Written by Lidija Sovulj
It’s easy to say that I’ve spent most of my days in quarantine online shopping. While I’m not alone in this time - when online shopping is at its peak - I find myself trying to avoid big stores like Amazon more and more. While shopping locally has often had an expensive and often times small option reputation, there are endless small business owners to give your money to with quite affordable prices. This is the time more than ever to put your money where your mouth is and buy from BIPOC and LGTBQIA+ businesses. It is past due time to start spending money within our communities, and in order to keep our businesses, creators, and leaders flourishing we have to start looking deeper. Asking friends, peers, and classmates who they might know can lead to beautiful and life lasting connections which you can directly support your community with. I’ve put together a small business and creator feature for this term to highlight some amazing businesses I’ve found over the past term and I hope you will all take your wallets out with me (I know I will).
Kati (she/her/hers)
Kati’s fine and precise handwork makes her products constant masterpieces. Each set of jewelry she has on her Instagram shop is full of character and vibrancy. From dainty loops to intricate single-stroke style faces and plants, her earrings and jewelry offer unique gifts full of love. For her, “making art brings me a lot of peace and brings me a lot of happiness. I want to showcase that through my earrings… I like how they make people feel happy.” The passion Kati has for her work is crystal clear as every item or pair is made with so much intention and love. In fact, it’s why she started her business in the first place.
“I was getting in a really bad space and it was just not good. I fell back to art and I’ve always been into abstract kind of things - it not having a specific way to do it, you just kind of do it. I like doing abstract things on paper and so I’m like - why can’t I do it with wire? That’s why I started my business - I think it’s really cool to see people wear the things you made. Each one is different.”
Kati’s business is surely only to grow as her reviews are stellar and her followers see more of what she creates and I know I can’t wait to see her new collections myself. Her Instagram and Etsy shop are both open and you can reach her through Etsy or direct messaging both at @theliriashop.
Ness (they/them/theirs)
Though Ness only started their Instagram account about two years ago, you’d never guess with their awe-inspiring, intense, and vulnerable presence on social media. It demands your attention and is vivid and brilliant as they create pieces on love, life, mental health and the world around us. Their main intention is “authenticity. Being genuine and whatever comes out of me with those feelings is what you get. You’re not gonna get something from me that isn’t authentic because it feels gross to do them.” Ness doesn’t cut corners when it comes to their work and it shows - whether it’s in their bold new designs and hoodies or the stickers that sell out like lightning. Ness’ artwork is not the only thing amazing about them or their account. It’s the constant presence of vulnerability and community collaborations that really inspires me when looking to them.
“When you make time to sit down with another artist and make something with them or beside them, that is really important. Something really special happens.”
Their brilliance lies within their love - for the work, craft, and the community. Sitting down with Ness was an incredible experience I am truly grateful for and I absolutely cannot wait for what they do next. They have both Instagram and Etsy shop, reachable through their Instagram’s link tree at @artsygremlin.
Kei (she/her/hers)
There are not enough words in the world to describe how colorful and beautiful Kei’s work is. Working in portraits, stills, and plants, Kei’s work flows with a natural rhythm and light that makes her Instagram captivating. When she told me she had only been working with her style of plants in the past year because she missed home in Nigeria, I was floored. Her style drips with rich pigment and shading that suggest this being a craft formed over a lifetime.
“I see [my art] as a way to kind of explore what you’re going through without the constraint of words…it’s really hard to articulate exactly what you’re feeling so you’re like, ‘let me just make something,’ and it becomes just that. This is my art and I hope people appreciate it.”
Kei’s love for her work leaks from the pages and truly showcases the emotions behind her work and I’m so honored I got the opportunity to speak with her about her upcoming original paintings she’s been working so hard on. Her shop is available on Instagram @anakokeido and VSUAL.com @anakokeido-art.
Eleanor (she/her/hers)
