Kareena Zerefos has never fit neatly into one box—and that’s by design. From brand design to fine art, illustration to photography, her work moves fluidly across disciplines while staying rooted in softness, subtlety, and sensory connection. Based in Ericeira, Portugal, Kareena's creative journey is a living argument for embracing curiosity, staying playful, and letting go of rigid labels in favour of something more human—and more honest.
Can you tell us a little about your first few steps in your career. Was there a moment or experience when you realised this was what you'd do as a career?
The first steps happened early on. For as long as I can remember, I've felt compelled to create. Like most children, I drew--but unlike many, I never really stopped. Around age six, I knew I wanted to be an artist (aside from a brief phase dreaming of working with animals). By age ten, my dad introduced me to graphic design, and throughout high school, I spent countless hours in the darkroom.
I went on to complete a Bachelor of Design at UNSW in Sydney, starting my career in branding, graphics, and web design, working freelance and in-house roles across the music, hospitality, and fashion industries.
A couple of years in, or perhaps less, I found myself yearning for the tactile pleasure of art making, returning to drawing as a form of escape. This quickly evolved into moonlighting as an illustrator. Now, nearly two decades (and many iterations) later, my professional life continues to orbit between multiple creative disciplines.
What lessons from your career have most shaped your style and approach?
- For years, I felt pressured to choose an identity--artist, designer, illustrator, art director, photographer--as if being multidisciplinary implied creative infidelity. Motherhood added another dimension, triggering an existential crisis turned reprioritisation. Letting go of fixed labels allowed me to embrace fluidity. Each discipline supports, nurtures, and informs the others.
- At the heart of my practice is the belief that creativity is innately human and universal. It expands when there is room for play, genuine curiosity, and space for failure. Drawing embodies this most for me--it's a primal, intuitive, and immediate form of connection.
- Visually, I've learned to trust subtlety, softness, and intimacy. Over time, I've realised quieter expressions often hold greater emotional resonance. This also mirrors my belief in creativity as a gentle form of resistance.
Tell us about the core values or philosophies that guide your creative practice.
Curiosity and connection sit at the core of my creativity. Curiosity keeps me exploring, questioning, and evolving, while connection grounds the act in something larger, outside of myself.
What needs to change, so emerging and under-represented creative professionals have more opportunity, are seen and heard?
The creative world needs more open doors, and a genuine willingness to welcome everyone. It still too often feels exclusive and intimidating. We know representation matters. We need diversity of thought, gender, race, age, and socio-economic background--and to get there, I think we need more practical support: mentorships, grants, and clearer, accessible pathways into creative careers.
How important is it that creative professionals find their unique voice?
It is your compass--it’s how you bring yourself into your work, express what you care about, and shape how you show up in the world. Choosing the creative life is choosing a life of continual curiosity and exploration. It means staying aware of trends and influences (and as a creative, you're likely sensitive to it all), but your voice is what keeps the work honest. It’s also how we bring real diversity into the creative landscape and avoid a rinse-and-repeat culture where everything starts to look and feel the same. I think, for professional longevity and fulfilment, it’s essential to build a practice that is both meaningful and uniquely yours.
Looking ahead, what do you think are the key factors that will influence change for creative professionals?
Looking ahead, beyond tech, I think the biggest shifts--and I say this with abundant optimism--will come from broader societal change. A collective move toward sustainability, authenticity, and valuing creativity beyond purely economic terms would be huge. Adaptability--and a willingness to pivot, again and again--feels like the superpower creative professionals need most.
How much does your city influence your work?
Since moving to Portugal over five years ago, I’ve noticed a shift in my work, both in palette and atmosphere. The visual language here is soft and vibrant all at once: dusty pink buildings, yellow trams, mauve jacarandas, the deep blues of the Tagus, and the misty light of the Atlantic along the wild coast where I now live. There’s a luminous, reflective quality to it all--something changeable and slightly surreal. It’s shaped how I use colour and space, but also how I think and feel. Life here invites simplicity and introspection. There’s something in Portuguese culture--a kind of unhurried humility and poeticism--that I really admire. It’s unshowy but deeply expressive. And in Lisbon and surrounds especially, that’s now layered with a growing international energy.
How much does your culture influence your work?
Being Australian, with Greek heritage, and now living in Portugal, I’ve always had a layered sense of identity. That feeling of navigating belonging--of being from somewhere, but also slightly outside--has shaped how I move through the world and inevitably comes into my work. I don’t approach these themes overtly, but they tend to surface subtly, often as explorations of nostalgia, memory, and place--sometimes before I even realise it myself.
Tell us some of your favourite, creative professionals and inspiring places in your city!
Some of my favourite creative professionals here include:
- Rui Miguel Leitão Ferreira (painting)
- Rita Prates Caetano (jewellery)
- Isabelle Vandeplassche (illustration)
- Róża Kadi (photography)
- Paula Andreewitch (movement)
And a few favourite spots:
- Praia do Matadouro for waves and rock pools
- Costa Fria or LAB for dinner
- Ribeira d’Ilhas to Coxos cliff walk for views
- Ippolito & Maciste for wine
- Tiger & Chick for coffee
What should emerging creative professionals keep in mind as they begin their design career?
- You don’t have to have it all figured out. The journey probably won’t be linear. Experimentation and mistakes are part of the process.
- Let go of external pressure and take the time to define (and keep redefining) your own version of success.
- Look after the practical stuff--like finances and contracts--so your creative practice has space to ebb and flow without crippling anxiety.
- Stay connected to your why, your playfulness, and your curiosity.
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