“Al-kem-i-ka : Born from the concept of alchemy, Alchemiqa is a pattern studio that explores a wide range of artistic techniques in the pursuit of creating art that is as valuable and beautiful as gold. “
This vision and mission statement Solange Yepez created for her company, Alchemiqa, shines through in the exquisite prints and patterns she makes for her company. Solange enjoys hand-painting her patterns for an authentic and inimitable design. In addition to running her design studio, Solange is the manager of product development and textile design at Andrea Iyamah, therefore, she is professionally versed in digitizing and manufacturing prints and patterns.
To make art that is as valuable and beautiful as gold, Solange focuses on crafting designs that are timeless but memorable. She was educated at Ryerson University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design and still works in Toronto, Ontario today. She furthered her knowledge of surface design with a short-term program at the Rhode Island School of Design, with a focus on hand painting and digitizing repeating patterns.
Solange has this to say about her creative process…My creative process always begins with a moodboard. I choose a theme I want to explore, then gather reference images—these could be photographs, artworks, or even meaningful quotations. From this visual collage, I build a color palette and begin painting, guided by my references. I typically explore 6–8 motifs before scanning the artwork. Once digitized, I clean up each motif by removing backgrounds, adjusting colors, and fine-tuning the shapes. From there, I start assembling the elements into a cohesive composition. This stage often involves multiple revisions—sometimes I return to the sketchbook to refine or add elements if the design lacks cohesion. The process is rarely linear, but every iteration always brings me closer to the final vision, but on some rare occasions, it doesn’t. I’ve learned to step back and come back to things when I feel I’ve hit a creative block.”
To date, most of her work has been exclusive commissions for clients in fashion and interiors, but she is excited to explore licensing opportunities in the future. You can connect to collaborate with Solange at Alchemiqa here and give her a like on Instagram here. Want to see more from creative entrepreneurs around the world? We have more to share!
