Meet Kate Cuthbert

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kate Cuthbert. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kate below.

Kate, we are so appreciative of you taking the time to open up about the extremely important, albeit personal, topic of mental health. Can you talk to us about your journey and how you were able to overcome the challenges related to mental issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

Honestly, I’ve been on quite the mental health journey. I believe that looking after your mental health is so important and a lifelong pursuit.

Art has been pivitol to my mental health. It has allowed me a release and a way to process the world. Art is always there, never judging. Art is an essential need for me and I feel antsy if I’ve gone too long without creating!

I’ve battled major depression over the years and at my lowest times, I’ve turned to art. I started making collage zines, just for myself, to process situations. This ultimately led to me pursuing collage full time.

I’m probably the typical artist type in that I am sensitive. I’m also prone to putting up a wall to hide my vulnerability (I’m working on this!) The act of sharing your art with the world is a very vulnerable thing. You’re putting so much of yourself out there knowing it will inevitably be judged. I actually started sharing my art on Instagram anonymously, under ‘satin&tat’. It wasn’t until about a year later that I plucked up the courage to add my real name to my account! The acceptance I felt from the collage community was wonderful, validating and helped build my confidence.

Nowadays I share my art, in person or online, with the knowledge that it’s not for everyone- and that’s ok! To please everyone is to water down your art. It’s just ‘alright’ or ‘nice’ rather than something that makes someone relate and feel. It has taken a lot of soul searching and work on myself to get to this point and it’s ongoing, as it should be. We all grow and evolve. So should our art.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m an analogue collage artist based in Adelaide, South Australia. This means I cut and glue images from books and magazines to create paper collages. I dabble in digital collage when needed, but my heart is with the tactile nature of analogue and the thrill of making the images I find work as they are, without any digital manipulation.

I’ve always collaged, but only started sharing it publicly at the end of 2014- a huge step for me! Since then I’ve exhibited and been published internationally, created book and album covers and worked for the likes of The Wall Street Journal and Ted Baker.

In 2015 it was clear I was obsessed with collaging, and I was creating so much work that I decided to try and sell my collages at local markets as giclée prints and greeting cards. I continued selling at art markets for 10 years! Market life taught me so much, introduced me to amazing people- both customers and stallholders- and really helped me develop personally. I collaborated with others artistically and got a lot of opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Being able to discuss my art in real time, with real customers, was essential in my artistic development (and thickening my skin!)

Nowadays, I’m hoping to focus more on exhibiting and selling small run, limited edition prints through my satin&tat website. My next exhibition will be in Norway, with a collage artist from the USA, in 2026.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Three qualities I think are most impactful to succeeding as an artist are self belief, confidence and resilience. These all take time to develop but are invaluable. In our world of social media, and the algorithms and keyboard warriors that come along with it, these qualities are priceless.

Self belief is key to take those first, shaky steps and put your art out into the world. Believe in your work and it’s value, you never know who it will touch and resonate with. Self belief also keeps you going, knowing you’ll find ‘your’ people who will appreciate and look forward to seeing what you create.

Confidence in terms of knowing why you are doing what you do. You are putting yourself out there, sharing your work, so don’t be disheartened by those who aren’t being vulnerable and doing the same. Especially not by people who hide behind keyboards trying to elicit a reaction, they’re not worth a second thought.

Resilience is so necessary because it turns out that everyone’s an art critic! Chances are you will probably hear things about your work that offends you. Your art will likely be misinterpreted or misunderstood. But that’s all OK- these things don’t come from the people you are creating for. Your true audience will understand where you’re coming from, appreciate you and support you on your journey.

And please do your best to be kind to yourself. Your worth as an artist is not determined by likes on social media. (This is also a note to myself!)

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

In 2024 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. This came as a huge shock and tipped my world upside down. To deal with this I’ve been learning as much as I can about MS, I’m treating it with medication and trying to find my ‘new normal’. Moderation has never been my strong point (!) but I’m learning to listen to my body better.

Soon after my diagnosis I realised it wasn’t sustainable to try and keep up with the physical demands of markets (they’re a lot of work!) so I pivoted. I refreshed my website and will be selling online now rather than at markets. I also used my passion for markets to create ‘The Art of Markets’, an instagram page where I share resources and market tips and tricks I learned from my hundreds of markets. I hope to help and encourage creatives who are thinking of selling at markets.

And of course I still collage as much as possible. I have to, it’s essential for my mental health and overall well-being. I continue to use it to help process my diagnosis.

Day to day life looks different than before, but life keeps on going. My energy is precious and I’m learning what’s important and what to let go of.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://satinandtat.com
• Instagram: satinandtat.collage
• Facebook: satin&tat collage
• Other: Tik tok- satinandtat.collage

Image Credits

Photo of me in studio taken by Elle DS Photography