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Drawn to Illustration x Kit Agar
August Capsule Spotlight
Kit Agar is a minimalist artist based in England. Born and raised in Brighton, she moved up to London at 18 to attend art school. After 6 years of working there andย 3 more in Brussels,ย Belgium, she's returned to Brighton, where she fills her time with drawing, painting, and sitting by the sea.ย Part of that time now included designing her latest collaborative scarf with Marcella!
โItโs very moving to know that people interact with my art in their daily lives.โ
Tell us a little about yourself!
I was born and raised in Brighton, a city on the south-east coast of England. I moved up to London at 18 to attend art school, and completed a BA in Illustration at University of the Arts London. I fell in love with London and ended up staying there for 6 years, and poured myself into starting my career as an artist. In 2020 I decided I needed a change of scene, so I packed up and moved to Brussels, Belgium.ย There I joined an art collective, and set up a studio in a disused retirement home with other artists from the collective. That became my main working space, and I continued to collaborate & develop my practice.ย After three years in Brussels, I decided to return to Brighton, which is where I work today!
How did you become interested in illustrative artwork, and how did you decide to pursue it professionally?
Iโve always loved artโit was my best subject in school, so it was natural for me to pursue art as a career in some way. To be honest, I couldnโt see myself doing anything else. I was particularly drawn to illustration because of the practical applications of itโI love that my artworks are incorporated into things we use every day, and not limited to a canvas. Itโs very moving to know that people interact with my art in their daily lives.ย
What role did education play in your artistic development?
Art school was such a privilege, it was the first time I could completely focus on artโand being able to do so in a city like London is such an incredible experience, although it could be intimidating at times.ย Really, the value in art school (for me) lies in the connections & collaborations with other students. Being in an environment surrounded by the curiosity and passion of other fledgling artists is incredibly powerful, and I think it was an important part of me gaining the confidence to commit to pursuing art full-time.ย
What is something about being an artist that someone outside of the field wouldnโt expect?ย
I think people would be surprised by how much time is spent doing anything other than art. Thereโs this romanticised idea of artists being in the studio all day, sketching away, but really a lot of time is spent on admin โemails, updating websites, photographing work, packing and shipping prints, chasing invoices, writing applications, managing inventory, etc. Social media can feel like itโs own full-time job, but itโs a necessary evil to get your work out there & in front of the right people. Creating is still at the heart of it, but the reality is that being a working artist means learning to juggle the art with all the unglamorous, behind-the-scenes tasks that makes the art possible in the first place.ย
What normally inspires most what you illustrate?
Honestly, itโs hard to say as itโs so dependent on my mood on the day. Iโve always drawn a lot of women & feminine forms, so that often my starting point. Other days, Iโm only interested in exploring colour and patterns, so a lot of abstract work comes from that as well. I try to keep a sense of playfulness in my work, so I try not to stress too much about perfection.
Is your clothing style reflective of your artistic aesthetics?ย
Sometimes, but not always. There are days when I want to dressย playfully and bold, and other days I go completely neutral and just stick to minimally designed, classic pieces. I think sometimes Iโm so burnt out from making aesthetic decisions in my work that I default to timeless and simple to give myself a rest from the constant decision-making.ย
Can you describe your artistic process to us (how you approached the artwork of the collaborative scarf we created together?)ย
For the scarf, I wanted to work with the movement of the fabric, how the fabric would flow, and how the artwork could echo that. I wanted to keep it simple and expressive, so I started with an abstract female form, trying to capture a sense of softness and strength at the same time. I wanted the artwork to feel effortless but intentional, so there was a lot of stepping back and simplifying. I donโt like to overwork things, I try to keep my work organic and playful.ย I love what we created!
What is your favorite piece from your Marcella Capsule?
The Timi Buttoned Shirt is probably my favourite at the moment, itโs that perfect balance between classic and modern. Itโs timeless but with just enough unique details to keep it fresh. Itโs the kind of piece that feels effortless but still polished, I think itโs such a reliable staple.
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