ABOUT | 31:13

Tschaner Azubuike

Tschaner Azubuike

FOUNDER & OWNER OF 31:13 ECOFRIENDLY ACCESSORIES

"UTILIZING PAPER FOR ART NOT ONLY PROMOTES A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD, BUT ALSO REPRESENTS ALL OF OUR OWN ABILITY TO BE RECLAIMED, RENEWED, AND REDEEMED."

THE CREATION OF 31:13

Texas native, Tschaner Azubuike is the artist and creative mind behind 31:13. While teaching an art class to senior citizens in the Arlington area, she discovered the art of paper-bead making. Intrigued by the beautiful artform (which originated in Uganda) and bored with the mundane collections available at the shopping mall, she began creating her own original earrings using recycled paper. Women in her local community began to fall in love with her designs and order custom pairs of their own. Thus, 31:13 was born!

Fast forward 3 years, Tschaner took on a job as a 911-dispatcher for the City of Arlington. Working the night shift, she discovered that after 6:00 pm, Arlington consistently transformed into a region haunted by calls of domestic violence from women of all walks of life. It began to weigh heavily on Tschaner's heart because there was no way she could comfort and console these women. As a therapeutic outlet, she got the idea to transform her feelings into forms of art using recycled paper as a medium. Her first art piece sculpted using recycled paper was a dedication to those women called "Nurture Me Please".

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Today, Tschaner is the full-time owner of 31:13. Her goal is to create pieces that push the limits of creativity, promote sustainability, and inspire individuality and creativity amongst women. She has had the pleasure of showcasing her art in several art galleries, museum exhibitions, and festivals including but not limited to; Dallas African American Museum, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Mercury One, Pencil on Paper Gallery, Near Southside's Artsgoggle, Artscape Baltimore, and much more.

In 2020, Tschaner was a proud recipient of The New Normal Grant provided by Fine Line Group. In 2023, Tschaner was nominated as an OakCliff Fine Art Society Rising Star Artist by Fort Works Art Gallery. Her work has been featured on Fox 4 News, Good Morning Texas, NBC 5, The Fort Worth Report, and Fort Worth Star Telegram.

"My art was birthed from a place of self discovery, renewal and acceptance amidst working through depression and anxiety. Utilizing upcycled paper is very symbolic of telling that story not only in regards to environmental sustainability, but its direct connection to humanities own need and ability to experience renewal. Through my work I aim to highlight the perspectives and uniqueness of women I’ve encountered throughout my life. Through vibrant colored folded strips I aim to create movement that explores themes of joy, femininity, and our interconnected ability to influence each other as well as our environment through vibrational frequency."