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sofiatabouche · 3 years

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In conversation with fikydiamond

I had the pleasure of working with my friend and amazing artist, fikydiamond. With this t-shirt designed collaboration, we have opened a new chapter for sofiatabouche. From now on, collaborating with creatives from different backgrounds is in session. Yay!

fikydiamond is one of the most generous and artistic human beings I know. I am amazed with her creativity and imagination! I wanted you to get to know her as well. Here is our conversation.

S: Hi Fiky, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into art?

F: Eyyy, I’m Fiky, and I’m a visual + textile design artist based in Jakarta. How did I get into art? It’s a long story but it started when I decided to leave fashion school in Jakarta. I thought that what I had wasn’t enough. Because at that moment I felt like I had to go look for something more that can help me grow as a fashion designer. I went to a French language school for a while and then I arrived in France. I was exposed to a film school major, but got depressed after receiving terrible news from home about my dear best friend, who died suddenly. In order to overcome sufferings (losing loved ones), I decided to move to another city, a more diverse, student-friendly one, Rennes (I couldn’t afford Paris, and plus, just not into that-big of a city). And then heard that the local university got a great, interesting study ✨Arts Plastiques✨. I didn’t really know if I could make it when I submitted my dossier, you know...if they’d accept me or not. I chose it because I somehow knew that this major would expand my horizon in the existing mediums in art. It was not the only reason though, I really really had a strong ✨Intuition✨ (please don’t get it the wrong way, I'm just a chunk of a highly sensitive and emotional being), that by getting into this major, I’d be so much more challenged in terms of conceptuality. And that’s what I was looking for when I said that I felt it wasn’t enough during my fashion school days; I needed artistic insight, a variety of media/method introduction, and conceptual challenges. And after all these years, you know after graduating, etc, I just realized that when I was in elementary school, I legit remember asking my dad if I could go pursue an art college and become an artist. He said no immediately because he believes that it’s a harsh industry. My dad wasn’t being unsupportive, he’s just a regular asian dad who wishes his daughters would get a science degree, or something practical. I don’t remember much of what happened after my dad said that, but I remember my own feelings. I felt sick and unhinged. LOL. I was like, ‘Oh is that so, dad? Guess what, I'm going to be an artist, a talented, and successful one, with or without your blessings’. And then I grew up and forgot everything I said about wanting to be an artist, then instead found myself falling in love with fashion, and the art of making clothes. But then God decided to reunite me with my childhood desire without dismissing my love for fashion. Omg that was a plot twist right?

S: Definitely a plot twist! And I am sure your parents are very proud of you! I can definitely see your creative intuition and desire to create. Can you share with us the creative process behind this t-shirt collaboration?

F: Everything felt so naturally aligned. Me, and Sofia started with what was left from our previous collaborations during art school; our sense of collaboration, our familiarity with each other’s creative processing, method, mediums, and also our quite solid connection. And thanks to all that, we brainstormed together, and came up with a bunch of ideas so effortlessly. Just like when we were in art school.

S: Do you remember how we met?

F: I’m not sure. I honestly forgot how we met. See, I guess that’s just my thing. I forget how I meet people. Because for me, when we vibe….then we vibe. Everything felt as if we knew each other for a long time. The next thing I knew, we hung out like long time besties everytime we bumped into each other at Univ. We got in the same classes, and went to a bunch of the same ateliers, exchanging insights through school projects. I don’t know, everything seems natural and raw. Does that make sense? or that sounds like a complete BS? Well, we went to the same major, classes, and somehow got into the same interest; for instance printmaking art & serigraphie.

S: Girl, we definitely vibed. I do remember the first time we met (I think?). We chose the same class, Atelier Numérique, and you were sitting in front of me. I remember being so lost, because it was the first time I was going to class and we were already in our second year (I didn’t do first year since I already had a BA in Art History) and everyone knew each other already. But I think I saw your work on the computer and found it interesting and went up to talk to you. I think that’s how it went… and from then on, we really clicked and hung out a lot.

