ELK

I’ve been shooting some stock imagery lately

Samira and I went on a road trip a few years back through a handful of American states. We came across a graduation art show at The Cleveland Institute of Art.

I saw Amber Esner’s design and illustration work and was instantly drawn to it. I loved how she collaborated with the audience and the message and questions in the work she was showing were simple but important. Happiness/Sadness. What makes you Happy, what makes you sad. The every day emotions people feel, and stories attached to them.

We’ve been in contact ever since I reached out to her and I thought it’d be great to do a little feature on her and her work. And what the heck she’s been up to since graduating school.

Where are you originally from and how long have you been doing illustration and design? I was born in Maryland, but moved around a lot when I was younger because both of my parents were in the navy. I grew up most of my life in Parma, OH though, a big suburb about ten minutes outside of Cleveland. I’ve been drawing and making since I was little – all the way through high school, but never really saw it as an end point or career. After graduating I went to our community college for a year with my friend Brandon. After that one year we realized community college wasn’t for us & both ended up getting accepted to The Cleveland Institute of Art in 2009. I guess that is where I first felt like an actual illustrator and designer and maker. Being able to be surrounded by people who were into the same thing really helped push the idea of being that. What are you currently working on?  Currently I’ve been doing a lot of making mail. National Letter Writing Month was in April, so I tried to use that as a push to get back into continuously making mail.  

I started a little series of 4 illustrations of specific places/buildings around Cleveland that my friends or I both love. Shortly after that I started selling them at this shop/gallery/studios called Canopy. I got a lot of good reactions from that, so I’ve recently been in the process of picking and choosing the next spots to illustrate

What’s the art scene like where you live in Cleveland?

I personally think our art scene is slowly getting better and better, just like the entire city in general. A lot of young people are finally realizing the things that they can do. They’ve had all of this potential built up and we are finally seeing it put to use. Our art scene usually consist of more than just visual art too. There is usually local music added to it or a new food spot added into the mix. That is the refreshing thing about the art scene here, its pretty open to everyone and the new ideas they have. It’s allows people to feel like, whoa. I can actually do this.

So, I know you also do artists events every few months under the name Cozy Up Collective, can you tell us a little bit about it?

Cozy Up Collective was started by me and my super close gal pal, Phoebe Thomas.

We both worked at this shop – Native Cleveland – that had a mini gallery attached to it. As the manager it was my job to fill the spot each month with a different artist. Phoebe and I both graduated with art degrees, so we were like, why don’t we do something with this?

That’s when we started having group shows every three months. “A curated, D.I.Y - based series inspired by the bond of creative collaboration” is kind of our mantra. A lot of people in Cleveland love keeping things just Cleveland, but we have always thought it was important to reach out to people all over and connect with them in some way. These shows have given us the chance to meet some really inspiring artist around the area, while also getting to bridge this gap between ourselves & others around the world. We’ll be having out 7th show this June and then after that will be our second zine show (show eight) in September. 

Check out Amber Esner’s Work here

Kristina Corre who is originally from Toronto moved to the capital to study Architecture at Carleton University. She decided to take a little break from Architecture, to pursue her passion for art. We got to go visit her in studio and chatted about what exactly she’s been up to.

Magida I’ve been wanting to meet you for quite a while now. I see you everywhere online, but have never actually met you, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity. So you’re originally from Toronto, how do you like Ottawa?

Kristina I'm pretty comfortable here, I’m starting to make connections and things are starting to happen art-wise for me. So it’s pretty good.

M So you are taking a break from Architecture?

K Right now there's are lots of opportunities popping up with art, so I've been distracted with that stuff. But as long as I am keeping busy- I feel productive.

M What are you working on right now?

K I have a show coming up at Shanghai Restaurant on Somerset Street. I don’t think there is really a theme just yet, I’m currently working on that one image that will be used for promotional materials and the opening is on May 4th and it will be all collage work on panels. 

M How many pieces will there be?

K It’s still a mystery, but I think there will be at least a couple walls of collages and I'm even thinking of blowing up some to see how they work large scale. I’m also going to be teaching a workshop at the restaurant in the middle of May so that will be fun.

