We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Malkan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
I specialize in community public art, what that means is that the communities in the respective area where the mural will be are involved in either the design and/or production. It is fun and fulfilling working with the children to hear their thoughts, ideas and what they think will be meaningful on the mural that will represent them. The most powerful public art murals that I have worked on are located at Cuney Homes and in Gulfton, Houston. The benefits the children receive from working on these murals is give them a sense of community, a sense of purpose, showcases their talents, exposes them to something they didnt’t know that was available them. I hope to continue to do more public art murals all over the world.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art has come a long way since I started on this journey of entrepreneurship 7 years ago. Putting myself out there and showcasing my artwork at shows help me evolve my style. On a personal not, leaving an abusive relationship and becoming a single mother also was a major influence in my artwork in terms of emotions and style. Thirdly, my son is half Indian and half Black and it is really important for him to know both cultures and that has heavily influenced my artwork. It has been a hard and rough journey but also very rewarding because I have truly constructed the life of my dreams, to be a professional artist full time. I am proud of myself for not wavering on my dreams, nor listened to my friends and family and stayed true to myself and my path.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I absolutely love Houston. I was born and raised in Alief and at one point I didn’t appreciate Houston and what it had to offer. Once I started traveling the world, I realized that Houston will always be home because it has the best of both worlds for me, the city life and the country life. Some of the places I would want to showcase to a first time visitor is the graffiti wall downtown, the Art Studios in the heights, the waterwall, take them to a Astros/Dynamo/Rockets/Texans game. We would have to eat at Brandani’s in Missouri City, BellaGreen, and drinks at Anvil.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
It has been a tough journey to get here to be a full time professional artist, with the lack of support from friends and family at the time I started on this path, however I am grateful for the my determination and perseverance to stay committed to my dream. I am grateful to the friends that I made along the way that had similar aspirations that became my accountability partners, some that connected me to people, and some that bought my work and supported me.

Website: www.amymalkan.com
Instagram: @amymalkan
Linkedin: @amymalkan
Twitter: @amymalkan
Facebook: @theamymalkan