Katinka Kernutt is a creative woman with many talents. The graphic designer, photographer and jewellery maker lives in Werribee last year. She runs a small business called Studio Katinka, which includes a line of Melbourne-inspired jewellery and homewares.
What do you like most about living in Werribee?
It obviously gives me space to do stuff, such as have my own studio.
Where I walk, in the older style part of Werribee shopping centre, I call it a country-style strip where there is a butcher and fruit and vegetable shops, where you can buy quality groceries and fresh produce, where part of the appeal is supporting local businesses. There are also nice cafes down there.
The space is good for our two boys, and it’s also only 33 kilometres to the city.
How did you develop such an array of skills?
I studied science photography at RMIT University and then did a masters in multimedia. I went freelance after having my first son, and since then I’ve worked part-time, mostly with women, to support small businesses. In addition, I do visual branding, photography and graphic design to help small businesses create consistent visual impacts.
Can you tell me a bit about Studio Katinka?
I’ve been running Studio Katinka for nearly two years. I have a Melbourne range, which is all about taking tourist souvenirs and making wearable fashion out of them.
On one side of a piece of jewellery or homewares, I will have a tourist-style photo and the other side will have a fashionable geometric pattern. I’m also about to start a Brisbane range.
What areas feature in your jewellery pieces?
I am in the process of working out how to add something from the Werribee Park district or the west into the range. At the moment, it basically features the Melbourne CBD and the bathing boxes in Brighton and Mornington. It’s about taking things around you … making a fashionable piece out of them … with patterns and geometric shapes.
