Emily Sheehy suggests a Dublin-based queer-owned business to support this LGBTQ+ History Month
This LGBTQ+ History Month, you can show your support for the queer community by investing in some LGBTQ+-owned businesses. Yikes! Studios is one such business, owned by Dublin-based artist Hannah McGivern, selling a range of stickers and prints.
McGivern has a background in animation and is a graduate of Ballyfermot College of Further Education. She has always wanted to sell her art and set up Yikes! Studios at the end of 2023 to make a bit of extra money. She attended her first market, the Dublin Comic Arts Festival, last December. DCAF is an inclusive event that aims to promote artists who are women, queer, POC and disabled, and McGivern noted that it was interesting to see local people with a range of different styles and artistic mediums. Her work has been supported by Sporting Pride Ireland, who purchased her stickers to include in goodie bags for their sports day.
Yikes! Studios’ stickers are perfect for any cat lover, with a variety of different stickers depicting cats in different professions - such as corporate cats, construction cats, and my personal favourite, cowboy cats. Their holographic ‘Grim Reaper cat’ is one of their best sellers. The characters ‘Enzo and Alex’ make an appearance in their work, featuring the artist’s cat Enzo himself. McGivern has always been interested in creating a world and works inspired by their cat and friends. If you are not an animal person then their ‘Coffee Skull’ sticker might be perfect for you. Alternatively, their cocktail prints, detailing how to make a passion fruit martini and negroni sbagliato, could be the next addition to decorate your kitchen.
You can see more of Yikes! Studios’ work, get updates on new products and find out when their next market is on their Instagram and TikTok at @yikesstudios.