Meet Acori Honzo

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Acori Honzo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Acori , thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?

My optimism comes from the story of my people! I see how far we have come and I only see more of us achieving in the future.

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 am a self-taught sculptor, painter based in Philadelphia. My work is heavily influenced by artists such as Norman Rockwell to Jean-Michel Basquiat, I am is best known for my “afro-pop” figurines—intricately detailed, 1/6 scale sculptures of iconic Black figures. I am also the co-founder of Depicting Our Peoples Excellence and Let’s Be Onyx. One of the things I’m most proud of was having a public studio—being open and accessible to the community. It was my way of sharing our story, but what I got in return was even more powerful: the public showing me my purpose. To tell our story and to help others find the courage to tell theirs. Now, as I step into the retail space, I’m carrying that same mission with me. I want to change the face of the industry by bringing in as many diverse voices as possible—and making sure they have full control over what they create.

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?

Patience is number one. You need patience cause it will take time to get where you want to be and require alot when you are a creative.

Be willing to learn everything. This is where you will win. A lot of people give up before they even start, You will have to be a one stop shop if you do not have others to help and support.

Believe in yourself! These are all easier said than done. So watch other you know on YouTube you think talk about these specific qualities.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

My biggest obstacle? I want to do it all and help everyone—that’s my Achilles’ heel. I’ve always struggled with taking time for myself because I don’t feel satisfied unless the people around me are succeeding. But I’ve learned that I can’t pour from an empty cup. So now, I try to be more intentional about where I put my energy. If I don’t have the time, I remind myself it’s okay to step back. That’s also why I started my company House of Honzo to create a structured way to help others while building something bigger than just me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.acorihonzo.com
• Instagram: @acorihonzo
• Facebook: @acorihonzo
• Other: www.celebratedope.com
  www.letsbeonyx.com

Image Credits

Photographs by JB Abbott