Based upon this collaboration, inspired in one of your recent dreams, do you always have dreams that sort of “dictate” your creation?

F: As I mentioned earlier, I am a highly sensitive, and emotional being. With that being said, I’m convinced that this is the only reason why I always have some interesting, visual (although sometimes weird and questionable) dreams. Of Course I don’t always have a dream, or perhaps I do but just don’t remember it (??) All I’m saying is that most of the time I dream when I fall asleep, and depending on how I feel about these dreams, I would get inspired to include these dreams, and my feelings about them, into my works. You can say that it can be a useful starting point. And this is exactly the case for the collaboration.

A couple months before brainstorming with Sofia, I had this dream. Let’s say that this happened during the most difficult time of my 2020-2021 moments. I mean, these past two years have been especially challenging, and tough for everyone on this planet. Without trying to be too deep, and overthink about meanings behind dreams, all I want to say is that always consider dreams as something very interconnecting with the state of one’s life. So I had this dream about seeing a man standing on this bridge trying to end his life by jumping. I felt worried and sad but helpless because I knew I couldn’t help him. I thought that I could try to do something, like trying to make him think again(?). Then I ended up taking him to this hill that looked like my hometown where my mom’s family lived (but I don’t know why it was that hill because it was a dream, and everything was super random). I took him there for a reason but I didn’t know what, but then I saw the sun start to rise. It was so beautiful, and I thought it might be nice to let him see this view for the last time (thinking that it might make him feel something, before you know--). I told him to look at the view around us. I remember saying something that doesn’t make sense at all; “It’s warm to be alive, no matter how cold it’ll be.”

I forgot what he said, but I remember how I felt, and how he seemed to feel. There was sadness, desperation, shame, anger, etc. But then I left him there, because he started to cry, and I knew he might need to be left alone to process whatever the decision he was about to make after. When I walked down the hill I saw my deceased grandma. She looked so young, we talked about a lot of things but I don’t remember all of them. But I remember her saying she misses my mom, me, and my sisters so much. She said sorry for not being able to be there for us, and see us as much as she wanted to. Also she told me that she was sorry she couldn’t walk me back home safely.

She then said that I was right about how warm it is to be alive no matter how cold it’ll be. I said “yeah I know.” Then I woke up because my brain sensed that it was only a dream and grandma was dead a long time ago. So, I guess “It’s warm to be alive no matter how cold it’ll be” is something that really touches my soul then and even now. I know that sounds cringe, and doesn’t make any sense. But it felt somehow… right? I was thinking that this message might give courage to people in whatever hardships they’re in. Especially at moments like now. It’s hard and sad for many people. This whipped my heart and reminds me everytime (and never fails) to be kind to people, to offer warmth instead of violence.

S: That is so beautiful! When you told me about this dream, right at the start of our collaboration, I knew we had to work with your phrase, it is so powerful! There are a lot of things people are still ashamed to talk about, like mental health, and that is something so crucial in one’s life. I do hope this message gets to everyone and that they know they are not alone.

What’s the meaning behind your brand fikydiamond? Can you tell us how you came up with that name?

F: I grew up listening to music that my parents listen to. My father was a big fan of The Beatles. I didn’t really care because I thought they’re just a western band, a famous pop culture, a symbol of the past generation. But then, when I was in 7th/8th grade, I listened to Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds for the first time. I didn’t know that particular song was also by The Beatles because it wasn’t my dad’s favorite. I couldn’t speak English that well back then, but I really liked how it sounded. Without trying to be dramatic about it, but I guess the song touched me to the core. I went looking for a translation for the song because of how much I loved it. And it was about an estranged, mysterious girl named Lucy. I looked more about the song, and it turned out to be based on John Lennon’s son’s drawing, a girl (his school friend) named Lucy. Regardless, I really liked the song and later in life I started to make my username for everything as ‘fikydiamond’. People would call it tacky, and stupid to the point that it got to my head. But then, I got reminded somehow of a fun fact shared by my friend, “did you know that diamonds are the hardest gemstone to ever exist? and they’re not made, they’re found? and you’re a motherf*cking diamond bro!”. And I’m like…’yeah that’s right, I am a diamond’. So here I am, fikydiamond.

