Estere Betija Grāvere is an emerging artist and designer who works with drawing and various techniques of graphic art. Her work focuses on transforming the medium of graphic art into a broader, more contemporary format, reinterpreting its usually static nature in different ways. Estere Betija’s graphic design works and book designs are also always fresh and lively — even within a laconic aesthetic, she introduces some attractive details. In the Nice Touch section, Estere Betija talks about her favourite pen.
«For about five years now, I have carried a Muji pen in my bag. Not surprisingly, Reddit is full of good reviews about it. The Muji pen is relatively cheap (currently priced at 2.96 euros). It is both good for writing and drawing, which I think is not always an easy combination to find, but for me it is absolutely essential.
I have never been a big fan of expensive pens because the factor of their loss is too worrying. I have certainly lost about three Muji pens, but it has never turned into too much of an ordeal. The pens are available in Muji chain stores in 12 European countries and overseas, but unfortunately not in Latvia. However, this pen is possibly a good enough reason to go to Poland, France, or Germany. When I visit one of these countries, I always try to buy at least three pens for myself and one for my friends.»
Estere Betija Grāvere holds a bachelor’s degree from the Graphic Arts Department of the Art Academy of Latvia and has also studied at the Royal Academy of Art in Antwerp as part of the Erasmus programme. In addition to visual arts, Estere Betija works in graphic design, creating visual identities (Sporta pils gardens, Satori, etc.), as well as book design for publishing houses such as Neputns, Ascendum, and Orbīta. Estere Betija’s work has been nominated for the book art award Zelta Ābele several times. Since September, the designer has been studying for a master’s degree in the Werkplaats Typografie programme at ArtEZ in the Netherlands.
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