What a joy I experienced when I first got to see the work of graphic designer Erika Szép-Bíró. Her styles are so unique and the motifs she creates are not only adorable, but also create a lovely story just through the details in the scenery surrounding them. Because of all these things, I was excited to learn more about Erika.
When I asked her to share a bit about her background, she said: “I was born in Budapest 1985, where I still live today. During this time, I had a short 4-year bypass to the University of Kaposvár, working on my Visual Communication/Textile art major.”
Since graduation, Erika has been nonstop with the types of projects she is involved in. She told me, “After getting my diploma I started working at a media agency and as a package designer. Currently, I am illustrating and designing patterns for many kinds of companies. I also run a webshop called www.theprintedfox.com with my husband, who is also a designer. One other thing I am involved in that I immensely enjoy is my small fashion brand, which I run with two of my talented seamstress friends. I design the pattern and they make the clothes and bags. All these things make for exciting and busy days. I love that I am constantly creating.”
With the unique motifs and distinct style that Erika designs, I was curious about her thoughts regarding how she works. She shared: “I try to endeavor uniqueness and the utility of symbols in my work. If I am designing by order then I am trying to find the solutions that fit best with the customers personality, which means we will talk a lot. I am also inspired by my love of reading and playing! I like the creatively made fantasy or sci-fi worlds, which is why they often find their way into my works, as well.”
On the topic of process, Erika says, “I tend to draw some sketches by hand and after I get everything, I then digitalize the sketches in Inkscape. I think using traditional media is very important.”
With Erika’s passion and involvement in so many areas, she remains focused on a big dream she has, which is “to succeed with my love project TöBBMINTA. Right now, we’re doing our second collection, the first one was loved by the people. This is also true in the case of our family business webshop: The Printed Fox.”
IF you’d like to learn more about Erika, visit her bilingual art blog. Also take the time to view her Instagram or visit her website.
