Rising Stars: Meet Hannah Obremski of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Obremski.

Hi Hannah, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started out, I guess, as many artists do, deciding whether I wanted to go to college or take an apprenticeship. I decided to go to the Cleveland Institute of Art. My freshman year, I truly had no plan. My roommate at the time and best friend, Dejah, was really interested in animation, so we both applied. I was accepted into the major, pursued it, and received my BFA in animation with an emphasis in game design.
Through CIA, I was offered an internship with NASA. I was able to form the relationships that eventually led to my current position as a Senior Graphic Designer at NASA HQ. In recent years, things have shifted with the administration change, and funding was cut for outreach materials. I believe in my last interview with you all, I focused on what that work entails a bit more in depth, so I won’t go into it as much here. But being able to share knowledge and wonder with the public in an approachable way was really the best part of the job. It was certainly where I got to be the most creative.
Now, a bulk of my work is document and slide design. I don’t mind that work, but it doesn’t quite scratch that creative itch, so I’ve been focused on redirecting that creative energy into my own baby business, Mammal Apparel. I’ve been making art for this shop for over a decade, but in 2026 I’ve really been pouring time and effort into it. Being able to share my art with people directly has given me some of that same sense of connection and interaction that I’m missing from outreach work.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Unfortunately, I’ve found that pursuing art as a career in any capacity is typically not a smooth ride. Finding my footing with my personal art, whether for Mammal Apparel or just my art page, has been and continues to be a challenge in itself.
Yes, I have a 9-to-5 where I get to make art and I’m very grateful for that, but it’s also very corporate. One of the biggest struggles I’ve been facing lately is having enough creative juice left in the tank after my day job to create inventory, make content, mail orders, edit, draw, paint, and continue pushing my own creative boundaries. There are artistic skills beyond the work I make for the shop that I’m really hoping to make more time to explore and experiment with.
A lot of the challenges come down to not having enough hours in the day, managing my creative energy, and ultimately choosing to put my time into myself and my artistic goals NOW instead of telling myself “one day” over and over again. The challenges I’ve faced in years past shaped me as an artist and today comes with its own set of challenges. I just try to stay quick on my feet and always have a plan, even if it doesn’t end up going that way.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Mammal Apparel started primarily as a jewelry-making and embroidery-focused project. I make work from animal bone and other found materials like street glass, beach glass, and insects. If I had to say I have a specialty, it would be to use those materials to create pieces that show the elegance and beauty of the macabre.
What I like most about this project is that I’m not restricted or pigeonholed into any one thing. I have the freedom to experiment and play. The last few years, I’ve been expanding the type of work I do, from linocut carving and hand-printed clothing to experimenting more with my jewelry by incorporating vintage elements from broken and salvaged pieces. These fusion pieces are what I’m most proud of right now. They give me the opportunity to take completely unrelated objects and turn them into something truly one-of-a-kind. I’ve been able to bring a new type of charm to the oddities I create with the incorporation of vintage items.
The fusion pieces came from combining my love of all things vintage with the oddities I was already drawn to. I’ll see a broken piece of jewelry, an interesting old trinket, or a broken bottle on the street and immediately start thinking about how I could give it a second life. That instinct to look at something and think, “I could make something cool out of this,” is really at the heart of Mammal Apparel.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My biggest piece of advice is: don’t wait for the perfect time, because you’ll be waiting forever. This is something I had to learn as well. For so many years, I put all my time, energy, and creativity into a job that, yes, pays the bills but ultimately involves a corporate ladder that creative positions often don’t get to climb. I kept telling myself, “It’s a good resume booster. It’s a great position. Put all your effort here and surely it will pay off.” When I realized that drive wasn’t really valued in the corporate space, I took a second to self-reflect: “What am I killing myself over these projects for?” I hadn’t made personal art in months, maybe even years, and I was giving everything to a job that didn’t really have anywhere for me to grow creatively.
This coupled with losing many people in my personal life over the last couple of years, I began to reevaluate where I was putting my energy and who was benefiting from it. So, I made a change. I started putting more time and effort into myself and my own creative ambitions, and I’ve started to see the sprouts from those seeds I planted a year ago. To be clear, I’m not saying go quit your job—I didn’t. I still do my job, and I do it well, but I’ve learned to draw clearer boundaries around my work time. No more staying up until 3 a.m. working unpaid overtime, for example. I’m taking that time and energy and redirecting it into something that’s for me and interacting more with my community and other artists.
It might be a cliché, but it really is a balancing act. It may seem like things aren’t paying off at first, but stay consistent and you’ll start to see those seeds sprout, too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MammalApparel
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mammalapparel/

Image Credits
Personal Photo Image Credit: Mark Glaspy