Robyn Cottew

Contact Robyn

T: 0414 906677

Robyn Cottew is a qualified Interior Designer, whose career has taken many turns. After working as a commercial Interior Designer for 10 years in Melbourne and London, she moved into sales and marketing of commercial furniture. Robyn also worked in sales and marketing in the wholesale gift/retail area and set up a business organising special occasions. Robyn taught Interior Design at the Council of Adult Education and consulted as a freelance Interior Designer before moving to Japan to live.

Robyn spent six and a half years living in Japan in Yamagata Ken, and in Tokyo. She travelled extensively through Japan during that time and is fascinated by Japanese culture and crafts. In Tokyo she met Yamamoto Hiromi san, who taught her Japanese Paper Cutting Art. Yamamoto San’s style is a unique version of kirigame (traditional paper cutting), and Robyn became an assistant teacher under her guidance. Yamamoto San taught Robyn about Japanese culture through the designs used in her lessons.

Robyn has been practicing Japanese Paper Cutting art for seven years. She uses Japanese washi paper and chiyogami (patterned paper), coloured paper, fabric, sequins and diamantes. Robyn has taken workshops at Malvern Artist’s Society, Fuji Tei Restaurant, Wesley College, Kami Japanese Paper shop in Fitzroy, and upcoming workshops will be held at Guild of Objects in Collingwood. Her work has been exhibited at the Japanese Consulate in Melbourne, the Japanese Festival in Box Hill, and is currently in Fuji Tei Restaurant.

Works