S: Where do you find inspiration? Which artists inspire you the most?

F: I like getting started from basically anything. I learned the hard way to not think about it too much, and not to aim at anything in an obsessive way. I would usually pick something as a starting point, and start to develop it more as a raw concept. For instance, I have this giant vault inside my head containing freaky dreams, nightmare, interesting dreams, past obsessions, a bunch of compilations of embarrassing/cringe moments, random memes, feelings from the past, etc. Do you know how crazy it is inside our head, that all these can absolutely be developed into an artwork with the right medium, and creativity?

I believe that we can learn from anybody. Artist or not. But to answer it, I really like Yayoi Kusama, Elsa Schiaparelli (a fashion designer, but I consider her as an artist), Cy Twombly, Andy Warhol, and Salvador Dali.

S: You’re very lucky not to think about it too much. I think that is my problem, I think about it over and over… Sometimes I end up not doing it at all. We can agree on the fact that we can find inspiration anywhere and from anyone! Are there any art techniques you’re currently obsessed about?

F: I have several. In my defense, it’s a long confinement. A sad time, BUT also a great time to learn new things and rediscover yourself. I’m lately so into (re:OBSESSED with) monotype printing, especially this gel plate printing method. I am also currently interested in paper clay sculpting, and embroidery + fabric dye.

S: Do you feel like the confinement, due to Covid-19, has influenced your work?

F: Yes, very much. It’s a sad time for a lot of people, including me and my family. But, I am always trying to keep things positive, and only focus on the positive. Although, we shouldn’t dismiss all the negativity either, because we can learn from it. Because only through difficult times like now, I can learn so much about the importance of being resourceful, and creative. This helps me to see how important it is to always do what we can do, although it means that we have to go on with limited things at hand.

S: Yes, it is certainly a difficult time right now. You’re also under lockdown at the moment, so it must be hard. I’ve been reading some interviews online from other artists, and for them, quarantine has been a very prolific period of their career, since they were able to focus on their work and nothing else. For you, what’s the next step in your creative career?

F: I’m developing/brewing/spicing things up on this project that has been on pause due to Covid19. It’s a fashion project. Coming from a fashion background, and my love of the art of making clothes, and now with a skill set of techniques in my possession, I have this concept called ‘frankenstyling’ to realize. We all know the story of dr. Frankenstein from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and how dark+twisted his obsession on reviving/resurrecting dead bodies back to life? Well, this might not sound new but I’m basically trying to make new pieces of clothing out of what people called ‘dead’, untrendy, whatever piece of clothing. I’m going to put elements of several, different clothings together in hopes of getting a new potential aesthetic. You get it? I’m pulling a frankenstein on these ‘dead’, sad, crappy old clothings. Not only that it’s much more sustainable this way, on top of it, it’s rather unique if you think about it again. Because I don’t think I will be making identical pieces. Each piece will be one and only.

S: I can’t wait to see your next project! I’m sure it’s going to be amazing and avantgarde! I am beyond excited to have worked with you, once again. Thank you for sharing your time and creativity with me. To finish off our conversation, can you share with us a dream you always had?

F: I really want to see myself as an artist who’s also a fashion designer. I can never choose between the two, because I have a difficulty seeing myself as just one of them. Is it too much if I say that I simply enjoy being both? No. But not gonna lie, I don’t know how I am going to achieve it. But first, I need to start putting myself out there through social media more. And that’s the most logical, and achievable way I can think of; putting myself out there with the help of social media and sharing things out.