Special Spotlight Interview With Artist Iqbal Garint

Saikou works with a handful of artists to bring you the striking streetwear you are used to seeing in our catalogue; some of them in house, some of them freelance.  Today we want to shine a light on the fabulous artist who has helped us bring our popular ARCANA to life and celebrate his artwork.

Iqbal Garint is an Indonesian artist from Bandung City, who currently lives in East Java Mojokerto , a countryside city surrounded by plenty of paddy fields. We sat down and had a chat with Iqbal to let you meet the man behind the art of ARCANA. Even though we have only just released our 9^th ARCANA shirt Iqbal has actually completed most of the art for the range so as well as sharing some thoughts and info about the artist we’ll also be showcasing some concepts for future ARCANA releases.

So Iqbal tell us a bit about your background and how you got into art?
I used to study civil engineering, drawing and design was just my hobby but turns out it has become my full-time job recently haha

I got into design and art I think because of my love for anime and manga! I used to read a lot of manga when I was a kid, especially a dragon ball and kungfu boy

That’s so surprising you didn’t study art and design! So you’re totally self taught?
Yes I am self-taught. I learned a lot of style and design through the internet

and of course a lot of practice haha

You have a unique, yet quite iconic looking, style. Where do you find your inspiration for your art/drawings?

Well I do get my inspiration from a lot of elements, I like Pinterest because it gives me a different perspective about art and illustration, I really like trying a different style of artwork
and sometimes it comes from nowhere, especially at night

Is there a project in the past you are really proud of?

The tarot designs for your ARCANA range is one that I really proud of, it is one of my biggest projects to date
and the other one is probably Kagesclub a brand from New York an anime clothing 

Your portfolio is full of anime and video game art, we love it! Do you have a favourite artist in this industry?

Yes I do like playing video games and watching anime. For the video games I play DOTA a lot so I really like blizzard entertainment and their art style. My favorite artists are probably Yusuke Murata, Kim Jung gi, Aaron Horkey, or deathburger. 

What current art design trends would you say you follow? Is there any particular trend that you love at present?

Right now I do love anime in cyberpunk neon concepts, dystopian worlds like Akira, Ghost in the Shell
I really like the neon colors

What are you currently working on that we can get a sneak to  reveal at?

Right now I just finishing a poster for a toilet brand haha

What is your favourite tarot design you have done for us?  Why?
My personal favourite tarot, is definitely the lovers. I loved drawing the details that I was able to include, and the think girls came out great.

We’ve sent you all of the currently finished ARCANA shirts. Do you like the finished T-shirts?

I do really like the T-shirt! I was surprised how good the the print was, and the fabric was great too!

What do you do for fun?
I do like camping on a mountain, or beach and of course, play video games and watching anime haha

What are your dreams for your art?

I was hoping to have my own art studio with my brother and do other self directed big projects

If people want to see your artwork where is the best place for them to go?
How should they contact you if they want to hire you?

Yes you can check my portfolio  on my Instagram: the_garint

Ill give you a free sketch before you guys place the order :D

You can contact me on my dm or email: iqbalgarint18@gmail.com

Thanks for chatting with us Iqbal, I’m sure folk will love to go and check out all of your non Saikou art work

Hopefully you enjoyed us pulling back the curtain on the people who make Saikou work. We want to do more articles that celebrate the work and expertise of all collaborators and employees. Is there any artist, designer or photographer we have worked with you’d like to see featured in a future blog; let us know below what your most memorable Saikou designs, photoshoots or apparel were and we’ll see what we can do!

We have some very exciting things coming in Summer so stay up to date by following our socials.

Talk to you soon

Team Saikou