ABOUT
Happy Daruma Creative Studio provides a range of services which include
+ Book art direction and design
+ Graphic design
+ Exclusive distribution of the book Ki-Yan's Kyoto Food & Art outside Japan
+ Artist representative of Kimura Hideki (Ki-Yan) in Australia
+ Translation to and from Japanese, English, Polish, German
+ Polish and Japanese private lessons
「七転び八起き」
One of my favourite Japanese proverbs says literally ‘fall down seven times and stand up eight’ or roughly translated, ‘never, ever give up on your dreams’.
This proverb describes the Daruma—a traditional Japanese doll, modelled after Bodhidharma and designed to get back when it falls. The Daruma doll is regarded as a symbol of perseverance and good luck. I wasn’t interested to own one until I saw an unusual Daruma doll in a souvenir shop in Asakusa, so I purchased it without hesitation.
It has a special meaning to me not only because it has a unique facial expression. What impressed me the most was when, after the great East Japan earthquake of March 11, 2011, it was the only object in our house which, in spite of having changed its place from the shelf to the floor, stood proudly upright among other fallen or broken objects in the huge mess.
Since then this Daruma doll has symbolized for me the miracle of surviving, and it brings me encouragement in difficult moments. So I decided to name my studio after the Daruma doll.
MARTA's BIO
Marta is a Bulgarian born designer and translator raised in Kraków, Poland. She has a degree in Japanese studies from Jagiellonian University in Kraków, and studied East Asian art history in Germany before moving to Japan. She is fluent in five languages: Polish, Japanese, English, German and Bulgarian.
After completing studies in interior design in Tokyo, Marta published, as author, photographer and designer, her first book in Japanese—a guidebook to Polish products and interior design.
Her second book, which she art-directed, designed and translated into English, Ki-Yan’s Kyoto Food & Art, is a bilingual English–Japanese guidebook. In this book, Marta introduces more than fifty works, all located in Kyoto, by a contemporary artist, the muralist Ki-Yan (Hideki Kimura).
Marta’s passion for art, languages and travelling started in her childhood. The experience of living in Europe, Asia and Australia influenced her work and thinking significantly, resulting in a creative fusion of East and West. She is inspired by artists such as Piero Fornasetti, Hundertwasser and Yokoo Tadanori.
Marta’s professional experience includes:
• international event coordinating
• translating and interpreting for a Japanese musicians’ tour in Europe
• six years’ experience translating and interpreting for sports programs for Sky Perfect TV in Tokyo
• teaching Polish and Bulgarian languages at the Kobe University of Foreign Studies in Japan, and Polish at The Polish School of Sydney, Randwick
Currently based in Sydney and working as picture framer, Marta is always ready for the challenge of new and exciting creative and intercultural projects, with a special focus on Japan.