StyleNest chats to Japanese artist and mum of one, Yuko Lau.

Yuko Lau grew up in Japan and moved to San Francisco in the 80s to become an artist. She still lives in North California with her husband and her little girl Asuka and creates gorgeous children’s prints that we’re huge fans of here at StyleNest. Yuko took five minutes out to chat to us about art and life as a mum. 

Tell us about your career as an artist. 

I loved art ever since I was a child and that was the only thing I wanted to do. Nothing else came into my mind.

We love your adorable Peek A Boo prints here at StyleNest. Where do you get your creative inspiration from?

When we adopted our daughter from China in 2005, we were told that doing peek a boo with your baby is one of the great ways to gain eye contact and bonding with a baby. Every day, I played peek a boo with her and also showed her animal books, along with others. I think the idea came from there.

Tell us about growing up in Japan. 

I grew up in a small town outside of Nagoya city in Aichi Prefecture. I was raised by a very strict father who was a school teacher and a mother who was a home maker. My life was very structured and although I knew my brother and I were loved by my parents, I could not wait to be free.

You are mum to a gorgeous little girl Asuka, is she artistic like her mum?

Yes, she loves art and is always up for a project.

What does she make of your work?

I think she is very proud of me which I appreciate very much. She brought my posters to her class a couple of times for show and tell. It was very sweet.

You and your husband adopted Asuka from China. Could you give any advice to our readers who are considering adopting a child?

I have to remind this to myself from time to time, but adopted children need a firm confirmation that you are there to stay and will not leave them no matter what. My daughter knows that well, but needs to hear this constantly even though I think I am letting her know by words and actions all the time.

You moved to San Francisco from Japan in 1987. Was it hard to move to an entirely different country and culture?

Not at all, it was so exciting! I was so happy and free.

How do you juggle a successful career with family life? Do you have any top tips for staying on top of it all?

I am not a multi-tasking person at all. Every day is a challenge for me. Staying on top of it? Hmmm, I often don’t to be honest, so I can’t really give any advice on that topic. But a couple of things that I do from time to time is to write down what you need to do the next day, decide what needs to be done first, then next and so on. And don’t pack too much into your schedule. Avoid stress as much as you can.

When you’re not at work, what do you enjoy doing with the family?

Going out to places that you don’t usually go to, like museums or the national park. We are so lucky to live close to so many wonderful places here in Northern California.

Are you a keen cook? What do you like cooking for the family?

I love cooking. I try my best to cook healthy vegan meals with a high amount of raw foods. I want to be kind to our Mother Nature as much as I can so I try to use seasonal and organic produce as much as possible.

What other artists inspire you?

When I was a kid, I loved (and still do) looking at Dali and Picasso’s paintings. They were mysterious and so different. For kids art, I love Eric Carl – his shapes and colours are amazing.

How do you relax when you get a chance to grab some me time?

Recently, I started getting into Yoga. It’s been a great challenge, both finding time and learning it, but I love every part of it. My daughter likes it too and I am hoping to do more with her in a future.

You have also worked as a studio furniture designer and creator across America. What is your interiors/home style like?

I like to keep my interiors simple yet fun at the same time and I don’t care to stay in one style, but mix and match.  I also love having other people’s art in my home, especially my friends’.

Any tips on how to get children encouraged in art from a young age? 

Let them make a mess and show them beautiful things. Create an area that you don’t have to worry so much about cleaning, like outside with washable paint and old clothing on them.  Or cover your table with paper so it is ok to spill a bit. When they show you what they did, don’t just tell them “oh honey, it is beautiful!” Be more specific and tell them what you like about it like, “oh I love how you used your red in here” etc.. Tell them you need to put it on a wall because it is so special. You don’t have to keep everything but this will make them feel very special and they’ll want to do more.

Yuko’s Peek A Boo children’s prints are available to buy online at www.art.co.uk