We had the good fortune of connecting with Daniel Tamayo Arcila and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Daniel, looking back, what do you think was the most difficult decision you’ve had to make?
I think the most difficult decision in my life was the point of break when I had to choose between two kinds of life.
Living the life like a lot of friends and close people. Going to work every day from 7am to 6pm with ridiculous bad salary or very rude and unfair bosses with a fixed and also limited salary (which also has some advantages).
Or to live free from the passion that vibrates in my blood. Making workshops with children and adults, creating products and characters to share them with the world. I choose to live my way, free and detached from the money.
The most important thing for me is to educate and show people of what they are capable of and what they can build with a pair of hands and just letting the brain express free. that’s why art and creativity is my way to live.
Imagine and create.
I choose my carrier because I felt confident of myself and I felt I could share a lot to the world, starting with Medellin, my own community.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am graphic designer and I always worked with alternative and non-conventional materials, I started since I waws a child in school, and keept learning. During my carrier I learned that there are many ways and kinds of illustration and I focused on the 3D one, but not digital, the analog 3D one made about of clay and sculpture materials.
I finished my carrier as graphic designer in the U.P.B (Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana Medellin) and searched for some work for about a year… at the same time I was also looking for some master or specialization around the world. The focus was illustration, sculpture or character creation.
I didn’t find a job in Medellin but I found the opportunity to study a Master of arts in design in the university of Luzern in Switzerland (HSLU) were I made my master thesis about the preservation of the analog arts in the digital Era. And as main project I wrote a children’s book named ” Ciri the cat” and made the whole illustrations out of clay and recycled materials. It was a very nice project and experience but I searched for a job in Switzerland for almost 6 months and also didn’t find any.
At the end I had to travel back to Medellin to keep searching for a job.
When I was about to give up with arts… a little bit frustrated I decided to do the last thing that could keep me living from art and from what I love. I started a brand called La Manofactory focused on clay illustrated products or each one hand made, something exclusive and unique. then I started making more and more products until I also started another brand called AMANO.LMF that is also made by my hands but in miniature to transform it in bronze, silver and gold jewelry.
With the time I also started doing some workshops with children and adults, teaching them how to create and believe in themselves with the production of figures and characters from their imagination. Until now that’s what I do and I really enjoy it a lot. I feel young every time I go to class with children and their innocent and crazy ideas. it’s about 5 years ago since I started.
The most important thing the whole process of self-growing left me is that no matter how many times you fall and think everything is over, or maybe is not going to work… you just have to keep on going and try harder until you start feeling good with yourself. when that happens is because you are in the right work field or surounded with the right people.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It depends on what you like, if you like party and get drunk, most definitely Lleras park and the pink zone in Medellin, there are many restaurants and bars to try, but if you like more drink a coffee or beer and chill in some park they are a lot of places like museums, streets and parks around the city like Ciudad del Rio or parques del rio.
I was a party person before… now I’m more a relaxed dude that walk out the dogs in the park and drink some beer when I can.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to thank from all my hearth my parents that never stop believing in me and in my talents, my brother, my girlfriend and my friends that are always there in the good and the bad times. I also would like to thank all the people that helped me along my life like teachers and mentors and also to the parents that give the children the opportunity to create and express free.
In this case specially to Aileen Posada from the brand LEEN that you already interviewed, that recommend my art to you and let you know me and know my art. thank you also Emma for the patience you had.
Website: www.tamaart.com / www.lamanofactory.com
Instagram: @lamanofactory @amano.lmf @tamaart87
Linkedin: Tamaart87
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAMAart87
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXCHpo0CDmkiHjqnbOJPXGg
Other: behance: https://www.behance.net/TAMAart Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/59820118@N07
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