Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rehema Doka. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Rehema thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Mataka Malemia is a collection I began in September of 2019. Originally what drew me to this work was just a desire to share my art process with my followers, I spontaneously shared the wrapped gemstone rings that I was creating for myself. I was looking to find a way to carry my stones with me everywhere I went. So initially, the project was born from a desire to grow closer to my new spiritual practice. And as someone who grew up with a Christian mother, and Muslim father, I am no stranger to being confused or intimidated by committing to and practicing a belief system. As interest for my pieces began, first I was surprised, my page grew from 100 followers to 930 by the end of 2019. I challenged myself to become that bridge for people like me. Those who may find spirituality daunting, or maybe even forbidden. I wanted to provide the information and facts but also practical tools to be successful in their journey. To do this, I experimented with mixed media, incorporating polymer clay, gold-plated copper wire, and of course healing crystals. I showcased the collection at my first ever Pop Up event and opened an e-commerce channel for made-to-order businesses. We now create Earrings, Nose Cuffs, Chest Adornments, Pendant Necklaces, and original artwork stickers. The future possibilities are endless for Mataka Malemia

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Mataka is a Chiyao word for Earth. Malemia is the name of the village my mother grew up in as a child and I spent countless summers becoming my own. Each piece is an homage to The Warm Heart of Africa, Malawi with a unique and thought-out name in Chichewa or Chiyao. Born right here in Washington D.C. I wanted to make a collection that would make my ancestors feel proud, represent the heart of the Chocolate City, and most importantly make the people who adorn themselves with my work, feel radiant. I released my first collection at the beginning of January 2020, with the goal of not only presenting designs that are at the cutting edge of fashion but pieces that speak to who I am as an artist by creating adornments that provide positive energy through carefully cleansed and wrapped gemstones. Bring it to the mainstream, and by a black woman, no less.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I want to highlight the effects fast fashion has on the jewelry industry. The spotlight of the epidemic has always been on the clothes and the conditions for the laborers, and rightfully so. However, global fast jewelry production is at an all-time high. As an artist, I live to create. The desire to wake up and forge something out of my hands in the first thing I think of it when I wake up. The pieces I create hold a story and carry with them, the hard work and attention to detail required to bring the piece together, To take some sheets of metal and a million-year-old rock and transform these materials into a wearable art piece to provide healing. A quality art piece takes time and it will require care and maintenance from the owner. An unattractive prospect to today’s consumer. With fast fashion jewelry being mass-produced overseas, the story is lost and the symbolism is diminished tremendously. For example, I have seen many necklaces with Ancient Egyptian Symbolism incorporated. Very trendy right now. The hands that formed those pieces, or machines, hold no awareness or affiliation to that symbolism. Historic and cultural connectivity matters! I’d like to use my platform to remind consumers to take responsibility for where we source jewelry.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being creative is that no matter how busy I get in life and business or raising my daughter, I will always be guided back to my studio and forced to STOP. I love my craft the most because there is no rushing. Regardless of the headspace, I enter my studio with, I get to slow down. Slow down my breathing and therefore the countless thoughts in my head. I am able to push past any mental pressures and negativity. It becomes a meditation at my workbench. It’s beautiful to detach from the moving world to create.

Contact Info:

• Website: MatakaMalemia.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/MatakaMalemia
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079036680091
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/matakamalemia
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbA0PVQ52VFnK5SyEDmdT3g
• Other: Tiktok @thebonnetjeweler