BENTO Issue 09

December 2019

ISSUE | 09 FEATURING MIAMI-BASED ILLUSTRATOR LOLITA RUSSO

© 2019 Bento Magazine All rights reserved.

BENTO is a bi-annual online magazine of all things art and design brought to you by Bento Box Design Studio. A collection of innovative and eye-catching visuals in the one place ready to inspire and open your mind to new and exciting things.

BENTO prides itself in featuring emerging creatives consisting of local, national & international talent. We understand how important it is to follow your passion and how little opportunities there are for you to get your name out there.

Through BENTO, we want to connect aspiring designers together with other like-minded individuals all across the world.

Bento Box Design Studio aims to build a wide community involving all facets of art and design.

If you are interested in becoming a contributor and submitting a piece for our next issue please follow the steps found at bentoboxstudio.com.au/magazine . We would love to see what else is swimming around in the minds of creatives.

If you would like to work with us on any further issues of BENTO we are always looking for opportunities to collaborate.

Reproduction of this publication in whole or in part is prohibited in any form or by any means, including photocopying, scanning or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the editor, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

For permission requests, write to the editor, addressed “Attn: BENTO Permission”, to info@bentoboxstudio.com.au The views expressed in BENTO Magazine are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the publisher, company or its staff.

Design by Bento Box Design Studio Cover artwork by Lolita Russo

BENTO ISSUE 09

Contents

Featured Creative

Our Partners Propel Youth Arts WA

08

Guerilla Establishment

12

Guerilla Establishment is a hub for all creatives in Perth. With a focus on community growth, Guerrilla provides workshops, networking events, space hire and industry speakers aimed at students, graduates and business owners.

Cheeky Raptor

14

It’s an almost universally accepted fact that more often not, artists are the ones who get shafted when trying to get their work into the world.

It was with this in mind that Cheeky Raptor was born. Born to give artists a decent cut for what they produce. We work with local artists to produce their work and provide a platform to showcase their talents. All that the artists need to do is what they do best - create.

Bento Intern Amy-Lee Wong

Lolita Russo

22

ILLUSTRATO R | MIAMI, FLO RIDA

Propel Youth Arts WA is the peak body for youth arts in Western Australia dedicated to creating access and opportunities for young people to engage in the Arts.

18

Miami-based Illustrator, Lolita Russo, loves to play with shapes, striking colours and perspective to create her illustrations. Drawing inspiration from Japanese manga and pop-culture, she continues to tell stories through her artwork in order to evoke emotions within people.

Contributors Amy-Lee Wong

28

Bex Morley

30

Karolina Golightly

32

Lisa Herse

34

Nina Nunes

36

Willow Springate

38

Wyannah Prikanowski

40

Our Partners

01

(@ r e b e c c a m a nse ll)

| REBECCA MANSELL I N S T A G R A M | @ p r o p el yout hart swa F A C E B O O K | @ p r o p e l yout hart swa W E B S I T E | p r o p e l . o r g .au

Youth Week WA KickstART Festival Event Details DATE | Friday April 17, 2020 - Friday April 24, 2020

KickstART Festival is created in consultation with the Youth Week WA Planning Committee, with 32 incredibly dedicated young Committee Members in 2020. Each year, Propel Youth Arts WA offers an emerging artist the opportunity to program the KickstART Festival in collaboration with the Youth Week WA Planning Committee as the Creative Coordinator. This year Propel has been working closely with Kobi Arthur Morrison in this role.

KickstART Festival will be offering a range of free events across Youth Week for young people aged 12-26. This includes workshops, live performances, markets, exhibitions and talks that celebrate the artistry and background of WA’s best young artists.

Youth Week WA KickstART Festival 2020 is presented by Propel Youth Arts WA, and is funded by the State Government of Western Australia. KickstART Festival is also supported by Lotterywest, City of Perth and Perth Theatre Trust.

