Hello world! Welcome to the #klikninakreativu series, where we introduce you to creatives who are part of our platform. They are all young, entrepreneurial, and extremely creative individuals who have found their way to your hearts and closets. Today, you’ll meet the team from Art za po doma.
Art za po doma has quite an interesting story. First, we must say that this brother and sister radiate positivity and charm that wins you over at first sight, and on second glance, you see that in their entrepreneurial endeavors, they have one goal – to make you fall in love with authentic Croatian culture, art, and literature. When was the last time you read a good book? Their work might remind you to make time for it and to pick up some of their amazing creations. Let’s get started. Ready, set, meet Art za po doma!
How did the “Art za po doma” story start? Did you initially think this would become a small business?
Marija: Initially, there was a desire to enter people’s lives, their homes, to occupy their walls. Posters are something that will definitely mark our times. They are affordable, practical, and ideal for people who love constant changes in their living space. Among the many posters designed in an infantilized or minimalist style, it seemed to me there was room for a more serious approach to illustration. Two years ago, I created homages to famous world painters (Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Modigliani, Klimt, Warhol, …), and when the Croatian Writers’ Association celebrated its 120th anniversary last year, they commissioned me to portray the most famous Croatian writers in my style. I thought they should also be educational, so I added their favorite quotes. Then Marin expanded the story…
I really loved those portraits and wanted them on a T-shirt. Then we noticed that many people in our surroundings view famous Croatian writers as boring, which we thought was quite unfortunate. We believe it’s mainly because writers are seen through the lens of school, and since students often find school boring – as research on srednja.hr shows – they find writers boring too. We think Krleža, Zagorka, Ujević, Tadijanović, Mažuranić, and others don’t deserve to be ‘boring.’ We independently created a website, decided to make posters and T-shirts, and brainstormed what and how we would do things… We don’t want artzapodoma.com to be just an online shop; it also has an educational and entertaining aspect. That’s what the ART za po DOMA stories and poster/T-shirt descriptions are for, where readers can find short, fun biographies of these great people. Our website also features interviews with some really amazing individuals.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
So far, the biggest inspiration comes from portraits in famous artworks throughout history, portraits of writers, painters, and models from fashion runways. We choose motifs that we feel we can give a fresh interpretation.
Which visual is your personal favorite and which is the most popular among customers?
Marin: I’m most fond of Zagorka. I think it’s because of her journalistic impact. However, I’ve always liked Cesarić and Tadijanović, maybe because they were born in Slavonia, I’m not sure. Recently, I came across a collection of Cesarić’s selected poems and was again thrilled by “The Dead Poet’s Song.”
Marija: I’ll die tonight from beauty (Is that an answer?) The guys love Krleža. Women buying T-shirts for men usually choose Picasso. For women, girls, it’s a bit more complicated. Recently, the most popular choice has been Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić. We really can’t explain why. Regarding posters, lately Modigliani, Modigliani in color, and Frida have been very popular.
What do you think is the secret of your success? With so many similar profiles and brands on social media, it’s not easy to find your way to the audience. How did you manage it?
We have no secrets, but we’re glad the question assumes success. So, thank you! It’s up to each of us creators to put in effort and give our best version of ourselves. Even if it’s not always obvious at first, every effort pays off eventually, sometimes sooner, sometimes later.
Recently, you started selling your products in other web shops and stores. How did the process of finding partners go? Was it easy to find places to include your products in their assortment?
We were lucky to meet the right people at the right time. The same happened with Blue Frame, which made our business much easier and allowed us to offer Marija’s works on three types of T-shirts. Previously, a notification of an order meant ordering a T-shirt, printing, packaging, shipping, and much more; today we know the team at Katedra will do it all efficiently and with quality.
Tell us, what are your hopes for the future? Have you achieved any of your dreams, and what are your next ventures?
We really have a lot of ideas. We’re considering expanding ART to more items, but more on that later. We’re very happy because ART has turned some dreams into reality.
One of our dreams is to have our posters displayed on school walls. We believe this would contribute to popularizing Croatian literature, especially considering that people are largely visual learners, and studies show that up to 65% of people learn more easily using visual elements. It’s also our dream that our T-shirts are worn by everyone who hasn’t read their required school readings.
Speaking of dreams, here’s a line from a great song to end with (definitely Google it):
“Dreams are pumpkins that burst from the head
But life without dreams
Is like a sky without stars”