Mikey Ting & Carissa Karamarko from Studio Ting
Mikey Ting & Carissa Karamarko from Studio Ting are partners in work and life. The emerging Australian artists share a studio in Melbourne – joining forces to design products which combine their talents and fuel their creativity.
Photography: Andrew Clark
Melbourne-based Mikey Ting & Carissa Karamarko from Studio Ting. Photo: Andrew Clark
ULTRA PARADISO mirror by Studio Ting. Photo: Andrew Clark
‘Sometimes [my work] is really boring, sometimes it’s amazing. It almost always holds enormous value for me and I’m lucky that sometimes it holds value for others, too,’ says Mikey Ting. Photo: Andrew Clark
H&F: Hi Mikey & Carissa, what led you here and how has your journey evolved?
Mikey: I moved to Melbourne in 2009 with my band at the time - a fairly common move for Kiwis across the creative industries. When the band called it quits around 2015, I was left without a strong direction. As a young person who put a lot of stock into being identified as an artist, I lost my way a bit. A passion for woodworking, making and fixing things began to bubble to the surface and I began painting, which I hadn’t done since school. I bought some basic tools, I watched a lot of YouTube videos; I still do. I kept moving forward. I became fascinated with machinery and fabrication. I bought a welder, I taught myself how to use it. My creative practice still revolves around the same principles – there are so many materials and processes I’m discovering each day.
Carissa: I’ve been painting professionally for the past 6 years and had many lives before that which always included something creative. I had originally started out professionally in the music industry with painting as something I continued to do in the background. I would join group shows whenever I could and make mostly just for the love of it. I had a real ‘line in the sand’ moment when I decided to give painting a real shot. I spent a year entering as many art prizes as I could and was having some early and consistent success so my professional art practice started to grow from there.
In terms of the studio work that initial interest was really sparked from my previous day-jobbing in interior design/architecture. I always had an interest in interiors and furniture design, but being exposed to that world in a greater capacity piqued my curiosity for what I could contribute to that landscape as an artist. When I met Mikey he was a few years into his custom furniture business and was experiencing a similar yearning that I was; wanting to flex more creativity in terms of furniture rather than responding to a brief. Not long after that the studio was born and really was a vehicle for us to both expand our creative pathways. For me personally, it gave my painting practice the freedom to simply exist as it was without needing to satisfy every creative urge I had. Holding two practices at once has freed me in both arenas, which has been an unexpected joy.
What first inspired you to start a journey as a creative?
Mikey: Initially, like most young creative types, it was about weaselling out of having a ‘normal’, boring job. Then it became a badge to be displayed proudly. I feel like I’m having a full circle moment as I write this: my work is my job. Sometimes it’s really boring, sometimes it’s amazing. It almost always holds enormous value for me and I’m lucky that sometimes it holds value for others, too.
Carissa: I don’t recall a specific moment that kicked off my journey as a creative (although I do remember a painting I did in primary school where we had to choose our favourite painting and favourite object and combine the two into an original artwork – I chose Salvador Dali and Clowns… I’ll let your mind fill in the terrifying blanks!). I’ve always been creatively inclined and felt a definite push and pull between music and art. What is a stronger memory for me is the choice to fully back myself and give being an artist a real shot. I was working jobs I didn’t really love, I had that nagging feeling of being pulled towards a bigger purpose and a more vibrant life and I remember a specific moment of deciding to put everything I had into trying to be an artist, to just spend one whole year working at it and see where I ended up at the end of that year and if I was closer to the life I had imagined. I had this incredible, successful year of being finalised in art prizes consistently, I signed my first gallery representation agreement, and got truly rewarded for that self belief. That year, and that decision, really felt to me like the start of my professional journey even though my personal creative journey began long before that.
As an artist/maker, what’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way?
Mikey: Take it slow. I feel like it applies to every facet of creativity and art-making. Taking it slow can mean being deliberate. It can mean showing restraint - both emotionally and creatively. Taking it slow can sometimes mean being very precise so you don’t make mistakes. Taking it slow can also mean the work gets done when it gets done - a powerful lesson as Carissa and I navigate being business owners. Above all, I feel like when things are taken slowly ideas are given the space to percolate and fully form.
Carissa: That what you have to give and your voice as an artist is valuable and to advocate for yourself in a way that supports that belief.
Do you have a disciplined studio routine to help keep you focused?