About registration R E GIS T ER | Volunteers can register via this link (https://bit.ly/34cZC6x) VO L U N T E E R | Volunteers must be ages 15+

BENTO 08

PHOTOGRAPHY

Propel Youth Arts WA

#KICKSTARTFESTIVAL | #YOUTHWEEKWA | #PROPELYOUTHARTSWA

#KICKSTARTFESTIVAL | #YOUTHWEEKWA | #PROPELYOUTHARTSWA

About Youth Week WA Youth Week WA (formerly National Youth Week WA), is an annual statewide celebration of the positive contributions of young people to our community throughout Western Australia.

More than 100 events take place across the state each year, many of which have received a Youth Week WA grant provided by the State Government of Western Australia through the Department of Communities.

Have Your Say About KickstART 2019!

There’s still time to provide feedback before the end of this year!

If you attended or participated in one or more activity during the 2019 Youth Week WA KickstART Festival, or helped Propel as a KickstART Volunteer, the Department of Communities wants to provide you with an opportunity to have a say and give feedback about your experience participating in KickstART workshops, talks, exhibitions, mentorships, performances, and special events.

Below are two links to anonymous and voluntary surveys, which are being conducted by the Department of Communities. Your honesty is welcomed as Propel continues to explore their service’s strengths and opportunities, and ways to improve their service overall.

Each survey only takes 5 minutes to complete, and they are mobile and tablet friendly.

KICKSTART PARTICIPANT SURVEY | https://bit.ly/2RMY00L KICKSTART VO LUNTEER SURVEY | https://bit.ly/2YIb0Gh CLOSIN G D ATE F OR SURV EYS | Tuesday December 31, 2019

Apply to be a Stallholder AP P L ICATIONS OP EN | Wednesday December 04, 2019 (4:00 PM) AP P L ICATIONS CLOSE | Friday February 07, 2020 (5:00 PM) This year, Propel Youth Arts WA are partnering with Perth Makers Market to bring us the 2020 KickstART Festival Market. They have an exciting opportunity for young budding entrepreneurs under the age of 26.

The KickstART Festival Market will be part of KickstART Festival Day on Saturday April 18, running from 10:00am until 4:00pm in the Perth Cultural Centre, and stallholders can register for a cost of only $20.00. This is to cover insurance - if you have your own insurance this fee can be waived, which makes it free.

What you get as a Stallholder All stalls are half of a 3 x 3m gazebo and we will pair you with a complementary business to share the space with you.

How to apply Applications are now open via the Perth Makers Market stallholder portal.

Get in quick because applications close on Friday February 07, 2020! If you are not yet registered on the Perth Makers Market database, you will need to create a new profile to apply.

Go to this link (https://bit.ly/2LQBgJo) to find out more on how to apply.

BENTO 11

PHOTOGRAPHY

|

CHRIS HAYNE

( @chris ha y ne me dia )

Guerrilla Establishment I N S T A G R A M | @ g u e r r i l l a.est F A C E B O O K | @ g u e r r i l la.est W E B S I T E | th e g u e r r i l l ast ory.c om.au

What is Guerrilla Establishment and how did it come to be?

Originally Guerrilla Creative, the Founders Christian and Kerrie started with a vision: Create a hub for all creatives in Perth to be able to grow, support and collaborate with each other! Eventually Guerrilla Creative turned into Guerrilla Establishment for the inclusion of businesses and individuals outside the creative fields that share our passions.

With a focus on community growth, support and personal development, Guerrilla Establishment provides workshops, networking events, space hire and industry speakers aimed at students, graduates and business owners. Guerrilla establishment is not just a local not-for-profit pushing to build an inclusive creative community, Guerrilla Establishment IS the community of individuals willing to give back, collaborate and grow together.

How many Guerrillas do you have on the team and what are their roles?

We count every individual in our community as a ‘Guerrilla’ and our initiatives would be nothing without their support. In that sense, our team stands at over 3000 members. In the office however, we have a small team of volunteers as well as the board of directors led by the founders Christian Oshiro and Kerrie Allen. Roles are shared throughout Guerrilla to plan events, organise workshops, network, mentor and develop partnerships. This dynamic allows a fluid working relationship with shared responsibilities and constant collaboration.

BENTO 12

What exciting new things can we expect from Guerrilla in 2020?

