We recently connected with Deime Ubani and have shared our conversation below.
Deime, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?
Most undoubtedly being misunderstood and mischaracterized as a visual artist within Bahamian society is a recurring theme across all artistic forms. Although, we are a cultural mixing pot, known for our vibrant music and food, there is a deep lack of understanding of the role artistic expression has played in our societal development outside of traditional Bahamian genres and styles.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Deime Ubani (b. 1988), I am a Bahamian mixed media visual artist. I’m also a creative business entrepreneur speacilizing in wooden products under the brand Big Wood Bahamas. As with many artists, I found myself haphazardly, or rather uncontrollably creating art throughout my entire existence. My mother’s side of the family was always supportive while many of them were creatives in their own right which fostered a loving environment for the arts. So, it felt only natural to stay the course and upon graduating from high school to study art at the University of the Bahamas, then the College of the Bahamas. Much to my father’s disappointment.
After graduating from college I really did not know what to do with my shiny new degree in the workforce. Luckily a few years earlier due to my father’s disappointnenr he got me a job at a local automotive, industrial, and marine paint company which also heavily stocked every basic and not so basic household ware and goods. Just two days after graduating high school. There was no summer break, there was no period of freedom. I think that still has me traumatized till this day and so the search for freedom plays a role in my artistic practice.
I used my salary to attend college. As mediocore the job was I did however see one learning opportunity, so I forced my way into the automotive paint section and never left. Much to my original supervisor’s dismay.
I found something creative to do that didn’t require becoming a high school art teacher or a graphic designer. I then took that skill and worked within that industry at different companies for about six years. Fortunately, (yes I said fortunately) in 2011 I was involved in a serious car accident that resulted in the loss of my ability to walk for a year, accompanied by extensive physical therapy. The loss of my mobility, (physically and materialistically), along with the loss of my creative outlet through my employment left me turning back to the only thing I knew and was capable of doing in this long stationary period. I chose I then began professionally pursuing my art career. I loved working in the paint shops but I missed getting my hands dirty like in the good ole college days. I started entering art competitions, exhibited in different group shows, and with the rise of social media began posting my work online. Throughout the years, while having a steady job I have been exhibiting and selling art locally and internationally. My post-college career started with abstract paintings mainly and a few paintings of roosters which I became known for. I gradually worked my way into collage, mixed media, and sculpture. Landscapes and portraiture are also a part of my portfolio. However, I always kept my foundation of abstraction, working with bright colors and patterns, contrast, and shadows in a variety of mediums.
Post-accident, three years later at the end of 2014 I returned to the workforce, but this time into a job completely void of any creative avenue. While working this job, two things happened. I realized I could not thrive in an environment with no creativity, repetitiveness, and lack of freedom on top of hard physical labor. In other words, I got off track horribly. I had never stopped creating but my production level was in the pitts. Four years in and I was about to get back on track. In 2019 I devised a one-year plan to become a full-time artist again. I began posting my art frivolously and started running ads for portraiture commissions. (Portraiture was never something I planned to stay in due to its limitations but I did find solace in my abstract backgrounds. If you wanted a portrait with a realistic landscape included, I was not the artist for you.) I then organized an open call for local artists to enter to raise funds for the victims of the devastating 2019 Hurricane Dorian under the Buddy Hield Foundation (Bahamian NBA basketball player for the Indiana Pacers) whom I had just completed a portrait of. For the exhibition, I handcrafted a wooden illuminated sign of the open call title: BLACKOUT, and, much to my surprise someone actually wanted to purchase it. This was at the same time I began noticing a flaw in the merchandise being sold at the airport in which I worked. Tourism is the Bahamas’ number one industry which had just been greatly impacted by Hurricane Dorian for a long time being impacted by how commercialized our culture was becoming. The majority of our goods sold are imported, that goes for souvenirs also. There was an overall lack of authentic Bahamian merchandise. So I began devoting some of my free time outside of my 9 to 5, and painting, to researching which items were in high demand that I could make into authentically Bahamian souvenirs, and which items were not available for sale that would push true Bahamian/Caribbean culture more effectively than a coffee mug or magnet. I also wanted to change the narrative in which Bahamian society viewed art and to inadvertently bring art into their homes through these items outside traditional art forms such as paintings and sculpture.
