. I just want to create.

Who are some artists whose work has significantly impacted your own?

Joan Mitchell, Lee Krasner, Victoria Morton, Betty Woodman, Rachel Jones, Matisse !

What is your favourite book or film and why?

Ahhh god ok - my favourite book is Just Kids by Patti Smith. When I read it for the first time, it made me excited for life in a way I hadn't accessed before. There is obviously immense sadness too but it changed something for me. But also anything by David Sedaris. Favourite film is Some like it Hot. It is just perfect.

What are you currently working on, and what are your plans for future projects?

I have an online show coming up in May and potentially something else in June. But as I mentioned above, I am starting my MA in September which I am really excited about. I am just busy making work in my studio.

Rose Electra Harris - Instagram