Photography by Sera Akyazici. Image Courtesy of Soho House.
Berlin’s Tiny Art Market at Soho House brings together a diverse collective of Berlin-based female-identifying creatives, from all kinds of artistic backgrounds. With community and friendship at its core, the art market takes place every last Sunday of the month and shines a light on the multi-disciplinary work of female artists. We met with Sera Akyazici, event manager and some of the artists from the last market to talk about all things art; from their individual practices to what it means to be a female creative within the current zeitgeist.
Photography by Sera Akyazici. Image Courtesy of Soho House.
SLEEK: Hi Sera, you’re the Event Manager at Soho House and had the idea to start the ‘Tiny Art Market’ for female artists. Why is this initiative important for you?
Sera Akyazici: I was always intuitively inclined to bring talents together. What I mean by talents is the creatives who, I believe, deserve more visibility in the city. Berlin is full of talents, but, ironically, there aren’t many spaces that gather upcoming talents in one space to shine together.
S: What’s your end goal with the art market?
SA: Together with the Tiny Art Market series at Soho House Berlin, I intend to create a pool of female creatives in the city from different walks of life and aesthetics. By rotating the artist roaster on a monthly basis, I would like to not only give more visibility but, more importantly, create a space where other artists can meet each other and feel a sense of belonging within a community.
Photography by Sera Akyazici. Image Courtesy of Soho House.
S: Hi Laura. So, tell us a bit about yourself and your work. When did you begin your creative journey?
LW: I studied Fashion at the Royal Akademie in Antwerp. After having my own shoe brand and swimwear brand, I decided that I wanted to work more in a sculptural sense so I began to use clay. 7 years ago the first Hot Leg Candle Holders made their way into different homes, stores and countries. Recently, I started to use wax to carve different kinds of seductive candles as well. There was a particular workshop that was hosted at Soho House where everyone carved their own scented dick candle. Right now, I am working on a series of heavyweight sculptures for a nomadic gym project for Fall, that I will host in my atelier as a starting point.
For me, Berlin is an amazing place for collaborating with friends. The events Sera creates at Soho House are such a great meeting point for other females creatives. Since being here, I have met so many talents here that inspire me and make me feel at home, much more than the city itself does.
Photography by Sera Akyazici. Image Courtesy of Soho House.
S: Marie, tell us a bit about yourself and your work.
MW: I’m a multidisciplinary artist working in art and fashion. My creative practice currently focuses on ceramics and illustration, but I’m also a writer, stylist, project manager, copywriter and head of the archive at VooStore. I also collect and curate vintage, but this is currently more of a silent project.
Before I started studying Fashion Design in Berlin, I studied art and journalism. So, it’s nice to see all these interests falling into place at the moment.
S: When did you get started with your creative practices?
When the pandemic hit, I saw Jérémy Bellina, a ceramicist who had his studio in my neighbourhood, post on Instagram that he had leftover clay and if anybody wanted it. I connected with him and in the following days just started to play around for my own pleasure and fun. I came up with the oysters, which kind of happened intuitively but looking back I think I was maybe subconsciously trying to connect to my femininity as I was suffering from amenorrhea. Or maybe I was just horny, who knows.
I then posted the results on Instagram and got a positive response, which was unexpected, with people asking if I could make some for them. I then spent a lot of days with Jérémy in his studio, who taught me about the whole process of firing and glazing.
S: How have you seen your artistic practice develop further in Berlin?
I’ve been experimenting with new shapes and subjects just like the Anxiety Monsters, who are little funny looking monsters representing your fears – you can yell at them when they overwhelm you. I’m also currently in the process of a new project that combines all of my creative processes but I can’t really talk about it yet. I actually ended up taking over Jérémy’s old studio space, when he moved to his new studio in Neukölln and it became my little sanctuary, where I draw, throw clay, sew and sometimes just exist.
S: Can you tell me about your experience specifically as a female creative?
I think in my creative journey, especially as an artist, I’ve been incredibly privileged, a privilege that not everybody, especially women, always has access to. There are so many talented artists and creatives out there and I’m trying to use my experience and network to support them and bring them with me. Last month I curated a Women’s Day Market with Berlin-based female creatives at Soho House and seeing everyone there, building a community full of love and support is what really brings me the most joy.
Although I think the young creative scene in Berlin is quite open-minded and welcoming, in more established creative scenes, especially in Germany, it’s ridiculous how women, and everybody who doesn’t conform to the heteronormative, white narrative, are being treated both in a daily and professional business context. I had men explain to me how to open a locked door, men inappropriately flirting with me, and I still have men talking over me, constantly. I am a white woman who identifies as straight, so imagine what the world looks like for other female creatives.
S: In your opinion, what are the highlights of participating in the Tiny Art Market so far?
Being surrounded by so many talented women.
Photography by Sera Akyazici. Image Courtesy of Soho House.
S: Hi Sophie, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your work. What do you do?
