Ronan McKenzie’s life in art began at home. ‘My parents allowed me the freedom to carve out my own space,’ she explains, recalling a childhood spent drawing on her bedroom walls with a Sharpie pen, and commissioning an artist to spray paint the London skyline on those same walls with her first-ever pay cheque. ‘Home is where I learned through example and practice, filling it with positive influences. When I come home, I want to feel everything in there is taking care of me.’
The Walthamstow-raised multidisciplinary artist appeared on the scene in 2015 with her debut photography exhibition, A Black Body. Following shows in New York and Basel, McKenzie launched her clothing brand SELASI – meaning ‘God hears me’ in the Ghanaian language Ewe – in July 2021, just months after opening her gallery and community events space, aptly named Home, in 2020. ‘Home is a feeling of comfort, acceptance and being welcomed,’ she says.
When it came to buying her own first home in 2021, McKenzie’s artistic eye helped her see the potential in a split level attic flat atop a Victorian terraced house in Clapton, east London. ‘Even though the corridor and rooms are small, it has so much light and character,’ she says of the property, located a short walk from Hackney Downs and Abney Park.
‘It’s neighbourly and multicultural. You feel like you can really get fresh air and breathe.’ With large skylights spanning the living room and bathroom, the flat’s space feels limitless and provides unparalleled views of the city’s horizon: ‘I don’t feel boxed in, even though I’m in a busy part of London.’
A fan of Aesop’s interiors (‘I love African vernacular architecture and natural textures like clay’), as well as architects like John Pawson and Sir David Adjaye, McKenzie describes her style as ‘warm, clear and unexpected’. ‘I like to feel really comfortable and grounded, but I also like to experiment and play,’ she says. Homemade ceramic busts sit alongside Sam McBratney’s children’s book Guess How Much I Love You. A poster emblazoned with the stirring phrase ‘Unify, Strategise, Rise, Repeat’ hangs metres away from family photos and self-portraits, all framed by We Are Facility. ‘Their placement shows how important they are in my daily life.’
Elsewhere, curved Zara Home and Ikea mirrors decorate the flat’s walls, painted soft white to maximise its size. ‘I like being able to see everything – I don’t want to hide anything from myself,’ she says. ‘I love being able to see what I’m wearing from all angles. Mirrors are a way to self-celebrate.’ Today, the reflection shows the waistband of thermal lilac leggings peeking out between her SELASI two-layered towelling jumper and trousers.
Most of the flat is decorated in neutral beige and cream hues, but it’s in her bubblegum-pink painted bedroom where McKenzie feels most relaxed. While the location of a primary school opposite might send many running for the hills, she finds it peaceful. ‘If I’m having a stressed moment, I open the window and can hear kids in music class or running around, playing. It reminds me of easier days.’ At the foot of her bed sits a large Alfie Kungu painting of two figures standing back to back. ‘A lot of my practice is about relationships, the mixture between collaboration and personal identity,’ she says. ‘This piece celebrates being individual, but in a group. It’s joyful.’
McKenzie is purposeful with all of her interior-design decision-making. ‘I like to present things in a way that’s beautiful. Everything I have in my house is intentional,’ she says, as evidenced by objects such as her maroon washing-up gloves and the fluffy patterned A New Tribe living-room rug. Photo books from the film Moonlight and Amanda Watkins’ Cholombianos are left open on table surfaces and shelves to inspire and encourage a pause for reflection. In the bathroom, a bottle of Kava perfume from her partner’s brand, deya, is artfully placed alongside Hernán Herdez jewellery in ceramic bowls. ‘Jewellery is so beautiful, so I like to engage with it even if I’m not wearing it,’ she says.
With limited storage, McKenzie not only uses a USM modular display unit and exposed Ikea kitchen shelves to house spices, tea and crockery, but also as a place to display cherished art, such as a vintage comb from Kenya and a Simone Bodmer-Turner ceramic vase. ‘The idea of presentation is to encourage myself to engage with objects in innovative and exciting ways, and spark daily joy,’ she says, gesturing to her open wardrobe. ‘I can see all of my clothes and feel inspired to try different looks, whether it’s a sheer Jean Paul Gaultier dress or a Bordeaux leather suit from SRVC, my friend Ricky Harriott’s brand.’
Unquestionably, it’s her collection of art that she prizes most in her home. ‘They’re really for me,’ she says, referring to the large Ricardo Passaporte Dalmatian painting in the hallway, Phoebe Collings-James’ ceramic pot and a new piece by visual artist Joy Yamusangie (‘I’ve got a tattoo from that painting on my hand’). ‘I’m very particular about my space – it’s where I rejuvenate and recharge,’ she says. ‘The only people who get to see these artworks are those who are special to me.’ Count it as an honour to have made the cut.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