M I noticed you did one of those collage workshops before, was it your first time and how did it go?

K Yeah, the Westboro Brainery, it was a sold out class of 12 students. There were definitely some nerves involved with speaking especially while giving my power-point presentation, but afterwards it was really cool, like some of the comments I got, some of the people were surprised at what they produced and they couldn't have imagined producing that style of art.

I actually have another workshop scheduled in the fall with Possible Worlds and that will coincide with another show I am having at the Manx. I will hopefully have a new twist on collage by that time.

M How long have you been doing collage?

K Um, it's always been a method I’ve used digitally throughout architecture school to help animate the spaces I was designing. But, a couple years ago I went to the Geoffrey Farmer exhibit at the National Art Gallery... that was just so delightful and exciting for me, I think that was the moment I started thinking about collage again for fun.

M Do you paint as well, or is it mainly collage?

K It’s Mainly Collage, I used to paint, but I think I got it out of her system when I did the Awesome Art Hunt  - when I was making all those panels and hiding it throughout the city. But collage seems more resembling to me.

M You used to run Good Things Ottawa and then you changed the name to Faison-Ici, why the change?

K Good Things Ottawa was just a pretty vague name,  although I checked the current name with a bilingual friend and it turns out Faisons-Ici was translated incorrectly. So that’s pretty embarrassing. I wonder how many people are secretly judging me.

M Do you run the website and Instagram yourself and how often are you updating?

K Yeah, it’s all me. I just find people on Instagram and check out upcoming shows that are happening throughout the city and contact them. I work on Faisons-Ici whenever I find an interesting artist and our schedules line up. For the past little while I've been trying to focus on female artists, because I was trying to put together a book to send to the Photo Editor, and I noticed most of the people I was featuring were men, so  I thought to myself, “this isn't right at all, there's so many rad women in the city.” So that's kind of my focus right now - to make a balanced book.

M Do you sell your work at all?

K Yeah, so  i sell limited edition prints on Etsy, and the originals are sold through my shows.

M Sometimes I get in this mood where I’m like what’s the point of art, I’m sure you get like that sometimes?

K Yeah, winters are the worst,

M What's your  advice on your way of getting out of that rut?

K I think you just have to start working on something. Like doing my 100 days of collage was helpful. They were really quick twenty or thirty minute things and then I’d say to myself “Okay, yeah, I created something today.” It was something to do every day, but with not so much pressure at all. I didn't go into making those things with an idea in mind, it was kind of just putting things together in the moment.

You can catch Kristina at the opening of her show in May at Shanghai Restaurant and you have two opportunities to do a workshop with her this May and in the Fall.

To check out here website head over here

To check out her online store head over here

photo by @eyesofsauron​​

After coming down from the excitement of his brand’s 3rd season launch last week, we got together with the man behind it all; Amir Zargari, the creative designer of the brand Zaraga and Babes and Gents. We discussed his new season, future plans and all things Ottawa.

Amir: This was the third season. I’ve done other shows just like this for season one and two. There wasn’t as many people in the last two seasons, but it just grew. It doesn’t happen over night and we all say the same thing if we can do it here we can do it anywhere, because there isn’t a lot of people in this industry here. I read somewhere that in Toronto there are around 78 thousand people who work in the art/fashion/music industry, so it’s easy to pack an event there. If you can do it in Ottawa, then you’re set.

E: If you had a chance to move to Toronto and do your thing there, would you?

A: No. I’ll always live here, but I’m always going to make trips back and forth. As of now, I’m planning to do the fall/ winter launch show in Toronto. I know a lot of artists out there and I get everyone to come out with their friends, it just becomes a crazy event. The idea may change who knows.

E: Well, we just moved back from Toronto after a few years and we’re always trying to keep up with what’s going on here. It’s exciting to see new things happening.

A: It’s definitely getting better now especially with artists pushing the city. So many times in the last ten years people start to get a bit poppin’ and they move to Toronto and start to rep Toronto. Artists here are now starting to blow up internationally. The two biggest musicians who rep Ottawa, are Maurice Moore; an R&B singer and Night Lovell who is a rapper. They both have a big fan base. They live in the City, and rep Ottawa in every interview. We all support each other.

