Karolina Sato, Designer

Karolina Sato is a surface designer and illustrator based in Tokyo.

Karolina, what was your path to designing prints?

I remember drawing and painting since I was a child. I also like learning languages and discovering different cultures, so I studied Japanese Studies at University. I specialized in Japanese aesthetics. Back then I was inspired by traditional decorative Asian arts; it’s what moved me to textile design. 

Tell us more about traditional decorative Asian arts, please.

My MA thesis was on the role of traditional decorative motifs in everyday life based on a popular card game, Hanafuda, a card game featuring popular flower and animal motifs. They have roots in ancient poetic tournaments of medieval Japan... I could go on about sacred trees and mountains... By the way, Hanafuda was the first product of the Nintendo Company. 

Japanese traditional culture is rooted in animism, and the relationship between man and nature is vivid and special. I was intrigued with the poetic role the flora and fauna motifs play in everyday life, and that need to decorate with motifs of meaning. This all led me to textile design. 

Japan Inspires

Hanafuda, a popular card game featuring flower and animal motifs, was the topic of Karolina’s Master of Arts Thesis.

How did you learn the technique and craft of surface design?

My surface design journey started many years ago in Tokyo; I took some courses in textile design in a Kimono design school and took part in traditional crafts workshops; I learned stencil dying and the art of calligraphy. The latter was crucial to the way I use my brush. My teacher taught me how to connect my heart with my hand and that calligraphy and, later, ink painting can be therapeutic and healing. I also took classes in Japanese-style painting and learned to handle ink, raw pigments, gold leaf, and different types of paper.

How do you continue to develop your skills?

Around Covid, I went online and global, starting with Textile Design Lab, Leslie Kenehan's Print Life, and recently Natasha Gulliford's Complete Compositions course. I am always grateful to my teachers.

Wow Florals

Karolina continually learns and develops her painting skills to create her statement-making designs.

How do you stay inspired?

I am curious, and I like to challenge myself so I am always learning something… whether new media, techniques or ideas. I like to study traditional arts of different cultures, and I visit museums with my daughter. I look for exciting art books. Nature is always an inspiration. I like to spend time outside the city. We often take walks in the gardens, it is refreshing. 

How does your home city inspire your work?

Tokyo is vibrant and dynamic, blending traditional and ultra-modern elements. It has a very diverse culture, and it is bustling with energy, This juxtaposition of ancient and futuristic is on every corner; the chaos of traditional elements against quirky pop culture is somehow working; there is harmony within the chaos, and things are blending. I can always dip into both.

Japan is also a country where nature is revered. The relationship is running strong and deep. You can notice that through all the flower viewing festivals around the country, there are flower viewing calendars for specific areas or gardens. And I love that! My family often travels to different regions for cherry blossoms. There are famed hundreds-year-old cherry trees revered as sacred. Last week, we traveled to Izu Penisula to see the first cherry blossoms of the year. 

What style of print design is your favorite to create?

Conversational and florals. I like to blend animal and floral motifs and tell a story with a print. I love to paint loosely and expressively. I like to study traditional art and make a contemporary interpretation of it. I am proficient with digital media, but recently, nearly all my work has been hand-painted. 

Hero Convos

Karolina’s ability to blend flora and fauna into magical conversational designs is just one of her design super powers.

What is your preferred media?

Watercolor, gouache, inks, learning acrylics now. I also do Japanese-style painting, where I work with ink, pigments, and gold leaf - it is very interesting.  I often mix up things. I believe that analog quality cannot be copied with digitally. Analog media are multi-dimensional, and that is a quality that I admire. 

Horses

Admiring and riding horses is a favorite of Karolina’s. Follow her instagram for more behind-the-scenes of her process and travel. @karolinkodesign

What do you do for enjoyment when you're not designing?

I can paint all the time, I don't consider it work. Photoshopping is a different story :) 

I read a lot, at least a book a week. I like all different topics, novels as well as nonfiction. I love to get lost and wander in a novel; I prefer them over TV and movies.

I do yoga and meditate daily, 20-30 minutes in the morning. I am proud that I made a habit of it. It helps to get my mind set for the day. 

I love traveling. I visit home, which is Poland, every year in the Summer, and we travel around Europe then. As a family, we also do mountain trek and ride horses. I have loved horses since I was little. 

And to end with something fun; which three people would you enjoy having over for dinner?

I have not thought about it before, but the first person that came to my mind is Kelly!

David Hockney is one of the artists whose artistic vitality and curiosity I admire. I saw an exhibition of his work recently, and he continues to surprise me. He keeps asking questions about the way we perceive the world. 

Coco Chanel is a true revolutionary in fashion, and we owe her many pleasures we enjoy now: casual style, jerseys, pants, or short hair. Although I would get timid and not able to speak with her at all... haha. 

Thank you, Karolina, I am packing my bags for Tokyo now, and I will see you at dinner time! Tomorrow!

You can learn more about Karolina at her website.