Agency Spotlight: KOKO Art Agency
Clockwise from top left ©: Stina Persson, Marcus Oakley, TOMOTO, Anna Hrachovec, and Tina Berning.
The Directory of Illustration presents:
An Agency Spotlight on KOKO Art Agency
It’s not yet springtime, but one look through these stunning artist portfolios and you’ll think that spring came early this year. Inks and watercolors, florals and fantasy, welcome to the vivacious world of the KOKO Art Agency. As an agency, KOKO’s esthetic is elegant yet effortless, producing handcrafted imagery that captivates and awes. Hosting a premier roster of natural talent from around the world, this agency specializes in everything from fashion and beauty to editorials and corporate branding. Here are five KOKO Agency artists to get you warmed up for spring: Stina Persson, Anna Hrachovec, TOMOTO, Marcus Oakley, and Tina Berning.
About the Agency: KOKO Art Agency is a boutique illustration and design agency based in New York City. Since their founding in 1999 under the name CWC International, this agency has served as a creative content partner connecting exceptional art and design talent with international clients.
“We oversee our artists in their production of unique and impactful handwrought assets for use across communication mediums, including: cross-platform social media campaigns, packaging & surface design + in-store displays, editorial & publishing, online ads, website design & video/animation, and live painting/murals at events.”
Stina Persson
© Stina Persson
Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Stina Persson uses ink, watercolor, or collages with ceremonial Mexican cut papers to create a style that is both vivid and elegant. Stina studied fine art in Perugia and fashion drawing in Florence. She also has a degree in illustration from the Pratt Institute in New York. Stina was awarded the Society of Illustrator’s Student Scholarship in 1996 and 1997, and has exhibited her work in several shows in New York and Japan. Fusing the traditional with the edgy to introduce a modern look to illustration, Stina’s unique look is appreciated by numerous clients including: Nike, Microsoft, Louis Vuitton, Veuve Clicquot, L’Oreal, O.P.I., Vogue Japan, W Magazine and WWD Magazine.
Anna Hrachovec
© Anna Hrachovec
Welcome to Mochimochi Land! Anna Hrachovec is a Chicago-based designer and artist who combines her passions for knitting and characters to create toys, installations and animations that excite people of all ages. What started out as Anna’s hobby in 2007 has over the years grown into a huge imaginary realm, where a cast of creatures of all sizes and types play, fight and occasionally eat each other. Anna divides her time between sharing her humorous sensitivities, characters, and patterns with the design community and creating knitted pieces for exhibitions and commercial projects. Her character-based soft sculptures and installations have been exhibited in galleries around the US, Europe and Asia. Commercial clients include: Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Arla, and various online-based corporations.
TOMOTO
© TOMOTO
Born in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan, Tomoto graduated from the Visual Design department of Kyoto Art University in 1992. After working at design firms for a few years, she became a freelance illustrator in 1998. In 2004 she became a semifinalist for CWC’s “Fresh Characters Found” exhibition, and in 2005 was chosen to be one of the finalists for CWC’s Chance exhibition. Tomoto’s illustrations are known for their use of bright colors, unique textures, and cute characters that give off warmth and a sense of genuine kindness. Clients include: Kiehl’s, Williams Sonoma, Panasonic, Japan Airlines, Canon, and more.
Marcus Oakley
© Marcus Oakley
Originally from Norfolk, Marcus’ work is inspired by many things – both retrospective and contemporary. Marcus has a lot of followers among the creative communities. Clients who are famous for their creative, artistic visuals – such as Vans, Apple, Yahoo, Google, Zendesk, etc. – are constantly reaching out for collaborations. His broad interest in music, sports (in the past, he enjoyed skateboarding), hiking, cycling, nature, Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, having a cup of tea, and life in Scotland are the creative influences behind most of his simple yet unique style.
Tina Berning
© Tina Berning
Tina Berning studied graphic design with a focus in illustration in Nürnberg, Germany. After three years of designing album covers and band posters for record companies, she worked as a graphic designer at Jetzt, the supplementary magazine of the biggest German daily newspaper, Die SüddeutscheZeitung. In 1999, Tina decided to quit pushing letters and pictures around and started focusing on her illustrations again. She moved to Berlin and quickly found herself involved in both commercial and editorial work. Constantly balancing with her personal fine art projects, preparing exhibitions and her commercial commissions. View Tina’s portfolio below and keep up with her daily drawings instagram, which have attracted over 100,000 followers.