E: So many people think that Ottawa is this lame city, but it’s only because they come in and they don’t know what to look for, it’s a little more tricky to find out what’s happening.

A: That’s the thing. I have another friend who's doing Small World Ottawa. It should become the next blog T.O of Ottawa. He just started it around October or November. It’s not all he does, but it’s going well and we’re all trying to help out. When people who aren’t from town are visiting, all they’ll have to do is check it out.

E: I read that you’ve lived in two other cities before?

A: Well, I’m from Iran I moved in grade nine. My home-base has been here in Ottawa. I left the city to go to Waterloo for a semester after high school then, I did co-op for second semester in Toronto. After that I moved back to Ottawa, at that point I was on the wave of wanting to start a brand. But my parents wanted me to try something else. So, I started my Bachelor of Business at Ottawa U and I just couldn’t cope in the curriculum, it was so rigid. The last assignment I did, I was supposed to choose from a list of public companies, which I had no interest in.  So, I did it on obey clothing, because at the time I knew I was going to be in clothing. I went above and beyond because no info was online. I presented the project and the prof said “I have to give you a zero on this.” I was like, “I’m out this is just not for me.” I started Babes and Gents on Jan 1st the following year.

E: And what sparked your interest in starting a brand?

A: I would watch my older sister draw Disney characters perfectly. So, I learned all the techniques from her, in terms of sketching. I started with cartoons and it just grew from there. When I moved here in grade nine I started painting. Then, I did a small project in grade 11 and after that my friend said, “Put your art on shirts and try to sell them”. So I did it that for a while. I learned so much and lost a bunch of money. I was making shirts for like fifty bucks and selling them for twenty. The first year I learned how the business really worked. I wasn’t business minded I only cared about art, so I lost money on everything. All of it was a great learning experience, there’s no way I was going to learn that in school. Spending money that’s not even yours, you learn to never make that mistake again.

E: So are you doing the Babes and Gents website all alone, or do you have people who submit content?

A: Everything is all me. I have friends who help me out; like photographers or friends who model, but I’m the one responding and posting on all Social Media.  It’s a one man team.

E: How did you meet some of the photographers and the people that are helping you out?

A: It’s just online and stuff, and the Byward Market helped too. I would be there in the market and I would just meet people. In the summer on Saturdays, I have a booth there and after 4 or 5 it’s a really good time.

E: I saw on Instagram that you got Jazz Cartier in some of your clothes. How did you manage that?

A: I’ve been a supporter of his music way back. It’s a long story. I was always talking to Jazz here and there on Instagram before he was poppin’. My friend told me Jazz was in town, so I hit him up. I met him at his hotel. I actually had a booth at the Capital Block Party, but I ended up leaving all my stuff there. It was an awful day; it was raining. I left all my stuff behind, but I took my friend Wassim, who is a photographer, with me. Jazz went on the website and told me what he needed from the collection. I met up with him and one of my bomber jackets and shot him. He wore the bomber that night at the show.

The next time he was back in Ottawa he was actually headlining a show. I was busy and couldn’t even go, but my friends from Small World Ottawa were shooting him and he had the bomber on from the last time. I got pictures and videos, so it worked out for the best.

E: Do you hope to see more boutiques opening in Ottawa, or do you prefer it being a little more exclusive?

A: I don’t like that word at all, it just means that you’re excluding other people and I never exclude anyone. That’s just not who I am. If people wanna do that, go ahead. But it’s all love, all around, all the time.

E: Do you hope to eventually sell your clothes in stores?

A: Eventually, to the right ones. I’m still trying to build the brand, once it has some legs under it, then the interest from the stores will come. I could just ignore the Ottawa and Toronto market and start designing a collection for the buyers. I can do that, but that’s not a thing that could last. I’ve shaken a lot of customer’s hands and you can’t buy that.

Things to check out:

@zargaralabel

www.babesandgents.com

After (3 years for me & 5 for Samira) in Toronto, we are now officially back in Ottawa. We got to experience so much in this city. The good and the bad. Now we are ready to start a new chapter in life and see what exactly it is we have to offer.

To new beginnings!

junction 2016

Junction, 2016