Kerby Rosanes

Figuratively speaking The Manila-based illustrator’s creative den is a fine balance of objects for both work and play

Living a creative lifestyle in a crazy busy city like Manila is no easy task. After working for two years as a designer in a printing company, I became exhausted with my daily commute and decided to quit my job in 2014 to pursue my passion in art.

I then spent a long time looking for a nice place to set up my own little studio. Finally, I acquired this two-bedroom apartment in 2016 and turned it into a place that houses not only my work area, but also my growing collection of video games, statues and toys of my favourite characters from TV, comics and films.

Living on my own was a challenge, but I also saw it as an advantage because it meant I could configure my place in any way that I wanted to. I’ve set up my work area in the biggest room because it receives a huge amount of natural light, especially in the afternoon when I feel most creative. It also has direct access to my balcony where I usually enjoy my break time – having my favourite drink looking at a beautiful sunset view behind the Manila skyline.

I started designing my work area by hiring local furniture makers to custom-build my work table, floating shelves and an amazing penholder. I don’t produce large drawings and so there was no need for a huge work space. Mine is just large enough for a laptop, lightbox, sketchbooks and various paper sizes ranging up to A3.

THE IMPORTANCE OF HAPPINESS

One lesson that I’ve learned about creative spaces at home is to surround yourself by the things you love and make you happy. Happiness sparks creativity and is as important as your work tools. I’ve set up an area for play which I call a “no work zone”, where I hang out with friends, catch up with Netflix shows and play video games on my Playstation.

My collection inspires me a lot. The obsession with collecting toys and statues started back in 2016 when I purchased three small figures of Luffy, Ace and Sabo – characters from my all-time favourite anime, One Piece. Since then, the collection has grown, and now contains hundreds of figures and large statues. I’ve had to add several custom shelves not just to keep books and drawing paper supplies, but also to display my toy collection.

I usually start my day by checking emails and social media while having breakfast. I’ll then do house chores such as cleaning, watering plants and checking laundry. I get to jump in and start working at my table after lunch until late in the evening.

Most of the time, I begin work by drawing a personal piece in my sketchbook, warming up for around 30 minutes to an hour, before starting on work pieces. I believe that maintaining a balance between my personal and commercial work is key to keeping my creative fires burning. Kerby is an illustrator working with ink, pens and markers. His art has appeared in magazines, TV shows and books. See more of his work at www.kerbyrosanes.com.

I’ve had to add several custom shelves not just to keep books and paper, but also to display my toy collection

Artworks that feature the cosmos combined with creatures in surreal settings is a favourite theme of mine, like this piece called Cumulus about a mythical orca.

Some international language editions of my colouring books that I’ve been hoarding since 2016. I’ve published eight books – they were released all over the world and some were made available in over 40 languages. This is a personal piece inspired by my fascination of monsters and demons in Japanese folklore. Taking inspiration from mythical creatures has been dominant in my body of work.

My working area has direct access to my balcony with some plants and a beautiful view of the city, especially during sunset. This also allows a lovely amount of natural light into the room.