The intimate print-maker
> With intimacy being the main theme of his prints, Ibnu Othman wants you to know that print-making is not just for tote bags and T-shirts
THEY say when one door closes, another opens; that was precisely how Ibnu Othman started his printmaking studio, Oh Hello Cari Siapa? upon being offered a tenancy at ZhongShan Building after his initial plans of studying textile in Ireland needed to be scrapped after Brexit happened.
With a three-year tenancy up ahead, Ibnu set upon creating prints for brands, art installations, and the likes of it. We spoke to how the 27-year-old architect graduate went from carefully measured lines to unpredictable silkscreens.
What are you currently doing now with your studio? We are mostly doing commissioned work just to start up the studio. I get seasonal help because there is an extensive process involved and I can’t do it alone. I tried working alone when I first started the studio, but it’s difficult especially when I try to ideate. It helps to have people around to bounce ideas with.
At Oh Hello Cari Siapa? we want to bring out prints more than just on Tshirts – we want to do it on posters too. Mostly, we want to get people to know what silk printing is all about. Every time people ask me if I do prints, do I just do it on tote bags and T-shirts? It’s more than that. There’s also printing posters and doing art installations using the silk screen method.
Why did you decide to name your studio “Oh Hello Cari Siapa?”? The reason why we named it that is because everything that we produce in this studio is based on emotions. It’s the only thing that people can relate to easily. If our work is too avant-garde, people would not find it relatable. As much as I want it to be personal, I have to cater to the masses as well. I also need them to be interested in it. “Oh Hello Cari Siapa?” is because every single time you look at something, you will always try to find yourself in it. This is especially so for things that you want to purchase or keep for your own. We want to know, who are you looking for? Are you looking for yourself?
Have you always been artistically inclined? I suppose I have. However, I was brought up in a home that was very conservative – I had to be an engineer or a doctor. When I started my own studio, it really opened up my family’s eyes because they had always thought I was a slacker just because I didn’t get a doctorate.
All this while, I’ve been the weird one in the family who draws and make stuff in my room. I remember when I was younger and we had MTV, I had to listen to post-grunge music in secret because my parents didn’t like it. Growing up, I had to explore my artistic side in secret.
With this studio, I don’t expect to chase millions of dollars – I just want to do something I feel content with. I don’t mind adjusting my lifestyle to how much I earn and am able to sustain myself with.
As it’s not a proper job where you can earn a stable income monthly, I think it’s also a motivational factor for me to keep going every day and do things every day. Because I know if I don’t work in a day, I won’t be making any money.
Do your prints have a particular theme behind them? It’s all about intimacy – I love intimacy. It changes every single time with every other person you’re with. When you find somebody you love, it’s like fingerprints – it’s not the same for everyone. I want to create prints and images that represent that.
Most of my prints and illustrations are based around the theme of intimacy in an abstract way. I recently worked on an art show entitled: “I tried to call, but you refused.” It’s an art installation using fabric and silk screen prints revolving around the theme of rejecting intimacy. As much as people love the idea of intimacy, there are times when they reject it as well.
How is a typical work day like? I wake up early, about eight or nine in the morning. I hate waking up to an alarm; I don’t have curtains in my room, so as the morning light comes in, it wakes me. Then, I have my coffee and listen to my current playlist. The song that I listen to in the morning is very important as it’ll set my mood for the day. If I accidentally play something like Bon Iver, I will be down.
This morning, I started my day listening to Donna Summers, which got me pumped! Then, I make my way to work, have another cup of coffee and maybe make conversation with the other tenants at ZhongShan Building.
I’ll continue my day with printmaking. The process of making the screen is quite long and arduous because you have to be very mindful with your surroundings especially the light. I try to do the screens at night and do the prints during the day. I’ll keep working throughout the day until my prints are done, and I end my work day at about one or two in the morning.