The first major event coming up is our summer school in February: Guerrilla Tactics. Throughout 2020 we have plans for a number of collaborations with other local organisations, as well as ongoing exhibitions that support local talent with a good cause. Aside from that we plan on getting more hands on with local universities to graduates and students more options and experience before entering the industry.

How can creatives get involved with what you do at Guerrilla?

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram!

All our workshops and events are publicly uploaded and we’d love to hear from you. Otherwise just drop us an email for a chat. We’re always open to new ideas for workshops and events, so if you wanted to help give back to the community and run your own workshops or you’re a student that feels like they need support in a particular area, we at Guerrilla would be more than happy to discuss ideas.

What kind of Christmas traditions do Guerrillas have?

Guerrilla tries to keep Christmas as simple as possible. The tradition is to finish up as much of our work as possible by mid December and host an end of year social event!

BENTO 13

M O D E L | Jasmine Pa v a n (@ f ollow ing_f olia ge )

T E E | ‘Retirement Chic’ Cheeky Tee

Cheeky Raptor

PHOTOGRAPHY

|

PETER DAVID HAYES

(@ pe te rdha y e s )

T E E | ‘‘Retirement Chic’ Cheeky Tee

Cheeky Raptor I N S T A G R A M | @ c hee ky_ ra ptor F A C E B O O K | @c heeky ra ptor W E B S I T E | c heek yraptor. com

What is Cheeky Raptor and how did it come to be?

Cheeky Raptor is a social enterprise committed to expanding opportunity in the arts through apparel. The idea of Cheeky Raptor really started kicking around at the end of 2017, after Our founders, Josef Herbert and Shalini Balakumar had a conversation around how difficult it is for artists to make money from commissions… let alone passion projects. So we set out to try and create more opportunity for artists to create an income from the projects that they love. Being in our early 20s, we are especially plugged in to the emerging creative community in Perth and get to engage with so many amazing young creatives.

So how does Cheeky Raptor create opportunity for artists?

We will work with an artist to create a unique piece and then produce, photography, market, sell and fulfil it.

Then, they get 50% of the profit from each sale. There’s no cost to the artist at any point.

What kind of items do you work with?

Our bread and butter is T-shirts but we are always keen to try something new. We started out working with a printing partner but have recently acquired our own screen printer, which means we can print on just about anything.

Who have you worked with so far?

We’ve had the opportunity to work with a range of really awesome people including Bertie Louise (@bertie_louise) who has a really amazing vapour wave aesthetic, Maddie Antill (@ant.illustration) with her cartoon vibes and Jamie Flunder (@DoodlesInTransit) who does all of his designs on his commute to and from work.

We’ve got our first international collaboration with NYC’s Helen Eunhwa Oh (@helen_illust) dropping super soon too and her style is completely different to anything we’ve had before.

We really love trying new things and bringing artists with very unique styles onboard. So if you’ve ever thought your work could look amazing on a shirt, get in touch!

Sounds awesome, how can people get involved?

If you’re an artist with an idea, get in touch! You can reach out to us on our socials or fill out the form on our website. If you’ve got a wild concept, even better!

BENTO 15

Bento Intern

02

A my- Le e Wong (@ a m yle e .de sig n)

Bento Intern Here at Bento Box Design Studio we aim to provide as many opportunities as possible for young people who are trying to find their feet. One avenue in which we accomplish this is offering mentorship and internships to students and fresh graduates. Let’s have a chat with this year’s intern Amy-Lee, a recent graduate from North Metropolitan Tafe here in Perth, WA. Check out Amy-Lee’s Christmas piece on page 28.

Amy-Lee Wong How has your experience been with Bento Box? Having the opportunity to intern at Bento Box and working with an amazing team has been an awesome experience and I’ve learnt so many valuable lessons and skills. It’s exciting to see what they’re working on and how they communicate with their clients, and through my time at Bento Box, I’ve learnt skills that I wouldn’t have learnt at TAFE. What valuable lessons have you learnt from your internship here at Bento Box that you didn’t have the opportunity to dive into at TAFE? Assessments were never treated like real client briefs. We had the freedom of creating whatever we wanted to and never had the restrictions of a real client. But throughout my internship at Bento Box, I’ve had the opportunity to sit in on client meetings and see how the team communicates to their clients, see what questions they ask and how they justify their ideas and design choices.

