Kailene Falls: The Taste of Home
Ohagi (2021)
Watercolor on Paper, 31 x 23 cm
Not Available
Kailene Falls is an American-born illustrator based in Tokyo, Japan, creating color-rich illustrations of dishes that she seeks out across Japan. The Baram House spoke to Kailene about eating, creating, and finding a home across the globe.
By Yoojin Shin
Ms. Kailene Falls, welcome to The Baram House! Please briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am an illustrator born in the US and based in Tokyo, Japan. My illustrations mostly feature food and food-related imagery. A majority of my clients are commercial, and I paint illustrations for magazines, packages, and advertisements here in Japan. In addition to illustration, I also work as a graphic designer and appear on local Japanese variety shows and international NHK World TV shows.
When did you move to Japan? What influenced your decision to relocate?
I moved to Japan in 2014. Since high school, I knew I wanted a career in visual arts, and chose to study Japanese as my second language as I had always admired the Japanese visual sensibility. This led to my passion for Japanese culture and decision to double-major in Japanese and graphic design at the University of Minnesota. After graduation, I fulfilled my dream of working in Japan, first as a graphic designer and now as an illustrator.
Unagi (2021)
Watercolor on Paper, 31 x 23 cm
Available
What is your favorite part of the Japanese culinary experience? What is unique about the foods you document?
Food is extremely seasonal in Japan. Each month is known for different ingredients, and this is reflected in seasonal menus at restaurants, seasonal flavors of snack and convenience store foods, and seasonal stocking of supermarkets.
Additionally, Japanese culture highly values attention to detail. This is reflected in the flavor and textures of food, as well as the visual presentation of foods. The food I eat in Japan (whether Japanese or international) is more consistently beautiful and delicious than the food I’ve had anywhere else in the world. Since I primarily paint only things that I myself have eaten, this gives me the ability to showcase a wide variety of very visually beautiful foods while still being able to control the staging of every piece.
Japanese Breakfast (2021)
Watercolor on Paper, 31 x 23 cm
Available
Tonkatsu (2021)
Watercolor on Paper, 31 x 23 cm
Available
Strawberry Daifuku (2020)
Watercolor on Paper, 15 x 21 cm
Not Available
Walk us through a satisfying Japanese meal.
For me, the most comforting of Japanese meals is perhaps the traditional Japanese breakfast. It consists of a main dish, accompanied with miso soup and a side of pickles—very different from breakfasts in the U.S. My favorite breakfast combination is stuffed rice balls with a side of white miso soup and traditional Japanese pickles. The different textures and flavors is perfect- soft, flavored rice, salty satisfying miso, and crisp bright pickles hits all the bases!
However, the accompaniment of miso soup and pickles is classic, and not just limited to breakfast. These are
the most common side dishes of any meal, and often it is just the main dish that is replaced for bigger meals. I’m always a fan of fried food such as tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) when going for a bigger lunch or dinner!
Interestingly, desserts are generally not a part of traditional Japanese meals. Sweets are most often eaten separately as a treat between meals or as an accompaniment to a drink rather than an end to a meal. That being said, Japanese sweets are delicious— my favorite Japanese sweet is fruit daifuku, where fresh fruit is wrapped in sweet bean paste and mochi… always amazing!
Ramen (2020)
Watercolor on Paper, 25.5 x 20 cm
Available
Let’s talk materials. Do you have any favorite types of papers, brushes, and paints?
As a watercolor artist, I strongly believe that paper is where to invest your money. Student grade paints and brushes are fine, but it’s important to use the best paper that you can afford! My favorite paper is Arches Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper. The thick cotton paper is perfect for creating vibrant pieces, and the smooth texture allows me to paint fine details.
Over the years, I’ve slowly replaced my student grade tools with more professional ones. For paints, I like the Windsor & Newton Professional Tube Watercolors for their retro and vintage feel, and for brushes, I usually use Raphael 8404 in sizes 8 and 2.
Why is watercolor your preferred choice of medium?
Until a few years ago, I only illustrated digitally and had almost no experience in traditional media. Most of my illustrations were for graphic design projects, and since each project was different, I experimented in imitating a lot of styles… and unfortunately lost my own style in the process. I decided to take up a new medium in hopes of finding my own aesthetic, and chose watercolor specifically because it’s not very forgiving. With digital illustration, I was always erasing, undo-ing, and adjusting things, and in the process my work would start looking like the work of other artists I admire. By choosing a medium that doesn’t allow for backtracking, I forced myself to go with my gut instincts and keep moving forward with a piece, using any “mistakes” to add originality to my work.
Retro Japanese Snacks (2021)
Watercolor on Paper, 23 x 31 cm
Available
Shaved Ice (2021)
Watercolor on Paper, 31 x 23 cm
Available
How is the Japanese artistic environment different from that of the United States?
It’s a bit odd. In one sense, I feel like there is a much higher percentage of the Japanese population working as or aspiring to be artists and illustrators than you see in the U.S. You see illustrations used on a lot more products and advertisements and you are faced with wonderful (and often weird!) expressions of creativity everywhere you go. I’m inspired on a daily basis! However, this appreciation is only extended to the final product, and unfortunately the lifestyle that accompanies it is much less glamorous. Making a stable income as a creative is much less common here in Japan, and the culture of overworking is taken to extreme in creative fields. So while I feel like artistic creativity is more appreciated in Japan than in the U.S., I feel like the creator is really the underdog here. Things are changing though, so I have hope for the future!
Traversing the cultural boundary between the so-called “West” and the so-called “East” is a difficult experience for many. Can you tell us a little bit about your own experience doing so?
I think it takes a specific type of personality to do well in Japan. You either have to love rules, or you have to enjoy the challenge of navigating and using these rules in a way to best suit yourself. I fall within the latter category. Compared to the “average” Japanese person, I definitely value individual thought and expression much more strongly due to being raised in the U.S.
However, I really enjoy working with the Japanese culture rules to express myself, rather than breaking all the rules and causing chaos. Many foreigners who move to Japan find this too exhausting, and end up burnt out after a few years. At first, it was exhausting for me as well, as there is no manual for many of these social pressures. However, I really do enjoy the learning process, and find the challenge to be quite fulfilling!
If you had a word of advice for designers and artists looking to make the jump to becoming a full-time freelancer, what would it be?
I recommend working a few years in a creative firm to learn the basics of the industry before going freelance. After learning from those around you, begin building a client base before you venture off on your own, and if possible, find one or two clients willing to sign a regular freelance contract with you before quitting your full-time gig. Especially when starting out as a freelancer, your jobs will not be consistent, so having a source of consistent income (even if it’s just a little bit) can give you the flexibility to look for the specific types of work you want to do, instead of taking every single job that comes your way.
Fruit Sandwiches (2021)
Watercolor on Paper, 31 x 23 cm
Available
What defines your sense of home?
The definition of home varies from person to person, just as everybody’s values differ- for me, home is the place with the perfect balance of comfort and challenge, relaxation and motivation. I found my home halfway around the world!
Kailene Falls was born and raised in Minnesota, USA. She relocated to Tokyo, Japan after college and spent years as a designer before becoming a freelance illustrator specializing in watercolor food illustration. Her works focus on conveying the textures and details of each food, while using warm tones and fine lines to convey a sense of warm nostalgia. The strong appreciation for art and food in Japan has allowed her works to feature on magazine covers, advertisements, packages, and a variety of other commercial products.
