The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

JUST like a fingerprint, Christina Nonorme says each and every one of her sculptures is unique.

“I’m a lover of cherishing memories, so I aim to capture moments one can hold, literally, and cherish for a lifetime,” the artist told Tribune Woman.

Christina specialises in making sculptures of hands and feet, particularly those of babies, as well as “Mommy and Me” pieces.

“Someone may be celebrating an anniversary or just want to celebrate love, the adult hand sculpture is a great idea for this. These sculptures are also great as a keepsake of your mom, dad, grandparent, or whomever. There will be more products and services to come and I’m excited to introduce them to everyone. One of them being the family hand sculpture,” she said.

Christina, who actually holds a degree in the field of science, is letting her creative side come out full force as she builds and expands upon her new sculpting and business venture which she has called Reminiscent Moments.

“Time is put into each sculpture, so they are carefully made with love. No two people are alike, therefore no two sculptures are, unless one decides to replicate their own sculpture they had made. Imagine having to see your baby boy or girl grow but you have a physical replicated part of them to keep for you to reminisce upon. Every piece is detailed, from the shape of their finger nails to the folds and lines on the skin. The materials used to create the sculptures are long-lasting. These keepsakes are the perfect gift for anyone,” said Christina.

The sculptor said she’s been able to display her work on the internet and, in some cases, in-person as well.

“I’ve been getting a lot of feedback now since I began utilising my social media. I’ve also been able to showcase my work physically to persons I’ve come across and they were fascinated by what they saw because it was something new to them and it immediately sparked their interest,” she said.

“A good number of mothers have been reaching out, expressing their interest in the sculptures of their babies. The mothers I’ve created sculptures for were more than satisfied with what they received. The joy I’m able to elicit when they receive their finished sculpture is satisfying to me and it warms my heart. If I’m able to make you smile, that is an achievement for me and that is what I set out to do.”

Christina said she is aware of the fact that launching a business in the midst of a pandemic when many are out of work and are financially struggling is a risk, but she has also seen how many people are launching successful businesses for the first time in their lives during this unique moment in history. And besides, she is not jumping into this head first; she has done her due diligence.

“What I’m doing now is far from what I ever imagined I would be doing. I stumbled across these keepsakes and I thought they were one of the most beautiful things. Not only did I want one, but I also wanted to create them and saw this as an opportunity for me to introduce it to Bahamians. I have the perfect personality for it. It was new. It was fresh. It was creative. It was unique,” said Christina.

It took her three years to make her vision a reality. When she initially came up with the idea of making keepsake sculptures she was working a full-time job and was also a full-time student.

“This is a leap that I’ve been wanting to take for a very long time. Although these times are unprecedented, I have the opportunity to look back and say, ‘I did that!’ In spite of everything that is going on I decided to put my fears and doubts aside and went for it. This time is a great opportunity for me to invest the time into my business with less distractions,” she said.

“I’m now tapping into that creative side of me that has been longing to come forth. It’s a fun and enjoyable craft and I love it.”

Christina said there a several people in her life that greatly influence her, but she would especially like to highlight her mother, Marie Pasterin, and her cousin, Melissa St Louis.

“They are both female entrepreneurs. They are two of the most hard-working and driven women in my life. I truly admire that about them. I’ve watched them build their businesses from the ground up and no matter what obstacles come their way, they push through. They have also been two of my biggest supporters thus far,” she said.

Christina is now looking forward to also exploring a softer side of her business, by creating a new product called BearGrams to her line of merchandise.

BearGrams, she explained, are hand-stuffed teddy bears or other animals for any occasion with a voice recorder feature. Patrons will be able to record any message they desire to personalise the product.

You can find Reminiscent Moments on Facebook or at reminiscentmoments242 on Instagram.