This month, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Anna Katalin Lovrity, a Budapest-based illustrator, independent animation filmmaker, and director. Graduating from MOME in 2016 with a MA in Animation, the premiere screening of Kata’s graduation film was at the Berlinale in 2017, making international waves. Currently she’s working on her own animated series for kids, while also experimenting in rug design as a co-founder of the brand What the Rug. Read on for more!

Hi Kata, please introduce yourself and tell us about your work.

I live in Budapest with my husband Sanyi, and currently I’m working on quite a few things at once. My main focus is on a super exciting project, as I’m developing an animated children's story series, Rosie and Sapphire. Thanks to this project, I’m also taking part in an international scriptwriting workshop, CEE Animation, where we get a lot of support and have a great tutor mentoring us. We also take part in classes, which are so inspiring and give us a lot of perspective. It’s nice to be in an environment where I can learn again. Besides the series, I also create illustrations, as well as illustrated card games and jigsaw puzzles for Kirakós Budapest, I also design a collection of contemporary handwoven wool rugs made in India. 

What does your average day look like?

Ideally, I wake up without an alarm at around 8.30am, and then I start working quickly so I don't lose too much of the day. If I'm lucky, I go and have lunch at my grandmother's, who lives two streets away, and she's always so happy to see me. I usually have lunch at her place, then I’ll carry on working at home in the afternoon. In the evenings I try to do different activities, however, I've noticed that I'm most creative between 10pm and 2am, so that’s when I do my own creative work to get in the flow.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

Doing yoga is something I try to do on a regular basis, and I also like going to the movies. My other goal is staying in touch with friends. I have a lot of friends and different friend groups, and I want to stay active in all of them. It's the easiest thing to say I'm busy right now, but then what are we living for? I had a period in my life when I was always super busy and had no time for anyone, and in retrospect, I don’t think that was healthy, or the way things should be.

Let's see what's inside your bag!

Pantone Colour Chart - My carpets are made in India, and they work with these colors, so I select them based on this chart - there’s so many colors to choose from!

Postcard - An exhibition of mine was titled The Lost Ice Cream Scoop, and this postcard was a companion to that.

Pen - This pen is from my friend Eszter Glaser, she knows I love yellow.

Oil Spray - I spray this on just about everything. It makes me look so much better, instantly, or at least that’s how I feel. My hair is wavy and it dries out and gets frizzy fast, so this oil does the trick to keep it moisturized.

Nude Lipstick - I don't use it often, but I love it.

Ring - This was also a gift, made by such a kind girl behind the brand MALNA jewelry. It means a lot to me emotionally, as it symbolizes human kindness.

Paper Notes - I stick these into the books I read. Instead of scribbling on the pages, I like to remember the important bits.

Glasses - These were a wedding present, but I don’t actually need them. Wearing glasses is more of a mentality, they help me stay focused when I put them on. Obviously, most of my work is done on the computer, which is strenuous for my eyes, so it doesn't hurt to have a pair.

Sunglasses - I bought this in Italy and it’s got that Italian, movie star vibe to it.

YKRA SCOUT - I've had this backpack for around two years now and it’s my go-to piece in the summer. I love its cheerful color and the size is great too.

Hair Tie - I'm growing my hair, so hopefully this will come in useful.

Spices - I have a small bag of spices with me as once a month with my girlfriends we hold an “Oriental Dinner Night” and cook something exotic together. I also always buy spices wherever I go traveling.

Ceramic tea cups - We got these at a wedding, and the groom, Balázs Túrós introduced us to the world of Gongfu tea ceremonies. It’s a ritual, a bit like meditation before you drink your tea, then taking small sips while paying close attention to the smell and the color. It's all about slowing down, not truly a formalized ceremony with a set of strict rules, and that’s why it’s different from the Japanese. My favorite tea is Oolong tea, it has such a wonderful fruity, delicious smell.

Books - I’m always reading several books at once. One is usually a novel, so next to that I Iike to read non-fiction, philosophy, or something scientific. I bought this book last week, it was only 50 Ft and I bought it because of its cover, it was designed by a famous Hungarian artist, Tibor Csernus. It’s from a really good antiquarian book store in Roham Street, I've been going there since I was a little girl.

Statue - I bought this at a flea market, it's such a funny statue. I looked it up on Google Image Search, and it's a Chinese pillow/headrest that usually comes in pairs, in a much bigger size.

photos by Botond Wertan