Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year, you've probably heard the name Habiba Barkouki. The visual artist has been creating beautifully artistic handheld art that has been making serious waves in Egypt.
Starting off with notebook and sketchbook designs, Habiba managed to make a name for herself in the industry, eventually securing herself a seat in the spotlight. She eventually moved on to working on book binding as well, ensuring absolute uniqueness in each and every one of her products.
She designs intricately stunning products that leave everyone in awe, including Peaches & Azaleas, which is why we sat down with the artist and asked her a few questions.
Tell me about yourself.
This is one of the hardest questions I get asked! It isn’t easy to tell people about myself! I’m 20, majoring in Graphic Design at the German University in Cairo. People who know me, know that Harry Potter is my drug, I’m obsessed. Graphic Design and this business are my passion, and being a certified chef one day is number 3 on my bucket list! I have too much love for technology, mainly Apple, and working with them one day would an amazing opportunity. Finally, I’m a cheese freak.
Well, it’s pretty simple, because I started the business on my own and have no partners, it expands to nearly anything I think is possible for me to do. For now, it is known as the Notebook and Sketchbook line. However, I am planning on expanding it further one day.
What prompted you to go ahead with HBD? The idea to start selling the notebooks/sketchbooks.
I believe that to become successful you have to be unique, and introduce something new and different. Stationary items are found everywhere, but thing is I wanted to start it out and get noticed by giving people what they need, hence, customized notebooks and sketchbooks. I hoped it would be successful because no one did it at the time I started it. However, now, I have come to realize that others are starting it to, but I believe that as long as I keep my quality and keep doing what I love, competitors shouldn’t stand in my way, instead it just motivates me to work even harder.Another thing is I am a huge fan of notebooks/sketchbooks, the kind that buys them but never uses them. But lately I felt all of them are the same, no difference or uniqueness, and everyone has the same thing, or they’re ridiculously expensive for no reason so I wanted to change that and make something new.
Tell me, do you hand draw all your designs?
Actually, no not at all. I don’t hand draw anything. Everything I design is on the computer; I am more of a designer than an artist. I used to love drawing but I lost that passion along the years. Because my stuff is customized, people send me pictures of what they want their product to include; they can be off tumblr, google, pinterest, weheartit, et cetera. I even gather inspiration through these websites sometimes. Part of the word “design” is the production of my products, mainly they’re my designs where customers customize them with what symbolizes them the most, or they choose a specific picture, or design that they want to see on their product.
How challenging was it starting the business with no predecessors? What I mean is, going into a previously undiscovered field must have been hard. With jewelry, or clothes, you have a bunch of designers in the field. With notebooks and sketchbooks, it must have been hard doing it on your own, yes?
It is hard yes, as you said, I do everything on my own, I started with the help of my mum when it came to supplies and stuff, but now I do it on my own, and I like it that way because it is challenging and makes me even more eager to expand, and it’s more flexible.
Just have faith. It sounds clichéd but nothing comes easy. Take risks, even if you’re going to fail. Just try your best to come up with something new to get noticed! Don’t wait around for someone to notice you, find a way on your own, and most importantly don’t imitate.
Well, this is a hard question to answer, so ill try to answer it in the shortest way possible haha. First I get all the details from the customer through my facebook page. Given the fact that my products are customized, they get to choose what they want. So they tell me all details, then I start working. I make the orders on a first come, first served bases. I make exceptions when I can for those who want it on a specific date.
According to the technique, I start working, creating the design, then getting it confirmed by the customer. When I get my OK, I start working on the product itself, folding the paper, measuring, cutting, printing, glueing et cetera. It sounds simple but it really isn’t! The most important thing for me was the quality. Things like notebooks and sketchbooks are carried around everywhere, so with the front and back cover I always try to find the best protection. For one of the techniques I use lamination, for another I use either sealer glue, or transparent spray paint, I sometimes use both! There are many details I didn’t mention but that’s the simplist answer I could find.
With the Travel Wallet, it’s more simple, I offer the colors I have and they choose and I make it, it takes me about 3 hours to finish it!
It’s my understanding that you’ve incorporated other people’s designs on your products, that you’ve sort of partnered up with other artists. Can you elaborate?
It’s either people order a customized notebook with their designs, or the “ Get Featured “ process, which basically means artists or designers who have any hidden talent send me their work. If I get an order they get part of the money . That pretty much sums it up. I mainly do it to get them noticed.
The best part about doing what you do is that you have an infinite amount of designs to work with. Do you ever find yourself stumped in terms of designs/ book binds?
As much as I try to use mainly the designs I create, I really don’t face a problem, as I said, because my work is customized so people send me pictures of things they like, I either redesign it in a way that represents them, or just use it as is. When it comes to bookbinding, in Egypt its very hard finding some of the supplies I need so I have to improvise. I’ve been looking around for months for a certain machine but I can not find it till this day. Other than that, the binding techniques are stable and people get to choose which ones they need.
Do you do your own bookbinding?
Yes, however, I am planning on branching it out to be both my own bookbinding and other people, like workmen at their “warsha” to make it easier for me to produce a big amount in a short time.
If so, how hard is it?
It really depends on the binding technique, for me the hardest is the Coptic Stitch, which is my favorite and most popular. It takes about 7-8 hours to finish one notebook using this technique. The effort is a lot.
You had to work hard in order to get your name out there; do you believe that there’s more to Habiba Barkouki Designs in the future, other than notebooks/sketchbooks? Do you plan on expanding your product range?
Yes I do actually, ever heard of Erin Condren? Or Kikki K? Kate Spade? They are my motivation. But because I work alone, expanding is quite hard for me at the moment, but I’m working on it! Soon a stock of my actual “Habiba Barkouki Designs” will be available on notebooks and sketchbooks, however they will not be handmade by myself. Also, wait for the limited edition Yearly Planners that are hopefully soon to come!
Tell me about the travel wallets you produced. I absolutely love the idea, how hard was it branching out from notebooks/sketchbooks to travel wallets?
Well, I don’t get many orders for it, but the reason why I started it is because as a product I think it is nowhere in Egypt. It’s practical, easy to fit in almost every bag, and it’s new. The materials I use for it are not your usual fancy leather and such, I use the simplest materials to produce a travelling product that is practical for everyone who travels and affordable too!
You also do bookmarks, which I find very interesting. As a bookworm, it’s always hard finding bookmarks to my liking, what prompted you to take that direction?
Your question has my answer! I am not a bookworm, not even close, but a lot of my friends are, and that’s where I got the inspiration, I haven’t received orders for them yet but it’s mainly people creating their own bookmark to be kept with them everywhere. A pretty, customizable bookmark is always a good thing to own.
What’s in Habiba Barkouki’s art bag?
To answer this, I will give you a mini tour with pictures to where all my supplies are and where I work!
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