Illustrator and Animator Katie Goodrum talks making art inspired by every day in Japan

After spending some time living in Japan, Illustrator and Animator Katie Goodrum is inspired by the every day object found there. Goodrum uses hiragana, the Japanese alphabet, in a lot of her illustrations and her work plays with processes such as digital art using pop coloured animations to creating hand made rugs. Unagi spoke with the artist, who is still studying, on her work and her direction in 2020.

Sharing some of the process of making my iro rug by hand.

Your art work regularly uses Japanese hirigana writing? Why do you think this resonates with viewers best?

I tend to use Hiragana as I feel that it can help transition Japanese language learners from using romaji, whilst being able to focus on grammar or vocabulary without going onto that next step of Kanji, which would need further explanation in itself. Being a phonetic alphabet, it is relatively simple to learn and can give learners more instant gratification, being satisfying to be able to read a lot of symbols once memorised. On just a visual level, I think they're aesthetically pleasing! I like the curving shapes and feel that it complements my rounded style too.

Have you ever been based in Japan?

Yes, last year I was able to study abroad in Japan. It was an amazing experience, especially for my art practice as a lot of my work is inspired by Japanese graphics and daily surroundings. I'm hoping to be based there in the future too.

What are your plans for 2020? 

My 2020 plans are to finish my Illustration Animation degree and graduate from Kingston University. I am also going to be moving back to Japan to start at a language school in Tokyo from autumn and plan to continue making art and getting to know the creative industry in Tokyo. I was also hoping to do an internship in London during the summer, however that may have to be postponed due to the current situation. 

This was from a 3-week project in which we were to highlight an issue that was forgotten or overlooked by the media. Music: a Little Song about Snowdrops, Lullatone.

We love your video 'Packaging in Japan', what inspired you to make it?

The idea for the animation came from grocery shopping in Japan, I was surprised at how meticulously they packaged everything, while it is very beautiful, I couldn't help but think is all of this necessary? I wanted to try to present an alternative to this level of packaging whilst keeping a lighthearted tone.

What techniques did you use to make it?

 I made all the props myself, the fruit was sewn from felt and embroidered on top and the packaging came from things I already had at home as well as making the orange packaging from coloured paper.

Do you have any upcoming exhibitions?

I have my degree show this year at Bargehouse, Oxo Tower in Southwark, London. It was originally going to be in July but I think we are rescheduling to November! It's completely organised by us, the students and I think it's going to be really fun.

Unagilife provides useful recommendations for those inspired by Japanese aesthetic and lifestyle. What would you recommend to our readers?

I gain inspiration mainly from collecting objects, which tend to come from Japan. I found that the flea markets there were especially interesting places for me. I felt that I was also able to learn more about how people live from seeing their old belongings and imagine what kind of life they have. I would also collect objects from dagashiya (pocket money stores) and gachapon machines. Overall, I found that the most interesting places were the small dark shops and cafes down narrow sidestreets and often run by one older man or woman. The colours and decor were somehow outdated yet incredibly fashionable and contemporary at the same time. I have so many photos and notes to myself from random things I found interesting there and ideas that I wanted to revisit at a later date.

I would say my recommendation is to just walk around and explore the smaller and more hidden places in Japan, as you'll likely have a more unique experience. I think that's part of what I love about Japan, there seem to be so many things going on, not exactly secret but out of sight, many of the shops you won't notice unless you already knew they were there, and some require you to get into a lift and travel up to the 6F with only a small sign to tell you where to go. There's a lot more to see than you realise!

For more information - Katie’s instagram @katiegoodrumillustration