5 Under 5 Interview with Amina Baker
Tell me about yourself.
A: I am a 17-year-old student who goes to BDSC. I enjoy reading books with my favourite authors being R.F Kuang and Faridah Abike-Iyimide. My main hobbies include of painting, reading, knitting and crocheting, but I always tend to start different hobbies each holiday such as beading or sculpting to expand my creativity. I enjoy making/creating things for my friends, e.g. flower bouquets out of pipe cleaners, hand-made pop-up books.
How would you describe your creative process from concept to completion?
A: My creative process is usually a mess from the start to the end. This is because my art studio is my cramped room, where I am on the floor most of the time, sorting through my paints, pencils, sketchbooks, etc. Usually, once I have an idea, it’s stuck in my brain until I either complete it or it turns out really bad. I don’t like to make start-up sketches (as most people do), I just do the idea. I think it’s a waste of time for me (in my opinion) because I am just so eager to paint.
Where do you find inspiration, and how do you handle creative blocks?
A: If I find myself in a block in art e.g. painting, I just go to my next hobby which is reading. If I don’t find a good book, I head to crocheting. I try not to let the block affect me, so I jump from hobby to hobby to keep my brain working, even when I just feel really lazy.
Wild Flowers
What have you learnt about yourself through working on this exhibition?
A: That painting on canvas is easier than painting on paper. In Level 2, we have to do two boards, and all our paintings are on paper, and it was hell for me. It was something about it that wouldn’t let the paints blend smoothly, or it made the same mixed colour look like completely different shades. I don’t know how I managed to complete the two boards. If I could, I would have done my two boards on canvas.
How do you see art influencing your future career?
A: I haven’t really thought about my career much, even though it’s where most teenagers start to know what they want to do. I will definitely have to pick a serious career e.g. lawyer or doctor, but I hope I still manage to keep art as a passion rather than let it fade away.
Amina Baker’s Wild Flowers is on display from 27 Sept 2025 – 24 Jan 2026 on The Wall.