Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Gunawan.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Amanda. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in Indonesia and moved to Singapore before I could even form proper memories. I was pretty much on my own since then. My father stayed in Indonesia because that’s where his work was, while my mom came and went. My parents had made a decision that they thought would be best for me and my siblings.
Rightfully so, I received the best education in Singapore from elementary school to high school and despite having grown up being apart from my family, I have no regrets. I moved to Los Angeles to go to Architecture school six years ago. Architecture is my passion and Sci-Arc (Southern California Institute of Architecture) was the perfect environment for me to flourish. In Sci-Arc, I learned that my ideas are valid, period.
My teachers were always supportive and gave me the criticism that I sometimes needed in order to strengthen my ultimate outlook and approach to Architecture. It was there that I learned how to speak confidently and truthfully about my ideas and being able to discern when to defend them and when to accept criticism, go back to the drawing board and turn it into a better version than it was yesterday. I graduated from Sci-Arc with a thesis project I was extremely proud of. It was a culmination of all that I had believed Architecture should be heading towards.
Following that, I landed a job with one of whom I deem the top architect in Los Angeles, Thom Mayne of Morphosis. I had entered a conceptual furniture design competition a while back when I was still in school. Unbeknownst to me, that design received a lot of recognition. All of a sudden, I was asked to exhibit during Paris Design Week and things started picking up.
I made the difficult and bold decision of leaving my job to start my own firm. Fast forward six months of all the boring technical stuff later and here I am, the founder of OWIU, an abbreviation for the only way is up, is the name of the firm. It also encompasses our thinking towards design, that it should only enhance its previous state.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No journey worth mentioning is ever going to simply be a smooth road. OWIU is basically an infant and the months leading up to it is setback after setback, but true to our name, we only come out a better version of ourselves. There were so many unnecessary problems because of the fact that I am not from the US. Technical issues, that thankfully ended up being resolved.
There were too many times that we needed to work ten times harder than the next person because of discrimination of our age and lack of experience despite having the ability to do it, but again, this is just part and parcel of hustling. I also think I’ve been very lucky so far. I’ve had unyielding support from the people around me and the people I meet along the way who believe in what we do. That’s what I love so much about Los Angeles, being part of a supportive community that helps each other succeed.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about OWIU – what should we know?
Currently, we specialize in visualization in the form of animations and renderings. This means we help an idea that companies have come to life. These ideas may not necessarily be feasible in the physical world and so we construct them in the virtual world and therefore have limitless possibilities! We also do Architectural design. Our ideas are always fresh and different. We never turn down a job because it is, too difficult, that’s just not us. Our ideas are always grand and always interesting. The only way is up! And we truly do practice what we preach.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Way too many. In general, I am just surrounded by so many inspiring people successfully chasing their own dreams. It is almost on a daily basis that I meet someone whose life and actions compel me to become better. My instructor in Sci-Arc, Casey Rehm was a huge help and has provided endless support and guidance throughout. My friend Emily Wang, who has always believed in our work, shown tremendous support and is always looking out for us in as many ways possible. There are way too many names to list, really.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.owiu-design.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/amandagnwn
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
