Meet Kanye Tomiwa

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kanye Tomiwa a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Kanye with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

I get my work ethic from a strong desire to succeed in anything I put my time into, and from watching my dad while I was growing up. Seeing him consistently put in his full effort made a lasting impression on me at a young age. It taught me the value of discipline, consistency, and taking pride in your work. These are still strong lessons I still carry with me today.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a wine cork artist and designer working at the intersection of sustainability, storytelling, and functional art. Over the years, I’ve collected and recycled more than 500,000 wine corks, transforming them into sculptural wall art, mirrors, and furniture pieces. What excites me most about my work is the idea that each cork carries a story from shared moments and celebrations, and I get to give those moments a second life through art.

With a background in architecture, I approach each piece with a strong focus on structure, balance, and how art lives within a space. Community and sustainability are at the core of my practice, and I often collaborate with vineyards, brands, and individuals to create meaningful, site-specific work.

I’ve exhibited my work at Harvard Business School and across several vineyards and galleries in the DMV area, and I’m currently focused on expanding my sculptural collections and collaborating on new projects that blend art, design, and storytelling.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, the three most impactful qualities in my journey have been discipline, curiosity, and patience. Discipline helped me stay consistent and keep showing up, even when progress felt slow. Curiosity pushed me to keep experimenting with materials, forms, and ideas, which ultimately shaped my artistic voice. Patience taught me to trust the process and understand that meaningful growth takes time.

For anyone early in their journey, my advice is to build habits that support consistency, stay open to learning and experimentation, and give yourself permission to grow at your own pace. Progress compounds over time, so focus on showing up, refining your craft, and staying true to the story you want to tell.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Yes, I’m always open to thoughtful collaborations. I enjoy working with vineyards, brands, designers, architects, and creatives who value storytelling, sustainability, and intentional design. I’m especially interested in partnerships that allow for site-specific or custom work where the materials and the story behind them are meaningful to the final piece.

If you’re interested in collaborating, you can connect with me through my website or social media, or reach out directly via email. I’m always excited to explore ideas that push the work forward and create something impactful together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kanyetomiwa.com
• Instagram: kanyetomiwa
• Facebook: kanye tomiwa
• Twitter: kanyetomiwa

Image Credits

Photo – Kanye Tomiwa
Photo – Jaiye with Timi