Soul Artist is finding his sole
From custom trainers to beach huts - Ramsgate’s Soul Artist puts passion onto every canvas, writes Marijke Hall
“If you find something you’re passionate about then stick to it, you never know where it may lead you.”
It seems like pretty obvious advice from Sam Roddam - or Soul Artist, as he’s known. But off the back of a year in which we’ve had to navigate seismic changes to life and work, it’s something that right now probably needs to be heard, particularly among young creatives.
Soul Artist (@soul_art.ist) himself took an unexpected step in 2020, launching a career in graffiti art, something he’d previously considered just a hobby.
But now the 31-year-old, who lives in Ramsgate, is making his mark creating commissioned private pieces, with bedroom walls and custom trainers among his many projects. The skill required for him to do this didn’t just come overnight of course.
“I’ve always had an interest in art and drawing since I was a little kid,” he says. “So when I first came across graffiti through listening to hip hop music and skateboarding it instantly grabbed me.
“It was always in the background of that culture whether it was album covers, music videos, posters, skateboard graphics or graffiti at the skatepark.
“So I started sketching my own graffiti letters and characters and it went from there.
“The main thing I love about it is expression and style, like how an artist/writer can paint a piece on a blank wall or a run-down building and it’s instantly transformed from something plain or bleak to something that people want to look at and talk about.”
He admits it took a lot of sketching and painting before he felt he’d gained his own style.
American graffiti pioneers Richard "Richie" Mirando, better known as Seen UA , and Dondi White, as well as more current writers, such as CanTwo and Aroe, also served as inspiration.
“My style has been heavily influenced by them and their work in one way or another,” he says. “To anyone wanting to get into it, I’d say do your research into the origins of graffiti first so you can understand the culture, how it started and how it’s evolved over the years.
“Style Wars is worth a watch and get yourself a copy of the Subway Art book. Then just start sketching, practice lettering and create your own style, then when you feel ready you can start practising with a spray can.
“But don’t run before you can walk. Start with basic designs before going full wild style and your can control will come with experience.”
Soul Artist, who is also an assistant manager of a retail store, says he only classed his graffiti work as a career when he painted his first commission piece.
“I’ve done a few different projects now ranging from canvases to bedroom walls, from beach huts to custom trainers. But my favourite projects are large walls where I have the freedom to paint my own style and lettering like my latest King Boo piece.”
It’s been a liberating experience, not just for Soul Artist, but for other graffiti artists as their work has become more accepted as art.
For others, however, there is the view that the underground culture of the unconventional scene is at risk of being lost to the mainstream.
“The past couple of years graffiti has definitely become more acceptable since ‘street art’ became popular and started being sold at auctions,” says Soul Artist. “The public are starting to see graffiti as art rather than vandalism.
“Not all graffiti writers would agree with this being a positive move, though, as it has always been an underground culture. But if it means we can paint bigger and better pieces then I’m all for it being accepted as it opens up more opportunities.”
Another way, he says, of doing so is having more creative spaces for young people to express themselves and open areas for them to share their work. And as a dad himself, he has an insight.
“There needs to be free art and music workshops and I personally think there should be more creative subjects in schools,” he adds. “I completed a carpentry course when I left school but I didn’t pursue that as a career because I didn’t really know what I wanted to do other than earn some money.
“My real passion has always been art and music but I always only saw it as a hobby back then.”
His message therefore to always stick with your passion comes from first-hand experience.
For him, it led him to exactly where he wants to be.
