As we know, malls really are de rigueur in Kuwait, and now that both the threat of coronavirus and the weather has cooled, Kuwait is back to building a new mega mall here, or an even larger mall there. Sometimes, though, the smaller ones are well-worth a visit. You can find some real gems in mini-malls, which typically support local, family-owned businesses. bazaar Studios discovered a little star of a place in Salmiya’s 8 Mall, called Studio Corners, and built to provide exactly what it says on the label – differently designed areas within a studio setting. Once we found out that the place is run by brothers Hani and Jawad Alshakhs, we were eager to sit down with them both and delve a little deeper into their relationship and business plan.
Think of famous brothers and who immediately comes to mind? Cain and Abel may immediately pop up, let’s not go there, and perhaps the sneakerheads among you may think of the Puma and Adidas brothers, again, not a great relationship. Perhaps this goes to show that fraternal sibling rivalry is not so easily put aside. But surely, there must be examples of brothers with a more complementary, yin and yang, mutually beneficial and symbiotic relationship. The Wright brothers – without whom none of you would be packing your bags to fly off to concerts in Riyadh or weekends in Dubai –these are a better example. The conscientious and industrious older brother Wilbur seems to have been the pragmatic driving force behind their extensive research with the bright and younger brother Orville lending his vigor to the project on how to best control flight.
A similar older brother/younger brother dynamic can also be seen at play in Studio Corners, where the brothers Hani and Jawad Alshakhs work extremely well together. It’s not the first time they’ve endeavored to do this as they come from a family who is happy to delve into the scary quagmire that can sometimes come from working with friends or family. But “scary” hasn’t been the brothers’ experience. Their first big project, years ago, was real estate which involved a large number of their family, ten to be exact. Poor logistics, not enough planning and more than a bit of bad luck led to the project’s failure but there were no enduring familial fallouts nor recriminations. The skilled and rare ability to successfully compartmentalize business and interpersonal relationships is strong within the Alshakhs family, “As much as is humanly possible,” laughs Hani. This experience must have shaped the brothers’ good attitude, because they simply know no other way than to accept things as they happen and just keep moving onward and upward from there. In fact, if anything, with failure came lessons learned and a stronger more experienced foundation on which to build successful ventures.
As an educator who needed to be able to teach online, Hani was the first to come up with the idea of sharing a space with others, and having that space pay for itself. Like a buy-to-let to pay the mortgage, but you’re also one of the roommates. Seems ingenious. “It came out of necessity,” Hani explains. Like many successful entrepreneurs, Hani recognized that if he needed a service, such as media content creation, others would most likely be looking for it too. Ever the pragmatist Hani decided – rather than outsourcing – it was cheaper for him to learn how to do all the various aspects of content creation, from sound to lighting and videography and, in providing the right environment for himself to create in, he’d be providing opportunities for others to use that space too. Given the highly competitive nature of the industry and how people sometimes can naturally want to keep resources to themselves, developing a space like Studio Corners is a particularly generous and empathetic move, not just a business idea. Studio Corners is constantly evolving; something has been added, they’ve got more equipment, made new backdrops on wheels, or there’s a new creative using the space. So, you get to meet like-minded artists, build your network, and strengthen the creative community in Kuwait.
When asked about Studio Corners as a business, Jawad says, “It’s got a life of its own,” but he does question its sustainability. “Creatives like to be in control and prefer to have their own space,” he muses. But here is where the beauty of Studio Corners comes in. It’s almost like an incubator of talent. There are incredible creatives, visionaries who can’t afford to invest in their own equipment but who can afford to rent and experience the range of quality supplies and services on offer in a well-run, professional set-up with everything from a podcasting studio to collaborative areas with a multitude of sockets and charging outlets. From within a safe and supportive space these creative newbies get to develop their portfolios, establish themselves and then move on. “Moving on” is exactly where Jawad questions the sustainability of Studio Corners, but in Kuwait there will always be a next generation of artists who require a space in which to work, team up and express themselves. In Studio Corners, no matter if it’s Hani sporting his dishdasha or Jawad coming in after his latest travels, they are always open to sharing their ideas and technical advice with the users. They seem genuinely interested in how their space is being used, be it podcaster or visual artist, and it’s rare to hear them say, “no” when it comes to implementing a creative idea in-studio. You can sometimes even see an entire temporary set being built in one of the corners; it’s more often than not a bazaar Studios project or collaboration to be fair.
