PROFILE

ODYSSEUS SHIRINDZA; FROM FASHION TO                             ART

With over 15 years of experience in the industry, it is still a wonder that the founder and creator of Arnreuby is still so shy. His demeanor is that of an introvert; a very kind soul, a soft-spoken person when you meet him in person, and even sweeter and easily one of the most well-articulated and well-spoken people I have met and spoken to telephonically.

As a designer and a managing director of Momo Gallery, Odysseus Shirindza had time to collect yet another accomplishment as one of the producers behind the first Midwest Fashion Show 2021. With a busy schedule and an itch to go explore the world beyond the borders of South Africa, we finally have the interview we have been postponing for about two weeks.

Odysseus Shirindza

How has your morning been?

Argh, it has just been a bit of a slow start, I am trying to get my vaccination certificate.

Are you leaving the country?

Well, I do need to attend to some matters outside South Africa. I have to get business done, we only are only able to make these connections, when we go out into the world and entice people to come work and do business with us.

Is traveling part of what motivates you as a creative?

Yes, definitely it is a very huge part of it, just seeing what is happening in the world, getting to see how other people are getting to do things, how environments are adapting to change; and just bringing it back home and seeing how we fit into that whole global space; that’s how I stay inspired with the world and the design space.

You’re a black man who decided to actually study fashion, what was the reason behind that?

There are some things parents can be apprehensive about, like saying you want to be in fashion but they have never seen you be interested in it or show any interest in it. For me as a kid, I was always sketching, I was always fascinated by clothes, how they are made and how to make them. Initially, I was apprehensive and I wanted to do something more stable, like my siblings. However, my mom saw that fashion was what I wanted to do and they were willing to fund me. So, I went to Linear Academy for 4 years, which was a very interesting experience.

You had help with your fashion tuition, for someone who is from the village who can’t afford fashion school, what is the advice you can give them?

Well, you know it was as easy as I make it sound like my parents paid for it and it was just that. It was a joint venture between my parents, my siblings, my high school giving me a bursary, and me working throughout varsity to make things happen. It was very tough; it was some of the toughest 4 years of my life. Also; I was denied bursaries when I applied, however, I do think that some of the things have gotten better over the years in terms of financial support for fashion students. There are avenues and retail companies like Mr. Price that offer support and structure for people who want to go into the fashion space as long as you can show you have the aptitude for it. It just takes a little bit of research to see who is willing to help you.

''Fashion is an archive of our stories as people, where we have been, what we aspire to, and where we want to see ourselves. For me, fashion has always been a storytelling mechanism.''

Arnreuby in collaboration with iFele

Arnreuby piece

Flashback to the fashion show, what compelled you to be part of it as a designer and a producer, and why use the gallery?

It’s a very long but short story. When I finished studying, I showed my collections across different platforms around South Africa, and I found it frustrating as a young designer because, the outlay first for one to start participating was quite extreme for me, and I became desponded over time and went into corporate fashion, worked in retail as a designer; and then I left that and I was trying to find something that would satisfy my yearning to create something to continuously show as a designer but in a way that worked for me. My mom always told me that the universe will open, I must keep working and studying and something will come up. I then moved into the fine arts space and then I moved from Cape Town to Johannesburg for the job at Gallery Momo. So, everything was a bridging of all the spaces I have been over the years and it just made sense. Fusing the design and arts space together.

You keep mentioning corporate fashion, for someone who is just interested in fashion and doesn’t know the terminology, what do you mean you say ‘’corporate fashion’’?

Well, I use the term very loosely, because when you say corporate fashion people think that you are making uniforms for corporate people, (laughs), which is not the case. Corporate Fashion just means you are a designer working in a big retail company space which tends to be very corporate in its structure, and how they do things.

What was the inspiration for your name Arnreuby?

When I was finishing varsity there were a lot of people coming up and a lot of my colleagues and friends were using their names as their brands and I learned something from them. Once you use your name as your brand and label it becomes a corporate asset and it can be up for seizures at any time and I have experienced friends and colleagues who lost their names and couldn’t trade under their names, because of partnerships that went bad or business that went under. So, I wanted to save guard myself from those eventualities if they ever happen.

I went with Arnreuby because it was sentimental. I always told myself that every time I show a collection, I will always showcase 14 pieces because my name is Odysseus, it has the word Ody in it which is a 14-line poem and I wanted to write a love letter to my parents; like every collection should be an homage to them and the sacrifices they have made as parents. I took my mom's name Reubena and my dad Arnold and I merged it together, so one day when someone is reading my story, they can be part of the history books. I wanted to write my story on a clean slate.

 

                                                        Artwork at Gallery Momo

The mandate at Gallery Momo shows contemporary African art from within South Africa and the African diaspora.

What does a director of a gallery do on a day-to-day basis?

(Laughs), I can tell you it is not as glamorous as it sounds. A lot of it is just administrative, responding to emails, talking to clients, and basically managing artists and situations. This is also while trying to plan a creative aesthetic of the place. When I got into the space, I generally wanted to learn more about the industry and the business side of things but also keep it in the creative space.

What does it take for any artist to get their work in a gallery, what does a gallery look for from artists?

Resonance; I think that is what makes a successful artist and the only way you can build resonance in your art or work is by being honest and true in your work. When someone is standing next to a piece or looks at a piece of art, in most cases the audience is looking for some sort of resemblance of themselves in it, some answers to life that they can’t figure out. So, if they can find that in a piece, that is where people fall in love with the work. So, when an artist is creating is an expression of themselves and they point of view needs to come out and you need to be able to defend it and ‘’say this is how I view the world and how I am experiencing the world’’ and there will always be about 5 people who will feel the same way as you. So, if you send me your work and I can not relate to it then it is not for me and the gallery, maybe it will work in another gallery.

For an artist who doesn’t know the value of their art, what advice and direction can you give them in order to be able to correctly price their art?

Well, unlike the fashion industry, the art world doesn’t have a rating system or a formula on how to charge. You need to be realistic with yourself as an artist. Artists need to be cognisant of how much time they are spending on a piece, how much does the material cost, how much material they are using?

As a base, see how much it would cost you to put a piece together and then look at what the perceived value could be. However; when an artist’s work is in demand and their resonance is high, they are free from cost, it just becomes about the demand.

                                                            Artwork at Gallery Momo

You have been in the game for 15 years, what is your take on the #OPENTHEINDUSTRY movement, and are you mentoring someone at the moment?

Opening the industry is a balance. I was talking to Berny (Martin) and were talking about how different the culture in the US and in South Africa is when coming to volunteering. In South Africa, there isn’t a huge culture of volunteering.

However, 7 years ago, a young man walked into my apartment and asked if I could mentor him. I didn’t understand how he could possibly want to work for me because I could not afford to pay him all I could do was feed him; 7 years later he is an award-winning designer. I also worked during my varsity years for so many designers, not for the money (and not that I didn’t need the money) but to learn as much as I can, so I can mold myself.

However, we need to keep in mind that South Africa doesn't have the support structure for volunteering. So, it won’t be easy for everyone.