Nazmun Nahar says art is her escape
Nazmun Nahar is a Bangladeshi cake artist. She was born in Warren, Michigan, and grew up in Detroit. Later she attended the University of Michigan without knowing exactly what she wanted to study.
Nahar says she’s a person who enjoys doing what she enjoys. She earned a B.S. in Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience.
Then she opened her online business on Instagram @brownsugar_nazu, named after her nickname Nazu, in October 2018.
“I fell in love with doing my own thing doing art, and creative things,” she says.
Nahar says she originally started by creating desserts for one event and now decorates at least 5-6 wedding cakes per month, and 60-70 event cakes per year.
“Cakes incorporate so much about art…from piping, fondant, clay forming molding, creating colors designs and textures. I was so intrigued,” she says.
She says at the first it was learning the craft, and realizing baking is a delicate process and equation between temperature, process and creating.
She says she’s not a baker, but rather an artist.
“Even with creating petals for flowers. I have been doing that more with fondant. .. getting to a realistic as possible. Something about it and creating something to be almost perfect. Is really rewarding.”
Nahar is the third of four kids in her family.
She says growing up in a South Asian home her parents encouraged focusing on school.
“When I was younger my parents wanted me to focus on my studies more than art and excel in school, and now are 100 percent behind my creative oulets and business because they know it’s what I want to do and support my craft. I did do well in school, but also never gave up on the craft and now it’s a side business (@browngirl_nazu) for me while I also work full-time,” she says.
She says she looks forward to creating more things in the future using her artistic abilities.
“I am grateful to create and to be able to create for people,” she says.