What advice would you give to students or recent graduates like yourself looking to get their foot in the door? How can they land that dream internship?

Get out there and network! Networking helps a lot with getting to know the Graphic Design industry and community, so attending the events that TDK (The Design Kids), AGDA (Australian Graphic Design Association), Guerrilla Establishment and other social groups hold, is valuable for students and graduates. One thing that I don’t do enough but must do more is updating and keeping my socials active.

Instagram, LinkedIn and Behance are amazing social media platforms for Graphic Designers and you should be constantly updating them with pieces of work or daily life updates to stay active.

Now that you have graduated from Advanced Diploma of Graphic Design, what do you have planned for 2020?

In 2020, I’m continuing my studies at Curtin University. I’ve always dreamt about working overseas in Japan, New York or London. I believe that studying for an extra year to get a degree in Graphic Design will help me find work nationally and internationally. I also hope to learn the skills in University that TAFE doesn’t teach us.

Let’s take a minute to talk animation. We hear you’re a huge fan of the Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse. If you had the power to create an alternate universe, what Spider-Verse character would be saving the world? Describe what they would look like and what special abilities they would have.

Just to make it funny and iconic, I’d create a Spider-Verse character that had the extra ability to shoot out bubble tea! The web would taste like tea and pearls would be intertwined within the web, making the web extra sticky. They’d have a suit that changed colour. The initial colour is solid black but changes colour when something touches the suit, whether it may be a full-on punch or a soft touch the suit will react.

Tis’ the season for Christmas. What was the best gift you ever received?

I love all the presents I receive for Christmas, but the best gift I ever received would be a pair of Eytys shoes from my mum. They’re big and chunky! I love them!

Everyone has a favourite Christmas movie, what would you say are your top 3?

1.

The Grinch 2.

The Rise of The Guardians 3.

Gremlins If you saw the Grinch in your home stealing all the Christmas gifts under the tree, what would you do or say to him?

I’d probably sleep through the whole event of him stealing the presents haha, but if I were to catch him I’d definitely try because I know hard earned money and thought has been put into those presents.

At the same time I wouldn’t be fussed if he took them.

BENTO 19

Featured Creative

03

Lolita Russo

ILLUSTRATOR | MIAMI, FLORIDA AGE | 16

D E V I A N T A R T | @eg ol ep sy T O O L S | F i reA l p ac a, A d ob e P hot os hop

Please share some advice or tips with our younger readers who are also aspiring creatives.

Whatever you do, don’t compare yourself to other artists. You’ll never feel confident about your work! Focus on your own goals, don’t focus on trying to surpass other artists.

Tell us your story. Who is Lolita Russo and when did your interest in illustration begin?

I’m just your average sixteen-year old — I love school, learning, and making friends! When I was younger, I was obsessed with Hanna-Barbera’s Tom & Jerry. This inspired me to make countless scribbles of cat and mouse toons. Fast forward to fourth grade, I picked up Young Miss Holmes at a bookstore, a manga that changed everything for me. Soon enough, I was addicted to comics, manga, and all things artistic. I traced over panels of the comics I bought, and started the journey to who I am today.

Take us through your design process. How do you complete your illustrations from start to finish?

Instead of using sketches as a simple guideline, I use it to map out the entirety of my piece.

Then, I color in the entire sketch into simple blocks all of the same color. After separating each block into their assigned colors, I add pieces of hair and details of clothing that ultimately make the character pop-out. Finally, I add details such as airbrushing, randomized spikes of color in different areas, and even effects from different programs. I like to play around with different effects until I get the result that satisfies me.

Making your first appearance in Issue 04 of BENTO and returning in Issue 07, we discovered that Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph and Cartoon Network’s Powerpuff Girls, heavily influenced your work. Run us through what you love about them and what aspects influence your work.

Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph (2013 ) was a stylized masterpiece; every aspect of the movie’s visuals stood out to me, especially the Sugar Rush world, where the girls and atmosphere were so aesthetically attractive and colorful. To me, it was the perfect blend of Japanese anime-styled cuteness blended with western ‘toon’ — this applies also to Cartoon Network’s Powerpuff Girls . Who doesn’t love a unique style?

BENTO 22

TITLE | Under the Mistletoe (Artwork 1)

TITLE | Albert in the Winter (Artwork 2)

“ Th e be st reve nge is m a ss ive s u cce s s . ” (Frank Sinatra)

If you could have contributed to Powerpuff girls and created a fourth Powerpuff girl, what would her name be? Describe what she would look like to our readers.

The fact of the matter is that the Powerpuff Girls are as stationary as any other iconic trio, and “far above our poor power to add or detract”. Any sort of addition would be infeasible.

However, as some more detail-oriented PPG fans have stated at the time of Bliss’ introduction in the new, rebooted version of the cartoon, there had already been a fourth Powerpuff girl.

Bunny was the rogue sister of the girls, and, despite having only a minor feature in the series, was an important asset to me because of the contrast she serves to her sisters. The concept of a ‘malfunctioning’ Powerpuff girl is an interesting concept, as it allowed for there to be a sort of character development had she appeared in more episodes throughout the series.

What makes your work instantly recognisable and scream Lolita Russo?

In my work, I intentionally focus on avoiding lines, sharp edges, powerful colors and playing with perspective.

You’re still very young, only 16 years old to be exact. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time? Will you be further pursuing your passion for illustration?

I hope to be doing what I enjoy the most; creating things in order to initiate emotion within people.

I will most likely attend a college of the arts, and I also want to be baking cakes for my future loved one.

If you could live in any Christmas movie for one day, which one would it be and why?

Upon my first time watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) , I was taken aback by how immersive the atmosphere of Whoville. Everything is so endearingly colorful and cheerful. if I had a universe of my own, perhaps it’d be just like Whoville.

How did you find out Santa isn’t real?

Wait... he’s not? (Editor’s note: Uh oh) What’s something unique about you?

I collect vinyl records — my favorite is Billy Murray’s My Croony Melody (1914).

ARTWORK 1 // Wait, you didn’t think i’d really kiss you, did you?

ARTWORK 2 // Mr. Albert and his warm cup of Cocoa!

BENTO 25

Contributors

04

TITLE | Festive Sleighers

Amy-Lee Wong

GRAPHIC DESIGNER | PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA A G E | 20

I N S T A G R A M | @amyl ee.d esi gn I N S T A G R A M | @amywee__ W E B S I T E | amyl eewong .c om T O O L S | P roc reat e

DESCRIPTION // This artwork is dedicated to the Bento Box team as I know they’re huge fans of the anime Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) , so I drew the characters with a Christmas theme.

How would you describe your style?

My designs tend to be minimalistic, but when it comes to my art style it’s always changing and developing. I have so many different art styles which range from realistic, semi-realistic to super cute and playful illustrations. Currently, I don’t do a lot of coloured pieces since I’m still learning, but it’s something I definitely want to work on.

Who and/or what influences your work and why?

My friends influence me the most. When I see them create amazing pieces of artwork it motivates me to create my own art and designs, and to keep improving myself.

How do you celebrate the festive season? Do you have any traditions?

With the hot Australian Summers we, my family would usually spend the day outside enjoying a big barbeque feast and playing fun family games or just relaxing.

If you could have any kind of advent calendar, what would you want to find inside and why?

I would love to have an advent calendar that has different art prints or vinyl figurines, like Dunny

by Kidrobot! It’d be cool to collect a variety of art pieces created by different artists, and as each day went on you’d discover a new artist featured in the advent calendar and receive a cute or cool lil collectable.

BENTO 29

Bex Morley

ILLUSTRATOR | DUNCAN, BRITISH COLUMBIA A G E | 48

I N S T A G R A M | @b e x .morl ey F A C E B O O K | @ Be x M orl eyA rt T O O L S | P e n ci l , A d o b e P hot oshop

DESCRIPTION // This snowy village scene is inspired by the village where I grew up in the English, the countryside of Suffolk. The village has many medieval cottages painted in pretty pastel colours. There is a church, a duck pond, a pub and a village shop which I feel are some of the ingredients for the quintessential English village.

