Alakai, meet me!Artist Aigerim Karibaeva about her new eco-toys

Aigerim Karibaeva — better known to art fans as art_aika is an artist and designer. Her work is easily recognizable by its distinctive ethno-style. Freedom-loving girls with long braids, little girls with red cheeks and tenderly in love couples are only a small part of the images from her paintings. And recently, Aigerim released children's eco-toys on the tree "Alakai". Our editorial board decided to talk to the artist about her work, toys and plans for the future.

Tell us about yourself?

I am an artist, illustrator and designer. The side effect is that I am an entrepreneur. I have been drawing since childhood. Well, somehow I consciously came to this all when I entered the academy. I studied for five years and from 18 to 23 I was already consciously formed as an artist. I already understood: what am I, who am I, why do I draw at all.

How did you come to this style?

It is difficult to somehow assess yourself that you have come to something, to some style. Yes, in general, you still somehow form the older you are, the more worldview, more experience, more understanding. You know yourself better. Because you know yourself more, you understand what you like more, what you want to talk about. How do you want to say it. And of course, because of this, it is easier to form some kind of thought, some kind of message, and then you pass it on to creativity. 

Describe your style?

It is quite easy to read. Specific stories, specific emotions or experiences that are easy to understand. That is, my work is not something that you can or need to think about. These are some kind of images, laconic in which meaning is embedded.

What influences it?

Everything influences creativity in general. Affects the experience in life experienced. You influence yourself very much, because you are moving somewhere, developing, doing something, looking for yourself. You work on yourself, you change yourself and it immediately affects your creativity.

How did you come to this project and the monetization of art?

Anyway, my ultimate goal was that I see myself as an artist. I can be my own creative and designer. To be a person who wraps up the concept for herself. I understand perfectly the psychology of a person, how he consumes the product. Plus, I am always deeply in the subject, what is in Kazakhstan, what is in Almaty, what is in Astana, in the world or Russia. Then I have a general picture. Then, I realize that I have to try. It was a common big thought, and then with small steps you go to something. It's difficult, because here, too, you break a lot of attitudes that the artist is true, he does not sell pictures. An artist is someone who paints in oil, then exhibits and then buys it. Then at some point you realize that a small step leads to some kind of result, at least for me. You're getting more confident. I set myself too big altruistic tasks. It is important for me to do this for popularization. I actually believe that sincerely. Today I will do it alone. Tomorrow 10 more people will come for me. Then from these 10-20 will come those who will raise the level of awareness of the country and the nation to another level.

How do you feel about plagiarism?

I don't like the feeling of helplessness in this matter. On the one hand, it's normal when someone is inspired by you. I am also inspired by someone. Perhaps somewhere there is not intentionally, I repeat someone's images. When it is deliberate plagiarism with commerce, it is unpleasant. Firstly, they will always tell me about the plagiarism of my works. People react differently, sometimes they throw tubes or argue, but there has never been a time when someone has not apologized and removed this work. Why am I talking about this loudly so that others will not be offended. Let people know when you do that, then you will fly.

Next time, he will already think a hundred times whether it is possible to do this. This forms a normal culture of respect for other people's work. There is still a letter of the law. My rights are protected, after several cases of plagiarism, we applied to the patent agency. It's a lot of work, we collected all the documents. All works are patented. Plus, I just got a trademark patented. 

Tell us about the showroom? What is there here?

This showroom is just over a year old. It was like an acute pain, because people wrote: where can I come to see the works. I originally had the idea to work only online. My and my spouse's works are here. These are all reproductions and mostly recognizable by people. Visitors buy their own home in the form of decoration. Posters and souvenirs, we try to dilute. All this is being sold very successfully. Foreigners come and people who buy it as a gift abroad. Then they send us a video from some Stockholm and show us how our works are decorated at home.

Foreigners are buying, so it works to popularize our culture abroad?

For me it was and remains a mystery. How much creativity can respond in people of other nationalities. It turns out it can. They come here and I can see that they really like it. We have orders from the website of foreigners who have never even been to Kazakhstan. I do not know how they find me..

Tell us about your new project of the toy "Alakai"?

I've been hatching this idea for two years. That is, 2 years have passed from the idea to the release. Due to the fact that I'm a mom and I go to these toy stores and know the whole range, I understand how cute they are soft toys made in China. Toys are what children constantly strive for and want. These Alakai toys were made at a large toy factory in Russia. They are making deliveries here to Kazakhstan. I had such a bright idea that small children from 6 months old are not yet included in any phones and gadgets, so they play with what their mother buys them. I made such 6 heroes who have a common house. And it was important to draw them in Kazakh robes and add some modern elements. Here's a lamb, for example, on a scooter, a chanterelle has a phone. The child can, by putting these toys himself or together with his mother, create his own stories. Mom will tell him for the first time.

Why is this an author's project?

Because I have not seen this in Kazakhstan. I know that we produce toys, but I have not seen them in such a quality and in such a concept. I pulled out one chance in a million to have a big Russian factory working with me. It seems that this is just a tree cut, but at the same time it is high technology, which we do not have in Kazakhstan. It was very difficult for me to bring this to life out of my head. I was constantly attacking these factories until one of them answered me. They don't have such toys, exactly on a tree. This is an array of beech trees, they are absolutely safe. They are certified because it is a large production. First, these toys are cut out, then they are manually processed, manually sanded. This is a high-tech printing.

How does the process itself work? 

I first drew the characters on a tablet. Then they didn't seem alive enough to me, I redrawn them completely into live material by hand, so that the textures could be seen alive in my hand. Then, approximately, I understand what size they should be. I'm preparing files for them. Then we make samples, print several times. Then I'm going to Almaty to get them. The girls with whom we corresponded from this factory told me: Aigerim, you are doing such a big thing. We get to know the Kazakhs and their culture and this is important. This is a big project for me, I haven't conveyed all the value to people yet. It is important for me that this is a large-scale production. If it's manual, then it means it's a limited edition. My goal is to make a lot of such toys.

What is the audience's response to toys?

He's good. Now I'm expecting some kind of support. I understand that this product is important. This small piece is the first such one in Kazakhstan. Tomorrow someone will repeat and something of ours may appear on the market. No one has noticed me yet, has not come and asked what you need. Even if I take this project Alakai, if I see that it is necessary, then I will move on. You can make the Kazakh alphabet. If the mother really plays with the child, then it will be stored in his memory for the rest of his life. That's why they buy toys. This is the first product that I want to take outside of my showroom and website. It's cool to give to a small child when you go to visit. It's elementary that you went somewhere and you can take not just chocolate, but take toys abroad with you. According to such things, a person reads the country. Now, having made toys, I understand that everything is possible, that it is also possible to illustrate a children's book

Future projects?

There's always something. I hope we will be able to open a showroom and make an art space there and it will be something different, because there will be a showroom and most likely some master classes and cultural evenings. I am currently recruiting works for the exhibition. I'm an artist anyway and I need a classic exhibition. I am slowly moving towards this goal. 

The conversation was conducted by Zarina Kusanova