About Kautzi

Kautzi is the creative outlet of Patrizia, a graphic designer based in St. Ann’s, Cape Breton. Born and raised in Germany, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication from the University of Applied Sciences in Aachen in 2005. With over 10 years of experience as a self-employed graphic designer, Patrizia brings a wealth of knowledge and creativity to her work. In 2019, she emigrated to Canada with her husband, Linus, bringing her graphic design business along and continuing to work for clients near and far.

In her spare time, Patrizia loves to create with her hands, whether through knitting, painting, or doing paper-cuts.

Over the years, her work has evolved into a diverse array of illustrations based on handmade paper-cuts. Patrizia enjoys cutting and taping together simple shapes from old cardboard boxes, which she then scans and edits digitally. This process not only lends her illustrations their characteristic rough and textured look but also allows her to work intuitively and playfully.

Kautzi's illustrations are inspired by Patrizia’s love of color, nature, and her new home in Cape Breton.

Does Kautzi mean anything?

Yes, it does! In the German-speaking world, there is a distinction between Eule (owl) and Kauz (also owl). This distinction is purely linguistic and not based on zoological classification. The term komischer Kauz is a playful expression meaning someone is a bit of a strange bird, while the adjective kauzig describes a slightly odd, peculiar, or eccentric personality.

Patrizia’s first designs featured funny little owlish creatures, which inspired the name Kautzi.