Marta Rusin is a Furzedown-based surface pattern and graphic designer, also known under the pseudonym Kociara. 

Born in Poland, Marta arrived in London in 1999 with the intention of staying for a year, but soon found that London and its vibrant energy have an irresistible pull. Whilst her degree was in Linguistics, she realised that being in London could be a new start to follow her passion in art and design. Soon, she enrolled on an Art and Design course at the London College of Fashion to pursue her interest in fashion illustration. This was followed by a more technical course in 3D design and animation. Eventually, Marta’s career took a turn to work as a graphic designer for sectors like publishing, marketing and finance, while she continued to pursue her passion for illustration in the surface pattern design field.

Marta had her designs licensed by an independent German luxury scarf producer; and also had a licensing deal with the American fabric company Robert Kaufman Fabrics. Her ‘Cleopatra’ design was printed on a wallpaper to the adorn walls of a New York club. Many of her designs have been made into products like clothes, lampshades, notebooks, cushions and bags which are made and sold by independent traders on Etsy, Not on the High Street and other platforms. Her designs are purchased by many individual clients for their personal clothing or home décor projects, mainly through her online store on Spoonflower where you can buy her fabric and wallpaper. She also sells on other online marketplaces like Redbubble, Society6 and UK-based Contrado, where the designs can be purchased on custom-made products.

Marta offers bespoke custom design / illustration work as well as courses in surface pattern design and monetising the designs on online print-on-demand marketplaces. She is now also offering silk accessories and leather handbags made with her unique prints and plans to offer wallpaper.

Her style is eclectic but with a feminine hand. The patterns are often described as ‘elegant’ and many have been influenced by the Art Deco and Art Nouveau style.