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Artist and designer offers ‘unique’ handcrafted works
By Aisha Ahmed, Jordan News
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AMMAN — After graduating, Danya Matoukh struggled to find a way to channel her passion for graphic design into a business. She tried working office jobs, but none of them satisfied her. It was this desire that spurred Matoukh on to start her online store DanyaMatoukh.Art in 2018.اضافة اعلان
“I started drawing at home and posting (my pieces) on Instagram,” she told Jordan News in an interview. “People started asking me if I sell my art, so I created (the online store).”
(Photos: Handouts from Danya Matoukh)
Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and as with many artists, Matoukh started experimenting within the limitations of her home, due to the nationwide lockdown to control the virus. She branched out, painting on wood, and documenting her work and progress online. Again, people’s interest in buying her work encouraged her to introduce home furniture “such as trays, bread boxes, coasters, clocks, and tissue boxes to my store,” she explained.
Everything Matoukh sells is handmade. Her father crafts the wooden furniture and pieces, which she adds her designs to.
In 2020, the graphic designer wanted to start making wearable pieces of art, “something the younger generation can use,” she highlighted. Matoukh’s desire to set herself apart from the many small businesses offering accessories drew her towards designing straw handbags and wallets, in addition to handcrafted wooden earrings.
(Photos: Handouts from Danya Matoukh)
Despite any hesitance they may have felt, Matoukh’s family was supportive of her art and business, and encouraged her to achieve her full art and design potential. Particularly Matoukh’s aunt has always been a source of inspiration. “She would encourage me when I was young, ... and I aspired to be like her,” she explained.
The artist told Jordan News that she wants people to see the world through her eyes when she draws. She explained that the world she sees is a colorful, bright, and fun place, and she wants that to be reflected in her work, adding that she hopes to encourage people to be brave through their clothes and to step out of their comfort zone.
The designer explained that “no one in Jordan” uses the techniques she does in making her pieces, and stressed that everything she offers is something she is “willing to get or wear myself”.
The process of making a new piece is an arduous one, the Matoukh said, and involves blending the colors and testing the wood, which she does herself. “I do everything from scratch, which is physically exhausting.
(Photos: Handouts from Danya Matoukh)
“However, the best part of my work is when I see the final result. Seeing my progress in each piece encourages me to do better,” she emphasized.
DanyaMatoukh.Art slogan, “From the Art”, reflects the feelings that Matoukh puts in each piece she makes. “I pour my heart into the design, and when clients buy something from my store they ... buy a piece of my heart,” she said, explaining that she strives to make each piece unique its design and the feelings she puts into it. Each piece is “one of a kind”.
One of the challenges Matoukh faces is that the people do not “understand” the idea of customized and handmade products. These pieces take time and energy, she explained, adding that people expect inexpensive products. A lot of her energy is spent trying to “find an audience who appreciates my work and understands that my work is unique and precious,” she contended.
(Photos: Handouts from Danya Matoukh)
Matoukh is currently working on a fall collection, and will be launching a brand-new collection that will include leather for winter. Before settling on a new material “I use them myself to ensure that my products are high quality,” she said.
Her future goals are not limited to Jordan and its fashion industry, the artist explained, adding that she is aiming to make DanyaMatoukh.Art is an internationally recognized brand.
Read more Trending
“I started drawing at home and posting (my pieces) on Instagram,” she told Jordan News in an interview. “People started asking me if I sell my art, so I created (the online store).”
(Photos: Handouts from Danya Matoukh)
Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and as with many artists, Matoukh started experimenting within the limitations of her home, due to the nationwide lockdown to control the virus. She branched out, painting on wood, and documenting her work and progress online. Again, people’s interest in buying her work encouraged her to introduce home furniture “such as trays, bread boxes, coasters, clocks, and tissue boxes to my store,” she explained.
Everything Matoukh sells is handmade. Her father crafts the wooden furniture and pieces, which she adds her designs to.
In 2020, the graphic designer wanted to start making wearable pieces of art, “something the younger generation can use,” she highlighted. Matoukh’s desire to set herself apart from the many small businesses offering accessories drew her towards designing straw handbags and wallets, in addition to handcrafted wooden earrings.
(Photos: Handouts from Danya Matoukh)
Despite any hesitance they may have felt, Matoukh’s family was supportive of her art and business, and encouraged her to achieve her full art and design potential. Particularly Matoukh’s aunt has always been a source of inspiration. “She would encourage me when I was young, ... and I aspired to be like her,” she explained.
The artist told Jordan News that she wants people to see the world through her eyes when she draws. She explained that the world she sees is a colorful, bright, and fun place, and she wants that to be reflected in her work, adding that she hopes to encourage people to be brave through their clothes and to step out of their comfort zone.
The designer explained that “no one in Jordan” uses the techniques she does in making her pieces, and stressed that everything she offers is something she is “willing to get or wear myself”.
The process of making a new piece is an arduous one, the Matoukh said, and involves blending the colors and testing the wood, which she does herself. “I do everything from scratch, which is physically exhausting.
(Photos: Handouts from Danya Matoukh)
“However, the best part of my work is when I see the final result. Seeing my progress in each piece encourages me to do better,” she emphasized.
DanyaMatoukh.Art slogan, “From the Art”, reflects the feelings that Matoukh puts in each piece she makes. “I pour my heart into the design, and when clients buy something from my store they ... buy a piece of my heart,” she said, explaining that she strives to make each piece unique its design and the feelings she puts into it. Each piece is “one of a kind”.
One of the challenges Matoukh faces is that the people do not “understand” the idea of customized and handmade products. These pieces take time and energy, she explained, adding that people expect inexpensive products. A lot of her energy is spent trying to “find an audience who appreciates my work and understands that my work is unique and precious,” she contended.
(Photos: Handouts from Danya Matoukh)
Matoukh is currently working on a fall collection, and will be launching a brand-new collection that will include leather for winter. Before settling on a new material “I use them myself to ensure that my products are high quality,” she said.
Her future goals are not limited to Jordan and its fashion industry, the artist explained, adding that she is aiming to make DanyaMatoukh.Art is an internationally recognized brand.
Read more Trending
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