Today we’d like to introduce you to Risa Iwasaki Culbertson

Hi Risa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

Let’s see… how DID I get here?! lol. Somewhere along the back and forth of growing up between Japan (where my mother is from) and the States is where I realized the joy of not only creating art to entertain myself but how fun it was to share with those around me. The child-like playfulness of those days is something I hold on to even today, as I continue my journey on existing in the world as a maker of things and artist. The curiosity of how I could better survive as an artist lead me to business school (which, in my opinion, is a great place for artists to go!) and gave me a foundation for starting my stationery line, Papa Llama, which was inspired by all those heart felt letters from my mom and our family. I wanted my cards to maintain the authenticity of having them made not only from the heart but in the city I call home, San Francisco. Which lead me to figure out this thing called letterpress, got a bunch of very heavy machines and became a printer for 10ish years. It wasn’t until my dear friend nudged me to bring out all the wacky stuff I was making after hours by curating my first solo show late 2019. When the pandemic hit, it turned everything upside down, and forced me to shift gears. I leaned into my art for survival and ended up finding my voice and joy in needle felting.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

I’m not sure if there are a lot of smooth roads when you’re on a creative journey. Pain points are inevitable as one grows, learns, and are challenged. Financial struggles and mental health are things most of us are dealing with on the daily. It’s tough, no matter what.

I was in intense grief last year after my dad’s unexpected passing. No part of me wanted to create and I attempting to go back to “business as usual” was impossible. I shut down, I let myself shut down until I felt the uncontrollable need to channel my grief through my art but that was on its own timeline. It’s been a struggle, having mental health and financials so intertwined. Creative blocks were always something I struggled with but holy smokes, grief is a beast.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

I’m a multidisciplinary artist so I get to find the right medium for the story I’m trying to tell. I gravitate mostly towards fiber arts and illustration these days but have recently been obsessing over casting and making resin pieces. Not quite sure what the resin work will end up as but it’s fun (and important) to play and experiment with different materials. For now, shrimp bolo ties, pretzel and pasta pins are things that I’ve been selling just for fun.

I’m really proud of how connected I feel to needle felting. Is that a weird thing to be proud of? I dove into it about 3 years ago and there’s a sort of dance that starts to happen when in the creative flow. I felt this with letterpress too. I knew my machine. I knew the sound it made when something was off or how the ink acted depending on the weather. A song, a rhythm, a dance. There’s something really peaceful and energizing about those moments.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?

I love big, colorful, whimsical, bold, and silly pieces. I think the surprising thing for people is that most of those collections are stories of longing, loneliness, and processing grief. I remember someone came up to me during my recent show, with a big smile on her face, and asking what the inspiration was. In my mind I thought, oh no, I’m about to be a real bummer as I replied “Grief!” The thing I enjoy about my showing my art is that it can greet people in different ways. If you’re looking for something light hearted and silly, it’s here for that. Want to step in and create your own stories? Come on over. If you want to dive into the deeper inspirations behind the works, it’s here too.

Art has the amazing ability to heal and connect, to uplift, to honor, process challenging feelings, and create moments of joy when it feels lacking. There’s a lot of growth and healing we can do for ourselves in the process of creating. Mine just happens to come out in the form of giant felted olives and shrimp bolo ties.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.RisaCulbertson.com
• Instagram: @Risa_Iwasaki_Culbertson
• Other: https://www.PapaLlama.com

Image Credits

Brandon Joseph Baker
TA Visuals