Mikey: I’m absolutely routine-driven. I also love cleanliness in my working area. Carissa and I like to wake up together and start the day in bed with coffee. Mindless scrolling mixed with sleepy conversation as the sun streams in through the blinds… I really love it. Carissa told me recently that acknowledging the happy bits as they happen helps propagate more happiness. She’s a genius.
Recently we’ve been preparing for our upcoming solo shows so we’ve both been going our separate ways 8am - 12pm then back home for lunch, then the rest of the day in the home studio together tackling all the Studio Ting pieces. We’re very lucky to have a beautiful studio at home, but that also presents its own challenges.
Carissa: Recently we implemented stronger routines in our life. Between the studio and our separate art practices, it can feel like there is an endless amount of work to tend to and that lead us to some bad habits around working constantly. The best way to describe it is that there was no delineation between days of the week and hours of the day, it was all one big working blur only interrupted if absolutely necessary. As you can imagine, we were burning out (a lot) and recognised a need to change the way we operate and put some boundaries in place for not only our personal wellbeing, but for the health and longevity of our careers and relationships. Since this epiphany, we keep strict work hours, we stop for lunch, and we do not work on weekends. It’s been a game changer for us, and contrary to my fears, the work has not suffered, in fact – I’m making the best work of my life.
The routine allows space for all the other things in life that contribute to great work: rich life experiences, conversations, self-care. I think sometimes we get caught up in how we are perceived, and we work within a society that rewards the perception that one is always working, stressed and that this kind of suffering is necessary to make great art. I was hoping to write this a little more eloquently, but it’s honestly just bullshit.
What drives your creativity?
Mikey: Tough question. I think it’s just built in. I don’t really think about it in those terms, I can’t help myself. If I do anything I usually try to do it to the best of my abilities and maybe that special lateral creative thinking is just part of my everyday carry.
Carissa: Mostly I feel just an inherent need to create and a strong desire to be successful so that I can continue to do this forever.
‘Since this epiphany, we keep strict work hours, we stop for lunch, and we do not work on weekends. It’s been a game changer for us, and contrary to my fears, the work has not suffered, in fact – I’m making the best work of my life,’ says Carissa Karamarko. Photo: Andrew Clark
MORE IS MORE artwork by Studio Ting. Photo: Andrew Clark
“Whilst we each have very different art practices, we have the same thirst for pursuing big creative ideas and we each have a distinct visual style – we saw an opportunity to bring the two together in a studio offering.”
‘Holding two practices at once has freed me in both arenas, which has been an unexpected joy,’ says Carissa Karamarko. Photo: Andrew Clark
‘Mikey and I are natural collaborators, in life as partners and in our art. We each shared the feeling that we had more to offer creatively than our respective art practices were affording us at the time and also shared a love for furniture and interior design,’ says Carissa Karamarko. Photo: Andrew Clark
‘We get to have conversations every day about art and life, and truly push one another in our art making,’ says Carissa Karamarko. Photo: Andrew Clark
Artwork and table for Carissa Karamarko's upcoming show at Saint Cloche gallery, in Sydney. Photo: Andrew Clark
Do you have any daily rituals?
Mikey: Morning coffee. Eating right, eating often, weightlifting after work, going to bed as early as possible. It cannot be overstated how much I enjoy being in bed.
Carissa: I’ve been thinking a lot about daily rituals recently, a line of thinking that has been prompted by our new routine. It’s made space available in my mind (and day) to think about what I can add in. A routine of sorts is looking at ‘Daily Routine’ TikTok for inspiration (haha!) I’m in the information gathering phase, that’s a better way to put it! Currently though, there are two very important rituals that bookend each workday. Mikey and I have coffee sitting in bed together every single morning, it’s my favourite time of day. I also prioritise some kind of movement each evening whether that’s weightlifting or walking.
You work together from your Reservoir home and studio - what are the benefits of working alongside your partner?
Mikey: We share all of the big picture ideas but the way our brains operate could not be more different. We look at things differently. We solve problems in different ways. I guess that’s not entirely different from a traditional workplace. We get to truly be ourselves – we’re both quite silly. Maybe that’s the biggest benefit – that we get to be honest and expressive and we don’t have to hold our ideas back.
Carissa: Firstly, I would highly recommend working next to your best friend. It’s fun, we laugh a lot and genuinely enjoy the company of one another. The main benefit is just getting to be around him. Aside from that, he’s an inspiring creative and I get so much value from working in the same space. We get to have conversations every day about art and life, and truly push one another in our art making. In addition to being inherently creative, Mikey has an incredible engineering brain and I really value his problem-solving skills when I have ideas but am working through the execution.
