An interview with Zakay Glass Creations
Local Byron Bay artist Asaf Zakay shares the journey of building his thriving creative business.

Asaf Zakay was born and raised in Israel. Exploring and living in the madness and magic of India for a number of years he came to settle in the Byron Shire in 2005. From a studio on a property in Rosebank and a start selling at the local markets, Zakay Glass Creations has now found its home in a beautiful gallery space in Bangalow. In the back corner of a bright and airy room, filled with rainbows of refracted light and breezy views over Bangalow’s main street, Asaf can be found working on his stunning glass creations. Over a cup of lemon grass tea Asaf shared the story of his business while I relaxed into watching the hypnotic process of the glass coming together to create his unique three dimensional works of art.

C -Were you established in Israel as an artist?
A- No. I always used to create some form of art, use a lot of crystals and shells and making lots of mirrors and frames, coffee tables, high tables everything. I always used to create those geometric shapes out of any kind of material that I used to have. I started using glass in Israel. I probably only made 15 pieces and I gave them all away for friends before I left and came up here. I got here with a small cutting knife for glass and a few triangles that survived the trip and started doing the local markets and then I was introduced to the subject of sacred geometry. I had no idea about it. I thought it only belonged to Israel and it was a 3D star pendant and that was it. I was making these shapes with no real idea. I knew it was a spiritual symbol but I had no idea that it’s a full universal symbol and that the symbol is the universal language. It’s all based on a ratio found by Fibonacci. It’s called the Fibonacci sequence and it’s a number that repeats itself all over nature. There’s nothing that lives and exists on the planet that’s not based on the same ratio of every single shape I create.

C- Did you study at University or do a course or did you just find your way there?
A – I did just a normal stained glass course in Israel probably 13 years ago. Told my teacher at some stage that the only thing I really want to create is the 3 D star of David and no one was actually able to teach me how to make a 3 dimensional piece, only 2 D or maybe a lampshade. So I just used to go home and cut some glass and play. This is how it all started.

C – In terms of being an artist in the Northern Rivers what’s been the main struggles?
A- Well the first year when I was out in the market it was a bit, not hard, but almost just taking you to all those places where you think if I should keep doing it or if I should stop doing it. Maybe people just want imported stuff from China or something and cheap stuff. I don’t think it’s just related to this specific area. I think that people go through this same process all over. I don’t know about “struggles”. I’ve had a bit of a good run actually. Its not like I was sitting back and hoping everything will happen. You have to work it out and do a lot to get to where we are.

My ex partner was with me as a part of the business and we have been a strong team. She’s helped and supported all those aspects I wasn’t good at. Maybe that’s my struggle. With paperwork and everything.

C – On the business side what are the areas that you struggle with? How have you managed that?
A – For around 6 years I wasn’t actually sitting in front of the computer I was pretty much only in the studio. I had full support with the business aspect so even though I was part of the making and creating and going out to shows and showing what I do. Business wise I had a really great support. Then at some stage I took some decisions regarding the business and my personal life and all of a sudden I had to face the computer, had to face paying mortgages and wages and insurance and all the rest of the bills that we have to deal with. So that was a bit of a process. I used to maybe look at it as, not really a “struggle” but just something that’s not really in my system. I didn’t have any passion to deal with it. Sometimes people used to tell me that they think I’m really lucky because I don’t deal with all those things but I always used to say that part of me feels that its sort of like a missing link in my own system. So I always had this part that was staying away from it but at the same time was wanting to know more about it. I didn’t have to face it until I moved out of this relationship and then I had to face everything.

C – How have you managed that?
A – It was quite good, I really used to enjoy paying bills! Then I sourced some other help that is still with me as a part of the gallery. Dealing with all social media aspects, emails… But I’m much more involved these days with that side of things as well.

C – Do you find that that’s been a problem for your creativity?
A – I don’t know if it’s been a “problem” for my creativity but it surely affected me on all different levels even on a personal level.

C – Because it is something that a lot of artists really find challenging
A – Try to avoid

C – But it’s an inevitable part if you’re going to try and rely on your arts to give you an income. It does seem to be the bit that most creative people struggle with. What’s helped you to break through that?
A – I knew that in me I would feel much more complete if I would face this section of my life. I always just wanted to be out in nature and be away from all this. But I knew that I cant just be out in nature all the time and that everything would work themselves out, so I t was trying to find the balance between sitting in front of the computer and making phone calls or trying to work out a few emails. It’s not my full passion but its part of something I need to do to live my full passion these days. That’s how I see it in this stage. Maybe later on, who knows what can happen.