Being a mixed media artist I have always worked with wood and resin, these materials would become the basis of a product line capturing Bahamian culture: Big Wood Bahamas. I was at the time already selling my paintings on consignment at my employer’s different store locations within the airport. the stores. They sold relatively quickly so I knew there was a demand for authentic Bahamian items. I was also able to hold conversations with many guests and locals about what other authentic items they would also purchase. I also took note of the boredom accompanied by the traveling/airport experience. I began to create interactive pieces. For this, I choose traditional Caribbean games such as dominoes and backgammon boards along with recreating more traditional souvenir finds such as Christmas ornaments.
I resigned on the fifth-year anniversary of my employment. Two weeks prior to the closure and lockdown of the entire country due to Covid-19. In the three years that followed I drove myself deeper into my art practice; hosting an open call at the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas (Evolution of the Arc), two solo shows, numerous group exhibitions, and publications. while successfully selling Big Wood Bahamas merchandise in local shops.
Being able to sustain my fine art practice and my fully customizable decor, family games, and signage products together, I hope to show people what creativity can offer any industry and blur the line between art and functionality.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
My name is Deime Ubani (b. 1988), I am a Bahamian mixed media visual artist. I’m also a creative business entrepreneur speacilizing in wooden products under the brand Big Wood Bahamas. As with many artists, I found myself haphazardly, or rather uncontrollably creating art throughout my entire existence. My mother’s side of the family was always supportive while many of them were creatives in their own right which fostered a loving environment for the arts. So, it felt only natural to stay the course and upon graduating from high school to study art at the University of the Bahamas, then the College of the Bahamas. Much to my father’s disappointment.
After graduating from college I really did not know what to do with my shiny new degree in the workforce. Luckily a few years earlier due to my father’s disappointnenr he got me a job at a local automotive, industrial, and marine paint company which also heavily stocked every basic and not so basic household ware and goods. Just two days after graduating high school. There was no summer break, there was no period of freedom. I think that still has me traumatized till this day and so the search for freedom plays a role in my artistic practice.
I used my salary to attend college. As mediocore the job was I did however see one learning opportunity, so I forced my way into the automotive paint section and never left. Much to my original supervisor’s dismay.
I found something creative to do that didn’t require becoming a high school art teacher or a graphic designer. I then took that skill and worked within that industry at different companies for about six years. Fortunately, (yes I said fortunately) in 2011 I was involved in a serious car accident that resulted in the loss of my ability to walk for a year, accompanied by extensive physical therapy. The loss of my mobility, (physically and materialistically), along with the loss of my creative outlet through my employment left me turning back to the only thing I knew and was capable of doing in this long stationary period. I chose I then began professionally pursuing my art career. I loved working in the paint shops but I missed getting my hands dirty like in the good ole college days. I started entering art competitions, exhibited in different group shows, and with the rise of social media began posting my work online. Throughout the years, while having a steady job I have been exhibiting and selling art locally and internationally. My post-college career started with abstract paintings mainly and a few paintings of roosters which I became known for. I gradually worked my way into collage, mixed media, and sculpture. Landscapes and portraiture are also a part of my portfolio. However, I always kept my foundation of abstraction, working with bright colors and patterns, contrast, and shadows in a variety of mediums.