bazaar starts to ask the brothers, “Of the two of you, who…” and Jawad finishes the question for bazaar, “…calls the shots?” The question was going to be “Who is the more dedicated to the space”, but this subject seems more fun. Hani immediately says, “I wouldn’t say it’s collaborative decision making, but it is very close to that.” He goes on to explain, “I have the business perspective always in mind so the decisions that I make are geared toward breaking even, revenue, gross profit, and that kind of thing.” Hani is not a creative who wants to build his own personal play space, which can be the temptation if you are an owner and creative at the same time. It is also a very older brother trait; keep on the straight and narrow so the younger brother, and other business partners, get to explore alternative areas safely. Despite this apparent rigidity, Hani is very flexible and remains open to new ideas. Jawad goes on to say, “Flexibility was built into the idea of Studio Corners from the beginning.” Even the glass dividing wall is in reality an accordion door which opens up the floor completely, changing the possibilities for usage entirely. It’s exciting to see what other projects, collaborations or opportunities Studio Corners will lend itself to. But perhaps more than anything, it’s fascinating to see how these two brothers both with disparate responsibilities, continue to work together from different angles, yet aim to achieve the same goals for not only their own needs, but for the creative community’s needs too. We are grateful.
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL QUESTIONNAIRE
What do you most value about your friends?
H: Can’t really pinpoint any single trait, generally
would say I value them as individuals.
J: They’re non-judgmental and supportive.
Which living person do you most admire?
H: My mother.
J: My art mentor for his insightfulness and work
ethic.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
H: My family’s happiness.
J: Accepting life as it comes, the good with the bad.
What is your greatest extravagance?
H: Going on an extended camping or overlanding trip.
J: I spend much more than I should when traveling.
What is your most treasured possession?
H: I don’t consider any of my possessions treasured. When I was younger, I would say my book collection. Currently I see them as tools, I constantly write notes in the margins which is something I could not imagine doing before.
J: My decade old dropbox account.
What is your greatest fear?
H: Losing people I care about.
J: Losing access to my dropbox account.
What is your most marked characteristic?
H: Being easy going.
J: Introversion.
Which talent would you most like to have?
H: Portrait drawing, I use to draw constantly from middle school up to university. After I entered work life I slowly stopped and have always wanted to get back to it.
J: Public speaking.
What is one trait you have that you are most grateful for?
H: Having a high threshold hold for stress.
J: I’m always learning something new.
What is the human trait you most dislike about others?
H: Being too judgmental.
J: Nosiness.
What is it that you most dislike?
H: Too much work, of which I have plenty.
J: Bad parenting.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
H: In Arabic مو مشكلة “Not a problem”.
J: “That means” or “ يعني ” in Arabic.
What are your favorite words to live by?
H: Arabic prayer from Imam Ali إلهي انت كما احب
فأجعلني كما تحب “My lord you are as i like you to be, so make me as you would like me to be”.
J: You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.
Where would you most like to live?
H: Anywhere with a view and no shopping malls.
J: Tuscany.
If you could have any job, what would it be?
H: I really wanted to be a surgeon.
J: Movie critic.
What would you consider your greatest achievement?
H: Still working on that.
J: Worked with and learned from very talented
designers throughout my career.
What do you hope for the future?
H: Success in my business venture for my goal of financial freedom.
J: To work on something that makes people’s lives easier and happier.
Studio Corners is located on the 5th floor of 8 Mall in Salmiya. For bookings visit studiocorners.com and follow @studio.corners on Instagram to stay up to date with their news.