Ultimately I’m influenced by what I see around me; the buildings, wildlife and flora. I walk my dog every day in the woods and often stop to take photos of toadstools, leaves or flowers for future art reference. I also get great joy from animals and their personalities, or at least, my imagined version of their personalities.

I drew the elements in Procreate on my iPad using my own ‘gouache brush’ for the painting and my own textured ‘pencil’ for the black details.

I then took the elements into Photoshop to create a seamless half-drop repeat.

How do you celebrate the festive season? Do you have any traditions?

My childhood Christmases were all about the food. My parents ran a restaurant so they were very food-centric people. Now I continue with a traditional roast dinner with all the trimmings. I make mince pies instead of Christmas pudding because nobody seems to actually like the pudding, it’s a lot of work just for the fun of setting it on fire. I decorate the house with lots of greenery and twinkly lights. My kids are now teenagers but we still all enjoy stockings in the morning, opening presents in front of the fire and silly gifts for the dog.

I often create both repeating patterns and stand-alone illustrations with my artwork in order to appeal to different markets. These particular elements have been used to create this pattern and a Christmas card design to demonstrate a couple of options for potential buyers or licensors.

How would you describe your style?

My work is playful and whimsical with a retro feel and fresh colour palettes. I work digitally but often with a looser hand-painted feel.

I particularly enjoy creating cute, quirky animal characters, pretty floral patterns and hand lettered designs.

Who and/or what influences your work and why?

My work is largely influenced by my environment. I grew up in rural England in a pretty little village full of pastel-painted medieval cottages.

I then moved to London as an adult where I loved the theatres, cafes, shops and cosmopolitan mix of people and influences. I now live on rural Vancouver Island, Canada, with the wild rugged wilderness and animals of the North West Pacific coast.

BENTO 30

If you could have any kind of advent calendar, what would you want to find inside and why?

I have to confess that I rather miss the old fashioned advent calendars where you just got to be excited about the next picture. As a child I had one of a large stately home where all the windows opened on each day and finally the front door on the 24th. The artwork was beautiful and the whole picture looked even more magical when all the windows were open to reveal what was happening inside the house. I remember it well because after Christmas my Mum closed all the windows again and pressed them shut so she could recycle it again the following year. I think I had the same one for three years running.

TITLE | Christmas Time in the Country

TITLE | Happy Holidays

Karolina Golightly ILLUSTRATOR | SALZBURG, AUSTRIA A G E | 41

I N S T A G R A M | @k i ng _b i rd _i l l us tra tion T O O L S | P enc i l , A d ob e P hot oshop, Huion Dra wing Ta ble t

DESCRIPTION // A collection of Christmas-themed icons to spread the Holiday Spirit.

How would you describe your style?

My style is mostly vintage-inspired. I work with traditional mediums like watercolours, coloured pencils, pastel, charcoals, and also digitally on a drawing tablet. Sometimes I like to mix mediums in collages.

The most important thing to me is trying to break into children’s book illustrations, to translate emotions and atmospheres through my illustrations so they have a purpose and can be felt rather than rationally explained.

Who and/or what influences your work and why?

My biggest influence is my Fiancè. He is an artist in everything he does. He has supported me tremendously on my path of becoming an illustrator. Not only did he teach me the skills and how to use them effectively, but has also shown me that only determination and hard work will get you the desired results.

How do you celebrate the festive season? Do you have any traditions?

I love to spend Christmas with my family! We all get together in my parents home, have a good meal and celebrate together. We don’t buy a gift for everyone, but play a game each year where you’re assigned one person in the family to give a personal gift to. It’s so much fun!

If you could have any kind of advent calendar, what would you want to find inside and why?

I can never have enough art supplies! My ideal advent calendar would be filled with a range of different art supplies.

