Have you ever met a female string artist? Yes you heard that right, one who uses strings and nails to make an artwork! I am excited to introduce you to the Founder of Artini (string art), Omisakin Temitope in this exclusive interview.
With no further ado, let’s meet the Founder of Artini for an exclusive interview.
Please Introduce yourself and your background
My Name is Omisakin Temitope, I’m from Osun state in Nigeria. A graduate of economics.
Tell us about your work. How did your company start?
I found out about string art when I was surfing the internet for church stage decor ideas, we needed to come up with something creative and I was a member of the decoration team. And that is how my love for string art started.
How did you come about the name and what does it mean?
Coming up with a brand name wasn’t an easy task but at the end of the day we came up with ARTINI which means: A creative piece (craft, literature, filmmaking, etc.) that causes emotion or a new awareness.
What is your niche and how did you know it was a market to get into?
Where do you get inspiration for your products?
I’m a strong believer of JESUS and I believe my creativity comes from him. So I pray for creativity and inspiration. I also believe he lead me to string art in the first place for the church stage decor. Apart from this I watch tons of YouTube videos and also check out art pages, art blogs and Pinterest.
Can you remember one of the first products you made?
As the JESUS girl that I am, the first string art I made was “GOD” I just felt like it should be the first Art I make even before we did the stage design.
What are some of the challenges you face in your business?
For challenges I’d say string art is not taught in this part of the world so I was only left with Russian YouTube videos that where often times not translated, calculating geometric patterns and designs where hard at the beginning. Another challenge was sourcing materials, I did a lot of improvisation when I first started out, especially with nails since they weren’t available in Nigeria
Do you have any regrets about venturing into this business?
I have faced a number of challenges but no regrets at all.
What is your most popular product?
I have two actually. “The African woman” and “Red hat lady”
To what extent do you draw upon your Nigerian heritage for your work?
To some extent actually, I’ve realised African inspired work are easily accepted and look unique. Like the “African woman for example “
What are some of your short term and long term goals, both in your business and life in general?
For my business I’d say getting a work station that would also serve as a training centre for students and also double as a mini gallery for walk-in clients And to also be a leading and learning art centre in Nigeria. In life generally would be to teach, impact and empower people.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I’m not sure it would be a surprised but for what it’s worth I’m “Left handed “.
What profession would you be in if you weren’t in this industry?
I would probably have a business consulting firm.
If you could give one piece of advice to anyone who wants to start their own business in your industry, what would it be?
Whatever mistakes you make, learn to move on from it, you’re only human. Just work on improving yourself and your business so it doesn’t happen again
To connect with Artini, you can follow and contact her via:
Instagram:madebyartini
WhatsApp: +234 814 610 4662
