Obakeng is a South African fashion designer and illustrator living in Leipzig with her family. She works part-time and as a freelance designer. With KOO.NOU, she is carving out a space to combine the worlds of fashion and illustration.
How are you doing and how are you arriving here in this moment?
I am exhausted. Balancing part-time work, motherhood, and freelance projects stretches me thin. But I also arrive with determination.
Even though it is tough, I feel strong despite the tiredness. Being a working mom is not easy, and I would struggle to create without my husband, Donni. His support gives me the time and space to keep doing what I love.
Who are you as a person? What defines you?
Creativity defines me.
It is how I truly express my feelings. There are no boundaries, and I can turn any thought, good or bad, into art.
If you took away the chance to create, I would fall apart.
Creating reminds me that something amazing can come out of nothing.
What does it mean to you to be self-employed?
Being self-employed means deciding what I create, when I create, and how I show up in the world.
It is freedom to follow my heart and ideas without limits. Balancing freelance work with other professional responsibilities is challenging.
Being fully self-employed would give me more space to connect with other creatives, learn,
and grow.
It is frustrating that creative work often does not get the recognition and pay it deserves.
What makes you angry?
It frustrates me that creative work is often undervalued. People sometimes see fashion design or illustration as unimportant, as if it can be done as a favor rather than a craft that deserves proper recognition and pay. They see a piece of paper with illustrations and think it appeared with a click, but the truth is, we create with our souls.
Having skill is not enough.
You also have to know how to market yourself. If you are not good at that, does it mean you are failing?
I have also struggled with creating other people’s visions when my own were unclear. At one point, I lost myself and had to step back from creativity. That break taught me that I have to honor my own vision above all else.
We create beauty to spark joy and in a society that often feels heavy and depressed, that joy is essential.
What gives you hope?
Creating gives me hope. Turning raw materials into something meaningful reminds me that something beautiful can come out of nothing.
My kids inspire me too. They approach the world without fear or boundaries. Fear is something we learn, and I constantly remind myself to fight against it. They teach me to stay curious, hopeful, and open in my own creative work.
What can we do now to make a difference?
Creatives need to uplift each other, creating spaces where ideas can be shared and
support is real.
I dream of a space representing people of color, where African art is shown from our own perspective. A place where viewers see who actually made the work could shift perspectives and change how people value creativity.
Everyone can help by taking creative work seriously instead of treating it as a hobby. Beauty matters. As artists, we create beauty to spark joy, and in a society that often feels heavy and depressed, that joy is essential.
THANK YOU OB, FOR CREATING HOPE.