Tell us about your ULTRA PARADISO wall mirror - what was the inspiration behind it?
Mikey: We wanted to offer something that was unique, had all the energy and playfulness that we are known for as a studio and for it to still be affordable – and of course manufactured and assembled right here in Melbourne.
Another important design consideration was that we wanted to make something that could fit into any existing space. A lot of our products are highlight pieces, typically featured as part of a renovation or a new build. We know that heaps of people out there have gorgeous spaces and they aren’t about to upend it all just to add a mirror to their collection. The ULTRA PARADISO comes ready to hang on your regular nail in the wall (hey renters!) It looks amazing as part of a gallery hang with other eclectic pieces or styled on its own as the hero. We love it so much. The shadows and reflections it casts on the wall as the day progresses is so great - and it comes with a positive message written on the frame you can read every day before you leave the house.
Carissa: The ULTRA PARADISO mirror is a vibrant little beauty! We wanted to respond to feedback from people who loved our brand and what we were making, but didn’t have the space, budget or need for a big custom wall mirror. We wanted to create a product that could tick all those boxes but didn’t compromise on design and the vibrancy we are synonymous with.
Mikey and I are natural collaborators, in life as partners and in our art. We each shared the feeling that we had more to offer creatively than our respective art practices were affording us at the time and also shared a love for furniture and interior design. Naturally, over time and as we had discussed these things the idea of the studio started to form.
What skill sets to you each bring to Studio Ting?
Mikey: Pragmatism. Problem solving. I’m good with my hands. I think I’m really good on the phone, too – I feel like that’s important.
Carissa: Whilst we each have very different art practices, we have the same thirst for pursuing big creative ideas and we each have a distinct visual style – we saw an opportunity to bring the two together in a studio offering. With my fine arts background, I have a strong concept driven approach to creating, so I have a real skill in the conceptual design phase. I also have less experience than Mikey in manufacturing, which allows me to dream up ideas in a truly uninhibited way. Because of my lack of experience in that area, I don’t often have a sense of what isn’t possible, which leads to some really interesting ideas that then Mikey can come in and problem solve. Sounds like a nightmare, but he has this incredible manufacturing brain that can quickly sort my ideas into practical realities.
What do you love most about what you do?
Mikey: I love that Carissa and I get to spend a lot of our time together working at a dream we share. I love that our job is super varied. Seeing our work out there, amongst our peers, in so many wonderful places brings me so much joy. Sometimes I feel a bit overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of what we need to accomplish to stay in the game as small business owners but most of the time I’m just enjoying the ride – we’re very lucky.
What advice can you share with someone who aspires to start a journey as a creative/artist?
Mikey: Consume everything. Go to shows. Talk to your peers. Cold call your future mentors. Don’t be afraid to make shit work – don’t be afraid to make great work.
Carissa: If you feel untethered, come back to the work. If you feel cloistered, go out into the world. Repeat.
What can we expect to see coming up in the Studio Ting collection?
Mikey: I think more of the ‘art’ put back into our pieces. Limited runs, unique pieces, more sculptural elements, more artistry. We’re definitely keen to lean into that - that’s where our brains want to go naturally!
Carissa: I recently designed a table that sits at the centre of my current exhibition, Giocare, at Saint Cloche gallery, in Sydney. I designed the piece as a catalyst for connection, providing the opportunity for a communal experience for the viewer and encouraging a deeper exploration of the exhibition's themes. Mikey did the manufacturing for me and it turned out so beautifully that we may add it as a studio product.
What are you looking forward to most this year?
Mikey: Individually, Carissa and I both have some big shows coming up very soon. My second solo art exhibition, LOVE LANGUAGE opens on July 13th at Honey Bones Gallery in Brunswick and will feature some large scale, interactive pieces. I'm full of nervous, excited energy as I hit the last month of preparation.
Carissa: In terms of the studio, we have pieces going off to a store in Japan and a gallery in LA, which I’m really excited about and proud of. This will be the first time our products interact with an international audience and I’m really interested to see how they’re received. It’s a huge milestone for our fledgling studio.
I also have an exhibition at Saint Cloche in Sydney, opening June 21st, and a duo exhibition at Modern Times in Melbourne this October with Tessy King.