Fatima Nieto of Timakkuma makes a bold claim in her Instagram biography: ‘DM for
SHEESH! had the pleasure of speaking with Fatima about discovering her identity as a female Latinx artist. The creation of her mirrors not only expresses her artistic
Q: What is Timakkuma all about?
FATIMA: “It’s funny because it’s my name conjoined with like, a bear that I’m obsessed with called Rilakkuma. I would always say my name incorrectly due to people not pronouncing it right. My name is
Q: How did you get into making mirrors? Where and when did you acquire the skills to do so?
FATIMA: “About five years ago I joined this 24-hour makerspace in the valley and it’s super hands-on. There was this machine that was super loud. It was a laser cutter and I felt so intimidated by it.
I bought probably over 30 different types of materials to cut in the machine. I’m a reflection of the things that I cut, literally in the sense of it being a mirror but also in light and colors. But I didn’t really know how to use the program, it was pretty outdated like from the 90s. I was in there for about 6.5 hours just going mental.
So I stepped out of the
I went back in and I had so much more confidence, and I fucking did it. There’s this film you have to take off, like ASMR-type-shit, and I peeled it off and saw my reflection in the mirror. I just started crying. It helped me realize my worth to then leave that partnership I was in. Who I saw in that mirror was literally me, not what that person saw of me. I was really confident of my placing, my purpose, my moment. I was addicted to the energy of making these mirrors.”
Q: I saw on your Instagram that men were surprised that you, as a woman, knew how to use a laser cutter. Do you think Timakkuma is leading a new age of more female representation in builders’ work? Timakkuma
FATIMA: “Absolutely. That’s what I’m striving for. I felt so misunderstood in so many ways in that lab so I had to brand something for myself. I was definitely having an internal dialogue with myself about needing to do this type of work. I need to be the face of it. And some days it really does affect me. I think being the only woman at the makerspace instilled some sort of adrenaline in me. I have a definite way that I present myself when I enter the lab and a mantra that sticks with me. I have to really detach myself from all the different sorts of energy that surrounds me, because it’s so hypermasculine and I’m just like this ponyo fish in the makerspace. Making these mirrors is like the ultimate catharsis for me.”
Q: Could you run me through your making process from concept design to production?
FATIMA: “My brain is crazy right now; I’ve just finished all my custom orders so I can finally work on personal projects, which is so tight. I recently made my first acrylic table, but I’m going to make another one of Astro Boy and it’s gonna be like, 15 different colors. The table’s a different process to the custom
Q: How would you describe your design style? Is it a reflection of yourself? Timakkuma
FATIMA: “That’s literally the metaphor I live my life. It is literally the reflection of me. I’m just stuck in the past a lot, I’m obsessed with kid shit. I love toys, I love stuffed animals, I love things that a 6 year old would love. It’s wholesome; there’s something warm about it that’s child-like and I wanna feel that way when I’m 6 feet in the ground and at the same time when I’m reincarnated. That kid spirit lives on. And the makerspace is like this giant playground of my life.
I use the word ‘cute’ a lot. When I was receiving all those hella mean DMs from guys calling my work ‘cute’ it used to really bother me at the beginning. It’s like this complex you have to
Q: What have you learned about yourself since starting Timakkuma?
FATIMA: “I spend so much time with me, and I feel like I’m evolving everyday mentally and that’s what makes my work evolve. If I’m not doing the work here, I’ll never be able to do the work there that people see. I have to make sure that my mental state is in a good place so that I can fabricate stuff that has meaning and good energy. I’m reading a book right now that helps me with my process of confidence, When Things Fall Apart. It’s really helping me to even get up and go to the lab sometimes. I’m shape shifting everyday; I’m really honing in on my true entity and abilities. That book helps me have the fucking motive to speak my truth.
I’m in complete assurance of my worth. I love that. It comes with a lot of self-empowerment. So I feel good with the stuff that I make. Therapy helps, reading books help, meditating helps. Even before I start cutting I have to set intentions. I started doing this as a catharsis in a really bad partnership, to then having people own these pieces and bringing them to their sacred homes. I wanna be able to have goodness attached to something going into someone’s sacred temple. I manifest like, hella.”
Q: What is something special you want people to know about your mirrors?
FATIMA: “When they see themselves in the mirror and whatever they might be going through at any point in their life, I hope they are really able to see the truth of who they are and feel really good about it. Something about this mirror takes you to looking at yourself in a different way and I would hope that they feel the way that I felt when I cut my first mirror. It’s an emotional thing because that self-reflection is other worldly. We’re like shells of bodies so we really need to honor it. The takeaway would be to really look into it, and that the answers are always right there. The reflection is so sick and when you’re aligned with your moral compass that shines through. That love is definitely there, I know it for sure.”
Q: Where do you see Timakkuma going in the future?
FATIMA: “I’m on a 5 dimensional way of thinking lately, so I just want to do crazy things. I have a lot of home goods I want to start creating. I need access to different machinery that can cut different types of materials, then I’ll be able to merge both worlds together. Hence the table: it’s acrylic, it’s plexiglass, it’s wood, it’s metal. I want to keep on doing stuff that I couldn’t imagine or stuff I’ve always wanted to own. And I’m moving into this dream house that I manifested, it’ll be like home goods,
Q: Anything else you’d like to add that you feel I left out?
FATIMA: “I was talking about identity at the beginning; this hurdle I’ve overcome. I didn’t use to mark my name on the back of mirrors so nobody even knew me. I would be like this little light beam jumping around leaving mirrors at people’s houses. I made over 480 mirrors, and I’ve never put my name on the back. I’ve just started doing this recently. It says ‘espejo de
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