BENTO 33

Lisa Herse

ILLUSTRATOR | BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND A G E | 40

I N S T A G R A M | @l i saherse_c reat es W E B S I T E | l i saherse.c om T O O L S | P ast el P enc i l , Mark er P en, S ca nne r, Adobe Illus tra tor

DESCRIPTION // A series of illustrations of the iconic Australian Christmas Beetle – reimagined as a festive ornament.

How would you describe your style?

Bright, bold, decorative with a hint of vintage style.

Who and/or what influences your work and why?

1.

I love Atelier Bingo – their colour palettes are always unique and their style is so homely and balanced.

2.

Stephen Smith from Neasden Control Centre – he does bold abstract so well.

3.

Vuokko Nurmesniemi (Marimekko designer from the 1960’s) – timeless graphics.

4.

Charlie Harper for his love of geometric shapes and animal.

How do you celebrate the festive season? Do you have any traditions?

My husband and I jigsawed a tree out of a flat sheet of wood and painted it white. We worked on it when I was heavily pregnant with our first daughter. She was born just before Christmas and we brought her home from the hospital on Christmas day. It’s become a really special tradition, to get it out and decorate it with her and her sister in the lead up to Christmas. I always remember that time in our lives just before her arrival, and the day we brought her home. It feels like yesterday but it’s now been 5 years...

If you could have any kind of advent calendar, what would you want to find inside and why?

I think the advent calendar is perfect just as it is. Chocolate. Always chocolate. There is no improvement to chocolate!

BENTO 34

TITLE | Christmas Beetle

TITLE | A Gingerbread Kind of Christmas

Nina Nunes

ILLUSTRATOR | AVEIRO, PORTUGAL A G E | 23

I N S T A G R A M | @d rawi ngc at ha rs is E T S Y | d rawi ng c at harsi s T O O L S | P roc reat e

DESCRIPTION // Cute little gingerbread cookie friends happily coming to life for the Christmas season.

How would you describe your style?

Currently, I would say I have a cute child-like style. I’ve fallen in love with illustrating simple cute characters.

For me, drawing is a therapeutic experience. I fully enjoy giving life to drawings to which I feel a connection at that moment. It needs to feel “right” at that particular moment.

Who and/or what influences your work and why?

I would say Katnipp Illustrations is my biggest reference when it comes to illustration. Her work has deeply influenced me and she keeps inspiring me with her creations. They’re really cute and lovely.

How do you celebrate the festive season? Do you have any traditions?

Words cannot describe how much I love Christmas, it’s definitely the most wonderful time of he year.

I love to decorate the house with my mom and to put up our Christmas tree while listening to Christmas music. We always have such a great time. I also love going out to see the beautiful lights.

If you could have any kind of advent calendar, what would you want to find inside and why?

Vegan chocolate! Chocolate is my favorite thing to eat, but unfortunately here in Portugal we don’t have vegan chocolate advent calendars yet! Other than that, I’d love for it to have art supplies, which I’m obsessed with!

BENTO 37

Willow Springate

TYPOGRAPHER | PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA A G E | 18

I N S T A G R A M | @w i l l o wsp ri ngat e T O O L S | A d o b e I l l u str at or

DESCRIPTION // Texture, shape, and type have been combined to create a festive knitted jumper effect. Warm red and a woollen look gives the feeling of comfort and nostalgia, reminiscent of nights spent curled up watching classic Christmas movies. The quote “Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind” comes from the film ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1947), a personal favourite. Kris Kringle, the main character in the film, is a symbol of optimism in a cynical world. I feel that hope is something we all need, perhaps now especially – that is why my submission has been named after Kris Kringle. During a time of year that can be so busy, it is important to remember the true spirit of the holiday season – being kind to those around you and taking time to appreciate your loved ones.

How would you describe your style?

I would describe my style as developing. Visually, I’m really drawn to type and textures, but I’m still figuring out what I like when it comes to my design aesthetic. I have a love of vintage fashion and interiors, which is something I’d like to incorporate more into my designs.

Looking at my portfolio as it currently stands, you can expect to see a lot of photography, typography, and graphic portraiture.

Who and/or what influences your work and why?

I love looking at the works of Jessica Hische and Louise Fili. They both create such beautiful, decorative lettering pieces. Hische has a more modern, bright feel, while Fili has an elegant Art Deco style.

