Butterfly Effects
How Sara Jabari transformed a childhood passion into a flourishing arts business in Kurdistan
Looking at Sara Jabari’s exquisite creations, there’s little hint of the childhood hobby that started it all. Her designs are a perfect blend of art and science, capturing the fleeting beauty of the natural world as it spins through the seasons, like the butterflies that adorn each piece.
It began simply, with a little girl foraging in her grandparents’ garden at the close of each spring. Peering among the plants, she would find them, dead butterflies, their wings still intact and glimmering in the sunlight. “I was struck by a sense of melancholy for these fallen creatures,” says 21-year-old Jabari, who lives in Erbil.
To preserve their delicate beauty, she kept them in sealed containers, admiring the vivid blues, rich yellows, bold reds, and milky whites. As time passed, her childhood pastime evolved into a hobby and, more recently, a business, which she has named Cupid Butterflies. “I was inspired by the tenacity of butterflies, despite their delicate wings,” she explains.
Growing up in Kurdistan, her creativity was encouraged, and over time, she developed her skills, learning more about preservation techniques and experimenting with different displays. The idea to turn her hobby into a business came when a friend offered to purchase her first collection. So, she launched a shop online, gradually expanding her customer base. Two years later, sales are thriving, with a monthly profit of between $800 and $1000 per month.
Many of the people who purchase her creations are inspired by the beauty of the designs, but her customers also include biology students, drawn by the scientific and educational appeal of her displays. She also markets to event planners seeking distinctive décor features for weddings and birthdays, selling both in-person at handicraft fairs and through her online store.
With the business flourishing, she is now preparing to open her first physical branch in Erbil and has secured an Innovation Hub grant to help cover the costs. “Sara Jabari demonstrates the potential to transform creative pursuits into successful businesses in Kurdistan,” says Faisal Al Mutar. “At Ideas Beyond Borders, we are excited to support talented individuals who are driving the emergence of this diverse cultural business scene.”
At the central market in Erbil, arts and crafts are prominently featured as entrepreneurs find new ways to monetize their talents and harness opportunities in the Kurdistan region’s expanding startup sector. Recent years have seen a boom in hand-made products as a new generation combines traditional crafts with fresh ideas to represent a fresh era of Kurdish creativity. “The general market for handicrafts in Kurdistan is in high demand, especially if the craft relates to Kurdish culture,” says Jabari.
There are still significant challenges. Access to resources remains difficult for artisans, who have limited infrastructure for showcasing their work. Regulatory barriers can also be formidable in Kurdistan, where registering a business takes time and money. Funding is also difficult to come by, with a growing number of artisans competing for a small pool of opportunities. Despite this, Jabari says there is a determination among young creatives to succeed. “Many artisans in Kurdistan showcase remarkable resilience, creativity, and determination in preserving and promoting their traditional crafts,” Jabari says.
With preparations underway for the new Cupid Butterflies space, she is busy finalizing the design for the shop interior. She is also setting aside time to work on her craft, using some of the Innovation Hub grant money to source glass pieces and other materials required to mummify the butterflies and immortalize their beauty. “I am driven by their determination to live fully and beautifully through their short life cycles. This resilience serves as a steadfast reminder of the importance of perseverance and productivity in all endeavors,” she adds.
This article was written by Olivia Cuthbert.