Meet Bradley Kahabka

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

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Bradley 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?

When I was younger, probably around 12 or so my dad introduced me to boy scouts and I ended up making it all the way to the rank of Eagle Scout. I had a really good troop that would do extreme sort of camping where we really were responsible for our own well-being. I also went on to become the wilderness survival instructor at a large boy scout camp in the area for a few years and just being responsible for that many kids and students at a young age really instilled a sense of ethic within me. I also joined the Army in my late 20’s, which in a way is just the next step up from boy scouts. As an adult that was of course much more serious but really instilled some good values within me I believe.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I went to school for drawing and painting, which I still do in my spare time. I actually have a show coming up at the Rodd Briggs gallery in long beach the weekend of October 11th showcasing two of my more recent works. I focus a lot on contrast and value and often paint more nighttime related scenes and landscapes. I tend to focus on the journey of the Individual and often paint solitary scenes that ask the viewer to self-reflect and show that we are all but small pieces in the bigger picture of the world.

My professional work as a Master Luthier is coming along well also. I’ve got instruments all over the world currently and have been designing new and innovative things that haven’t been done in the U.S. before. I’ve got an electric solid body ukulele that has gone over really well so far this year, and have also been hand winding the pickups for those instruments and just making as much of these instruments from scratch as I can. I’ve also just released a 28 inch scale Jazz style bass, which is very uncommon also. As far as I know it’s the first real commercially available bass of that scale in the U.S. as well. I’ve really gotten to use my sculptural and design skills in my professional career too which is exciting.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think discipline, integrity and willingness to learn have been my most valued skills that I’ve kept with me over the years. I would also say though even if you were studying a certain subject or skill set, always be open to expand your intellectual toolbox and abilities. My BFA is in drawing and painting, which I still use at my current job for a lot of things, but it’s really all of the other skills I learned along the way that I am really utilizing. I minored in sculpture just because it was fun, and I was a mechanic in the Army, but collectively it’s really all of those skills combined that allowed me to get this job in the first place and excel at it in ways a lot of other people cannot. You never know what the future will bring so I’d say just learn as many different skills as you can, and this could be said for any discipline not just art I feel. It’s allowed me to advance my art career in ways I never would have even thought but also as a person as well.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

I just got back from Zanzibar in Africa on a kitesurfing/scuba diving trip actually, and if I had a decade to live from today, I would get a boat, sail the world, and just make art and get in the ocean as much as possible. Growing up my favorite movies were the Goonies and Hook, for some reason I’ve always been drawn to the Ocean and watersports, one could say it’s my happy place. Theres something just very peaceful about it, the sights and smells, and the freedom. It makes you feel very small and puts life into perspective. I spent a few days getting my advanced diver certification there, and there is still more to learn, wreck diving is next on the list. It’s also a very good way for me to get reference photos for my paintings which I of course do. It’s important also I believe to meet new people and cultures, to get outside of your own bubble and realize how much more in the world there actually is. Not everyone lives the same life as you do, not every country has the same freedoms and rights, and everyone would be much better off to gain these perspectives.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ohanacustomshop.com
• Instagram: kahabkart