SKY SPOTLIGHT
12th February 2021
What is your name and what do you do (describe your art)?
My name is Mona (@Mona.Osiabe on Instagram) and I am a creative person with a love for aesthetics. I dabble in the arts of life, from digital art, paintings, performing arts (I'm dipping my toes in that pool so that is exciting), and a budding content creator.
Art means lots of different things to different people. What does art mean to you?
Well, I'd say art has on multiple occasions saved my life. With that, after God, art is what I live for.
How did you get into making art?
I was trying to learn how to make business logos for a fintech company idea that my friends and I were working on and I fell in love with that creative logo-making process. In 2020 when the pandemic led to school and almost everything around me closing down, what kept me sane was graphic designing and music.
How do you stay creative?
My creative mind is not stuck to one particular source of inspiration, so the little things like sitting in a corner of the house I never before have channeled a lot of creativity. Adding to that list; going on walks always leads to me drinking up the beauty of the city and its people. I also love listening to different genres of music and watching videos on cultures in Kenya, Africa, and the world.
Have you played around with other art forms?
I have also worked on music, ornament projects, made a few pots, made a cute little sisal basket, I am learning to be a content creator, I've loved photography for a couple years and I love to perform.
How long have you been making art?
I think I can honestly say from preschool (insert silent giggles). That is because when I was younger, to keep me entertained my mom would bring with her paper and colored pencils, sharpies- a creative kit quite basically. She would clap for & encourage my sister and I when we finished our project of abstract lines and called it a lion. LOL!
What’s your favourite piece so far?
I try to always improve myself and grow in self-expression and skill though some of my favorite pieces are the chocolate painting, the SKY Girls piece with the orange and bittersweet (the color name for the shade of orange used) half circles, and a few of my branded collage pieces.
What’s the most interesting part about making art for you?
That there is no wrong way to go about it, there are numerous techniques. My motto is your thing, your style.
What is your thing and what’s not your thing?
I would say my thing is music (I wanna pursue a music career at some point) and of course art. I am studying graphic design to master my craft, learn more about art, and love the process and not just the result.
Negative people are not my thing. I’m all about dreaming, believing, and doing!
What is the importance of friendship to you and what is your definition of a good friend?
When I think of the friends who I got to reconnect with last year- it was because we had conversations that were mentally stimulating, comforting or we could laugh about whatever. Friendship means a lot to me because my friends give me strength, so I have a lot of love and appreciation for my friends.
"My definition of a good friend is simply someone I can trust and who trusts me. With that, we can grow together and trust that we both want each other to succeed, I can confide in my friend and they in me and we can have a great time together because we are comfortable with each other."
What is your current plan for the future?
For the immediate future, I plan on making more pieces and sharing them with SKY Girls because they make me smile and I'd love to share a piece of my joy with you all, and I have a song that, most likely when this magazine issue is out- will be out as well, MUssy pronounced as messy.
Long term... Well, there are huge goals and dreams but this year's taught me to simply take it all one step at a time.
