Oi, I’m Karine Mattos, or just Ka (pronounced “kah” /kɑː/), a Brazilian graphic designer based in NYC.
I was born and raised in Curitiba, a colder, often overcast city in southern Brazil that looks nothing like the tropical postcard version most people imagine. Growing up with grey skies, cold weather, and a moodier atmosphere definitely shaped my character and my taste for darker, more introspective visuals. I’m bilingual in Portuguese and English, and a lot of my work is influenced by moving between these two cultures and ways of seeing the world.
My first degree was in Hospitality and Tourism Management back in Brazil, in my early twenties. I worked for years in travel agencies, helping other people plan trips while I was still figuring out my own path. Even when it wasn’t part of my official job, I always ended up creating little graphics to promote travel packages. With very few resources, I still found ways to make visuals that were fun and interesting, and that’s when I realized design wasn’t just a side interest. It was what I really wanted to do. After a long time in another field, I finally took a deep breath, switched paths, and decided to study design in NYC.
That change eventually brought me to Borough of Manhattan Community College, where I earned my A.S. in Multimedia Programming and Design, with a concentration in Graphic Design, in Spring 2026.
I’ve always been connected to the arts: I used to be a ballerina and a singer, and I spent a lot of time on stage before I moved fully into visual work. My inspirations are a mix of literature, film, and fine art: Edgar Allan Poe, Tim Burton, Monet, Paulo Leminski, Oscar Wilde, Lygia Clark, Hilda Hilst, Anne Rice… I’m drawn to gothic, post-punk, and witchy aesthetics, dark atmospheres, and symbolic imagery. I love German Expressionism and the Bauhaus movement. I’m drawn to the contrast between expressive, emotional imagery and structured, geometric design.
Musically, I live on the melancholic side: Nirvana, Florence + The Machine, Radiohead, Elliott Smith, Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees… yes, I genuinely enjoy sad music. I’m also kinda nerdy: I LOVE Batman, and I’m obsessed with vampires (Anne Rice forever, Twilight not so much).
As a designer, my main interest is visual identity, especially working with logos, typography, and color, along with editorial design and digital content. My work usually follows two main directions: one that is more practical, minimalist, and often monochromatic, strongly inspired by Bauhaus, with clean lines and geometric shapes; and another that is darker, moodier, and more romantic, influenced by goth subculture and gothic fiction, with rich dark color palettes and slightly eerie, symbolic visuals. Right now, I mainly work with Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop, always trying to balance structure and feeling: a solid grid on one side, and a little bit of drama, poetry, and shadow on the other.