Inspiring through ‘Artlee’ …a hobby that became a business

Sep 18, 2022 News

Young Entrepreneur On The Move

“My goal in life is to be remembered like the old masters. I want my name to be a legacy and I’ll be satisfied if I inspire a few to do better or pay attention more to quality.”

By Allyiah Allicock

Kaieteur News – Despite losing his job in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a young man, Leon Hardowar, simply was not prepared to lose hope of being financially independent.

As such he embraced with all his heart the familiar notion: “When one door closes another one opens”; and indeed it did, and it didn’t take too long to materialise.

Hardowar, who is a thriving artist these days, was able to launch his very own business called ‘Artlee’, which features his very own unique and captivating paintings. The business, he said, was launched in March 2020, at the onset of the pandemic here in Guyana.

The young artist in a recent interview with this magazine said that he has been painting and drawing for as long as he can remember. With his work, which has developed considerably over the years, Hardowar hopes to inspire others and make a difference in the world.

“My goal in life is to be remembered like the old masters. I want my name to be a legacy and I’ll be satisfied if I inspire a few to do better or pay attention more to quality,” he said.

Local artist and young entrepreneur, Leon Hardowar

Reflecting on his journey to introducing Artlee, he shared, “My full-time job at the time closed because of both the political unrest and epidemic. So I decided while home to just paint and pass the time. What started as a hobby was picked up as a job.”

Having been in the painting business for over two years, the young man noted that he is able to thrive because of the support he has been receiving from family and friends; the business has been doing “tremendously well.”

“It’s easy when you have genuine people in your corner that want to see you succeed. I tend to make friends with people who I can rely on, if I have a certain weakness there’s always someone to cover that gap,” he shared.

Thus far, he said, there have just been a handful of challenges he has had to face. Among them, he said is the fluctuation of prices for painting materials. Although sourcing quality materials has been another bugbear, Hardowar noted that with the opening of stores like ‘5K Under’ his problems are quickly dissipating.

But with the availability of materials at affordable prices too, comes the dedication to ensuring that the business can cater in a reliable way to customers. However, as the business thrives, Hardowar has been losing out on much needed rest. “Working full-time and then managing a business can be a lot to juggle,” he said, even as mentioned the need to better balance his schedule.

With a lot to improve on and work towards, Hardowar explained that his ultimate goal for having a business is to have ‘financial freedom’. While working towards his goal, he working towards raising awareness for local wildlife, domestic issues and eco-tourism through his artwork.

Some of Leon Hardowar’s impressive pieces

Currently the young man works with ‘Wilderness Explorers’, one of the largest tourism companies in Guyana. Through this avenue, he said he has been able to amplify his cause since he gets to travel to places around the country. Not only that, but being able to travel across the country has also been inspiring his work, because it helps with painting references and ideas for new projects, he confided.

Hardowar is of the belief that young entrepreneurs like himself can influence the younger generation a lot more in society. He said, “In the age of social media, it’s easier to market your business and I find that the younger entrepreneurs tend to use it a lot more. They are well known and they inspire the younger generation.”

When asked what he thinks can be done in society to boost small businesses such as his, he explained that we need better freight services, especially with the cost and the period of time goods take to reach into the country. He noted too the need for lower interest rates on loans. With this being addressed, he thinks small businesses would be able to function and produce more efficiently.

To purchase an impressive piece of artwork for yourself or someone, contact Hardowar via telephone number (592) 616-1471, email him at artlee92lh@gmail.com, or check out his Facebook and Instagram pages @ Artlee.

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