C – What have you found has been the good opportunities as a creative person in this area?
A – An open community. But business wise, even though we’ve got quite a lot of customers from the area, we took the business out of here. The Byron Shire wasn’t our main base for the business. We used to go out and do different exhibitions in Sydney and Melbourne, different shows and events and a few years we used to drive everywhere. We had to expand ourselves out.

C – Do you have a day job to support or is this it?
A – This is it!

C – That’s very rare. There’s a lot of artists that need to have a money spinner to make their art. Are there products that you make because you know that they are a good product on a business level but they don’t necessarily float your boat creatively?
A – No. I find it very hard to do something that doesn’t “float my boat”. But sometimes if we need to fill up some stock, in the gallery for display, you know we say okay we just sold this and that and this this week so we need to make those pieces. But every now and again, as soon as I have some time I escape to this zone of creating something new.

C – Are you creating new products?
A – Now I’ve got I don’t know how many of them in my head. But I really want to star . I recognise that process that it comes as an idea and then all of a sudden I will see how it can happen. Then I find it hard to tell myself, ok then “tomorrow morning I’m going to do it”. I’m not that kind of a person. I can’t plan. I can come in the morning and all of a sudden it will happen.

C – So how do you have a routine to produce enough?
A – I’ve got Roy here with me. He’s been with me for the past 7 years now.   Since we moved to Bangalow we stopped doing all the big shows. We used to operate 6 days 9-5 in the studio, just making, non stop. I felt like bringing it back to that personal level. That people can come up here. See us creating in front of them. 

C – Do ever have days that you don’t feel like doing it?
A – Yeah sometimes if I don’t feel like it I won’t be able to sit in the studio and solder, if my head is not there and my passion is not there.

C – How do you balance that out with maybe you’ve got orders or need to keep making?
A – I’m not sure if its good or not but I always say to myself another day or two won’t make a life difference. So if the customer has to wait another two days I’m sure they will appreciate it more if I do it when I’m fully there instead of doing it out of a place of “have to do it now”.

C – How much time do you spend in a week producing the artwork?
A – I think now, with all the other stuff I have to do, I think I sit in my chair maybe 4 days a week. Just doing the creating stuff.

C – And the business back end?
A – We have Lainie with us and Roy and Jenny. Each one them supporting a different section of the business. So that’s quite a bit of help, a lot of help actually. Cause on that other end of things there’s a lot of things that I find it hard to find my passion for. Even if its something that can make a major difference. I’ve got the people that have the skills, build up great relationships with all them on different levels and we sort of became like a family.

C – You do it all for love?
A – It’s an income.   Its not like I can press a button and it will happen. But it all comes from this place of something that I love doing (most of the time!).

C – What now moving forward are your main goals for your business?
A – Well we are dealing with new customers in the US that wish to become distributers for us. So were hoping to start opening the market in the US more. There was a guy who just came from England that gave a talk about Tiffany. He’s the first guy. Louis Tiffany was starting in England in 1820, started using glass and became the most famous guy for glass all around the world. So they invited me to this lecture and I was just there and my mind just expanded more and more and more about things I wish to create.

C – If you jump forward the next 3 years where do you see the business going, a vision for the future?
A – My fully truly honest vision is to be on a paddock with my animals. When I started I used to be on the land and I had all my animals and the studio as part of it and it was fantastic and even back then they used to ask me about vision for the business when I moved to the first gallery in Byron and I always said to get back to the same days.

C – Still creating things?
A – Yeah, I love to create, I can’t just sit still. Think I will always love to create 3 or 4 days a week even if I won’t need an income. Just for my own self, like I used to do and have that time with your self.

C – What are your 3 top tips for local arts businesses

1. Fully to believe in what you do. Fully love it.

2. Not to listen to anyone I think is the best advice. Just do your thing. When we first started 10 yrs ago after a year we got to this stage when even my partner at the time would say let’s forget about it and stop it, just import stuff and I was like “you know what if people don’t buy a product of $100 lets make a product for $200 if they don’t buy the $200 let make one for $400.” It was fully believing in what you’re doing I think that was moving us through the years.

3. Have a really strong drive and go for it! Don’t sit and wait for things to happen. We all say what’s meant to happen will happen. Sometimes it’s meant to happen but it doesn’t mean you’re not meant to get out, pick up the phone, get in your car and drive somewhere and make it happen.

Want some support turning your creative vision into a thriving business like Asaf’s?  Register now for our Weekend Intensive for Artists and Creative Businesses, November 15 and 16th, Brunswick Heads, NSW – Read More.