Sherine Mankouche, 30, spends her days working in digital media but her nights and weekends making miniature wall hangings for her micro-business, Miniature Memoirs.
Here, the artist from Lebanon talks about making the mementos, which start at Dh1,500 (US408).
How would you describe what you do?
It's handpicking and choosing scaled items that are in the ratio of 1:12. I assemble these and create a scene. It is hung on the wall, just like a painting.
How did you get into that?
It all started maybe 10 years ago when my sister went for her honeymoon to the Maldives and picked me up a miniature violin, because I play the violin. I was fascinated by how beautiful the miniature looked and how real and nicely done it was. It was exactly a replica of a real violin. This is where my interest in scaled items started growing. [After that] everywhere I travelled I would try to find a miniature violin or a miniature instrument. Gradually I collected these items.
When did you start making the miniature scenes?
Two years ago, I realised I had so many of them. They were all sitting on the table and I thought I should do something about them. They cannot just stay there doing nothing. This is how the inspiration came.
How did the business start?
Friends came over and started asking me to do some for them. And friends of friends saw it and this is how the viral effect happened. People started telling people and then I realised that I might as well start [selling them] because there is a demand for these things. It's a micro-business to be honest. It's not like a big business. It's on demand. I don't have a showroom where people can come and buy what they want. It started two years ago but is gradually growing.
Are you the only employee?
Yes.
How long does it take to make one?
It takes on average a full working week [since] I work every day I work on them for around three to four hours, not eight hours.
So you get home from your day job and do this in your spare time?
Yes. Another passion I have is the violin. So it's a constant battle between playing the violin or putting some miniatures together. I have always loved creating things [it is how] I find my inner peace.
Do you want to do this full time one day?
If it grows to an extent when it will be a full-time job, yes why not? But some things start small and finish big, some things start small and stay small because of their nature, so we will see how it goes.
* Gillian Duncan
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