BENTO 38

Becca Clason, a tactile letting artist, probably has a more direct influence on my personal practice. I love working with food in my projects and this is something that she is a master of.

The last person I have to mention is Drew Hodges, the founder of SpotCo. After graduating, my goal is to go into entertainment advertising, doing branding for musical theatre. Seeing the iconic work that Hodges has created for so many Broadway shows is incredibly inspiring to me.

How do you celebrate the festive season? Do you have any traditions?

My family doesn’t do much for Christmas - my mum is from England and says that the warm weather just doesn’t feel festive. Usually we just relax at home and have a nice lunch.

If you could have any kind of advent calendar, what would you want to find inside and why?

My first instinct is to say cheese, but you’d have to keep the calendar in the fridge and I’d probably forget about it. Maybe an advent calendar where behind each window was a smaller advent calendar.

TITLE | Kris Kringle

TITLE | Merry Christmouse

Wyannah Prikanowski ILLUSTRATOR | EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS A G E | 25

I N S T A G R A M | @wyannah.ant onia T O O L S | P roc reat e

DESCRIPTION // When I think of Christmas my mind immediately goes to cookies, so I just had to do an illustration with some cookies in it. For me, there is no Christmas without some home baked goods and what goes better with cookies than some hot cocoa and whipped cream!

On top of that, I love to draw animal characters. So here we have this cheeky little mouse snacking on one of the cookies. Giving the illustration that extra cozy feel, I dressed the mouse up in a sweater and Santa hat.

The colors I used are warm and vibrant, and the bold lines make it pop more from the background.

I created this illustration on my iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil, using Procreate from the sketching stage, all the way to finalising the illustration.

How would you describe your style?

I don’t feel like I have a definite style yet, however, I’m very comfortable drawing in a more cartoony or vector style. I like to use lines, but not all my work has linework. I still like experimenting with different styles and don’t want to settle with one style just yet.

Who and/or what influences your work and why?

I’m very much inspired by children’s book illustrations, that’s why I like to implement cute and simple elements in my illustrations. I also like to take some inspiration from comics/graphic novels, for example the bold line work.

How do you celebrate the festive season? Do you have any traditions?

My mom and I used to decorate the tree together, she wouldn’t start until I was home to decorate it with her. Now that I’m living on my own in a different area than my mom, I’ve been decorating my own tree alone. We do send each other pics of our decorated trees for comparison though, and mine never seems to be as beautiful as hers!

If you could have any kind of advent calendar, what would you want to find inside and why?

All kinds of small art supplies. I don’t experiment much with new supplies because I’m always afraid I’ll buy something I don’t like at all. Having an advent calendar with simple new art supplies to try out would be amazing! Other than that, I like all types of advent calendars. It’s the daily little surprises that excite me the most no matter the content!

BENTO 41

CREDITS

Editor Bento Box Design Studio

Studio Director Leeanne Nguyen leeanne@bentoboxstudio.com.au

Creative Director Tristan Ta tristan@bentoboxstudio.com.au

Art Director Monica Widjajana monica@bentoboxstudio.com.au

Marketing Assistant Vivien Huynh vivien@bentoboxstudio.com.au

Design By Bento Box Design Studio

Featured Creative Lolita Russo

Contributors Amy-Lee Wong - Festive Sleighers Bex Morley - Christmas Time in the Country Karolina Golightly - Happy Holidays Lisa Herse - Christmas Beetle Nina Nunes - A Gingerbread Kind of Christmas Willow Springate - Kris Kringle Wyannah Prikanowski - Merry Christmouse

Socials I N S T A G R A M | @bentobox.studio F A C E B O O K | @bentobox.studio L I N K E D I N | Bento Box Design Studio

Website bentoboxstudio.com.au

Magazine press@bentoboxstudio.com.au bentoboxstudio.com.au/magazine BENTO is proudly published twice a year.

Our Partners If you are interested in developing a partnership with Bento Box, please email marketing@bentoboxstudio.com.au

Cheeky Raptor

Deliciously prepared with

by Bento Box Design Studio