SD: I am a Berlin-based, France raised and Cameroon born art director and visual artist specialising in storytelling and creative campaigns. In my practice, I seek to explore the interplay between a formal visual language and its cognitive and emotional affect. My projects have grown to be at the intersection of social justice while collaborating with brands and organisations that are helping marginalised communities. In fact, I put a big emphasis on the notion of communities that I consider a system to fight against capitalism and patriarchy by creating networks based on mutual aid and support, in a non-hierarchical approach.
S: What role has Berlin played in the process?
SD: Berlin helped me to discover myself and to dig into my identity. There is a sense of freedom in the city. I guess you can still feel the energy wave from the fall of the wall, which is only a generation away. Sometimes, when I am with my friends, it feels like we were attracted to this city for a reason, as a common search for peace and hope.
S: Being a female creative, how has been your experience been?
SD: I grew up with very few representations of female artists and of colour. When I got to trust my process, I was really motivated to “infiltrate” positions where more diversity was needed. I have got to collaborate with music labels and musicians, in a white cis male-dominated scene. I grew deep relationships with them, and hope this opens doors, for more conversations, interactions, and collaborations.
I think you need a lot of resilience to pursue an artistic/graphic career in general and even more for FLINT, POC, LGBTQIA+, and minorities in general. But pushing boundaries, the rewards and feelings it brings are amazing. The people you meet, the relationships you grow, the conversations you have, the homework you do. The whole process is enriching.
S: And through the art market, what are your highlights so far?
SD: Discovering new artists and designers. It has been really inspiring. Building connections create new ideas. I just like hanging out there, and meeting like-minded FLINT artists!
Photography by Sera Akyazici. Image Courtesy of Soho House.
S: Neuza, tell us a bit about yourself.
NR: My name is Neuza, and I’m an artist living and working in Berlin. A big part of my practice involves painting on different materials — raw canvasses, clay, yarns. During the first lockdown, I started a ceramic project called Lazy Calm in which I create unique ceramic objects while exploring their potential as memory containers. I also work with images and videos.
S: What’s your relationship with Berlin?
NR: Berlin is a very exciting and also demanding city. Moving here absolutely changed the way I create and gave me the time and the space I needed to better understand my work and why I do it.
S: Highlights of participating in the art market so far?
NR: I have been participating in the art market since the very beginning, I love the energy there. It gives us (female creators) a safe platform to show our work, and the opportunity to connect with each other.
Photography by Sera Akyazici. Image Courtesy of Soho House.
Varusa Misidjan aka The Ugly New Cute
S: Hey Varusa, tell us a bit about yourself and your work.
VM: My name is Varusa Misidjan, I’m 27 years old and I’ve been living in Berlin since 2017. I make lingerie with beads, crystals and gemstones. UGLY NEW CUTE came to life during the pandemic in 2020. I had just lost my job, and so I started to upcycle jewellery that I had collected from second-hand stores.
S: Tell us more…
VM: After a few months of playing around and trying different techniques of jewellery making, the idea of beaded harnesses came to me. The Berlin club scene before the pandemic mostly contained a lot of leather while beads and crystals were underrated. Berlin gave me the opportunity to show the potential of these materials within this scene.
S: In your experience, what have been the highs and lows as a female creative?
VM: Creating feels like a blessing. Seeing people wearing your created art pieces is one of the best feelings ever. Knowing all the energy and time you’ve spent on a piece.
On the other hand, it can be frustrating at times because of social media and the pressure to create all the time, finishing 5 pieces in a day and showing the world when and while you’re creating. Constantly fighting the feeling of not being productive enough or seeing other people do exactly the same thing as you do and do even more. When I feel overwhelmed, I tend to take a break for one or two days to ground myself.
Being a female creative feels like a constant battle but in the end, the most satisfying thing and one of the best feelings are to see someone else in my designs.
S: And the highlights of participating in the Tiny Art Market?
VM: I appreciate everyone who takes the time to come and see what we, as creatives, have been working on. Getting to know new people and building a safe place to showcase your art. I’m thankful to be here and for the opportunity, Soho House has given us.
Photography by Sera Akyazici. Image Courtesy of Soho House.
Check out the additional participating artists here:
Riya Hamid, Fiyori Ghebreweldi, Florentin Aisslinger, Eliza Lawrence, Débora Silva, Adrienne Kammerer, Sophie Koechert, Neuza Rodrigues, Rafaella Braga, Canel Aylin, Petra Péterffy, Juliana Toro, Aurelia Lange, Hanae Moreno, Limbo Laura, Iga Drobisz, Lani Lees, Daniela Torres, Sayuri Chetti, Beverly D. Renekouzou, Neslihan Degerli, Kiala Kanzi, Alice Morey, Sarah Domitille, Magdalena Walpoth, Maria Tatar, Vagabond Jazz, Hyesoo Chung, kleine niere, Mina Buker, Wendy Taylor, Isis Maria.
The next Tiny Art Market takes place at Soho House Berlin on the 29th of May 2022. For more details, visit sohohouse.com or @sohohouseberlin.