'Living In The Welsh Borders Inspires My Paper Creations'

Paper sculptor Kate Kato

- Sian Williams

Artist Kate Kato has always been a country girl at heart. As a child in Bristol, she lived along the river Avon where she and her brother explored the waterside and the woods. Originally training as a graphic designer at the University of the West of England, she went on to do numerous jobs such as portrait photographer and branding designer, then retrained as a social worker, with creativity purely for personal pleasure. After moving to Herefordshire in 2014 with her husband Robin and their two girls, Poppy, five, and Rowan, three, she began work as an artist, using the two things she loved most: nature and paper.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR HOME.

I live in Gladestry, a small village in a valley on the Welsh borders. We live in a cottage on the Hergest Ridge. We have 1.5 acres of land and although it is quite steep we are gradually turning it into a smallholding to grow fruit and veg, coppice wood and keep animals. I love the quiet pace of life. You never feel like you have to rush and there’s no constant hum of cars or the noise you get in a city. Living here helps me to switch off in the evening or at weekends and if I become overwhelmed with my workload, I can step outside into complete silence with a cup of tea and reset myself. I am constantly surrounded by inspiration for work. I walk out of my front door and become immersed in nature. All the collecting and foraging I was encouraged to do as a child I can now pass on to my girls and have fun exploring and playing with them.

HOW DO YOU START EACH DAY?

I usually stand in the middle of my workshop, with a cup of tea, looking at all the natural objects I have collected, and my materials. I think it helps get my head in work mode and start thinking about what I want to make or how I’ll tackle the next commission.