Post-accident, three years later at the end of 2014 I returned to the workforce, but this time into a job completely void of any creative avenue. While working this job, two things happened. I realized I could not thrive in an environment with no creativity, repetitiveness, and lack of freedom on top of hard physical labor. In other words, I got off track horribly. I had never stopped creating but my production level was in the pitts. Four years in and I was about to get back on track. In 2019 I devised a one-year plan to become a full-time artist again. I began posting my art frivolously and started running ads for portraiture commissions. (Portraiture was never something I planned to stay in due to its limitations but I did find solace in my abstract backgrounds. If you wanted a portrait with a realistic landscape included, I was not the artist for you.) I then organized an open call for local artists to enter to raise funds for the victims of the devastating 2019 Hurricane Dorian under the Buddy Hield Foundation (Bahamian NBA basketball player for the Indiana Pacers) whom I had just completed a portrait of. For the exhibition, I handcrafted a wooden illuminated sign of the open call title: BLACKOUT, and, much to my surprise someone actually wanted to purchase it. This was at the same time I began noticing a flaw in the merchandise being sold at the airport in which I worked. Tourism is the Bahamas’ number one industry which had just been greatly impacted by Hurricane Dorian for a long time being impacted by how commercialized our culture was becoming. The majority of our goods sold are imported, that goes for souvenirs also. There was an overall lack of authentic Bahamian merchandise. So I began devoting some of my free time outside of my 9 to 5, and painting, to researching which items were in high demand that I could make into authentically Bahamian souvenirs, and which items were not available for sale that would push true Bahamian/Caribbean culture more effectively than a coffee mug or magnet. I also wanted to change the narrative in which Bahamian society viewed art and to inadvertently bring art into their homes through these items outside traditional art forms such as paintings and sculpture.
Being a mixed media artist I have always worked with wood and resin, these materials would become the basis of a product line capturing Bahamian culture: Big Wood Bahamas. I was at the time already selling my paintings on consignment at my employer’s different store locations within the airport. the stores. They sold relatively quickly so I knew there was a demand for authentic Bahamian items. I was also able to hold conversations with many guests and locals about what other authentic items they would also purchase. I also took note of the boredom accompanied by the traveling/airport experience. I began to create interactive pieces. For this, I choose traditional Caribbean games such as dominoes and backgammon boards along with recreating more traditional souvenir finds such as Christmas ornaments.
I resigned on the fifth-year anniversary of my employment. Two weeks prior to the closure and lockdown of the entire country due to Covid-19. In the three years that followed I drove myself deeper into my art practice; hosting an open call at the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas (Evolution of the Arc), two solo shows, numerous group exhibitions, and publications. while successfully selling Big Wood Bahamas merchandise in local shops.
Being able to sustain my fine art practice and my fully customizable decor, family games, and signage products together, I hope to show people what creativity can offer any industry and blur the line between art and functionality.
How did you build your audience on social media?
During the lockdown of the entire world due to COVID-19 restrictions, social media sites were one of the few ways people could actually engage with one another. There were no opportunities to physically exhibit artwork in relation to my fine art practice and there were also no clients to deliver my wood-crafted products to on the commercial side of my practice. I needed to engage with people and have them engage with me. I needed to get people familiar with me and my work without physically interacting with the public. I began consistently posting artwork through photos, videos, and lives, sometimes twice a day. Using my bright color palette I focused on nature which was in full swing with the removal of constant human interaction: the happenings around us in relation to the changing of times and big news stories locally and internationally. I let my viewers see what I was currently working on and the progress up to its completion. Most importantly I ran numerous ads consistently showcasing completed artwork. I did the same with my customizable games under my Big Wood Bahamas brand. Especially pushing family games which were much-needed stress relievers during weeks of lockdown. Long story short: Consistency is key, but your work has to be visible to the public in order for people to appreciate your work.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.deimeubaniart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dafu242/ and https://www.instagram.com/bigwoodbahamas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ubaniart/ and https://www.facebook.com/bigwood242/
- Linkedin: https://bs.linkedin.com/in/deime-ubani-1365a039
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/d22u
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@dafu242 https://www.tiktok.com/@bigwoodbahamas