Today we’d like to introduce you to Shayba Muhammad.
Hi Shayba, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m currently known as a metalsmith and jewelry, as it’s been a large focus in my creative career thus far. However, I began and continue to circle back to my roots as a multidisciplinary artist. As young as I can remember back to I remember wanting to be an artist and was pretty much primed to be such.
After all, I watched my grandmother, who was a seamstress make clothes, jewelry, dolls, purses, and all sorts of things. My dad and grandfather were both extremely gifted fine artists. In maybe elementary school, I can remember my mother enrolling my siblings and me into private music lessons. She was a trombone player and shared with us her love and the of music very early. So my taste for creativity was vast which led me to finally attend art school in Chicago.
My focus was fashion design, but I was never shy about exploring the many mediums I could use to express myself through. From creative writing to film photography, and of course fine art. So although I’ve identified for years as a jewelry designer and the owner of Mahnal, I’m truly a creative that happens to be taking residence in this medium for now.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No path to success is ever smooth. There’s nothing linear about growth, although it seems that way when we tell our stories and have the clarity of hindsight. I’ve had many struggles building myself to a modest level of success as an artist. I want to emphasize ‘struggle’ because there’s a narrative we hold on to of the ‘starving artist’ as creatives and I would like to chip away at that a bit.
Because in the age of entrepreneurship, everyone is now discovering what artists have always known- the struggle of bringing your vision to life. But it’s the struggles that give texture, identity, and purpose to the craft. So yes, I’ve had many struggles, met moments of hopelessness, and circumstances that felt like mountains with peaks too high to climb- but what allows us to endure is remembering the original spark of inspiration we received.
The idea that got us excited. That was our assignment from the Creator and confirmation that we have a purpose to see through with our time on the planet. Obstacles are not meant to destroy us, they’re meant to be overcome and they’re meant to develop us to be able to hold the magnitude of our potential.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Mahnal?
So I’ve mentioned a little bit about my jewelry business, which I named Mahnal. It means ‘attainment, achievement, and success in Arabic. I’m very intentional about what I create and want to offer the world and Mahnal was born out of my desire to inspire and celebrate women. Mahnal is a collection of contemporary brass jewelry.
It’s not only about creating beautiful and meaningful heirloom pieces, but it’s full of messages of enlightenment. It’s about adorning women physically, but also spiritually and emotionally. Providing them with an experience that makes them feel beautiful and deserving of beauty in their lives.
It’s amazing that something as simple as adornment can bring the inner light of a woman out to shine and be seen. We love to be seen, admired, and celebrated and we absolutely should.
What were you like growing up?
I’m answering this in two ways: what people say and what I say. My family describes me as having been light-hearted, creative, free-spirited, talented, well-behaved, and intuitive. These are words I remember at the moment of hearing over the years. I think those are very telling because I always did and even now enjoy simply having a good time, a good laugh.
Sharing joy and laughter with people is invigorating. I remember quitting a job once just because it was a beautiful day and spending that day with my siblings on that perfect day meant so much more to me. My interests were pretty much what they are today, I loved to sit and listen to my father expound on deeply spiritual matters. I was always very curious about that realm. It was my mother that called me intuitive and I believe that continues to shape how I approach my art today.
The ‘well behaved’ part is funny because I just always wanted to do everything perfectly. Which can be a double-edged sword. But so are all of the characteristics we develop over time. It’s interesting to reflect on these memories. Probably a great exercise for everyone to do.
Contact Info:
- Email: care@mahnal.com
- Website: mahnal.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mahnal/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MahnalJewelry
Image Credits
Courtney Lee
