Thank You & Season’s Greetings
Thank You 2025, Hello 2026!
Holidays are here, so this will be short and sweet… WEAR A HELMET FRIENDS.
Last day of work saw me cycling to work on my trusty steed Jerry, smiling up at a bright blue Japanese winter sky, crisp cold air on my cheeks and…
was knocked off my bicycle by a student, cycling out of her apartment block right out onto the road, rushing to get to a school concert.
Very luckily, I was close to a wonderful friend who helped me get seen by a doctor straight away. Luckily, I received outstanding care. Luckiest of all, I was wearing a helmet.
Amongst the toys, games and presents of all shapes and sizes, if they don’t have one and if you love them, BUY THE PEOPLE YOU ADORE A HELMET. And make sure they wear them (some pretty cool stickers around – Stranger Things! – for those who need incentivizing).
Ok, that over all there is to say is have a good one, lovely people. Enjoy being together, enjoy quiet time alone, enjoy play time and hibernation and working on that extra layer of insulation to beat the winter cold.
Thank you for all of your support this year. 2025 has quite the arc to it, but as we all come to know and understand, the lotus is a flower that grows in the mud.
This one’s going STRATOSPHERIC in 2026. Exceptionally high quality mud this year!
Onwards and upwards, with love, hugs and kintsugi (first picture below) kisses,
D, M, O & J Kato x
ps fantastically fun and simple seasonal craft pictured above – all you need is some spruce / pine and clay! Imprint, engrave, let dry and paint and save these beauties for next year 🙂
pps Atelier’s now closed for the winter break. We’ll reopen for classes from 5th January 2026. Students booking in their preferred slots on Tuesdays/Fridays/Saturdays: info@divyamariekato.com
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Winter/Gifting Season: Drawing Classes / Art Foundation Course
What better gift could there possibly be?! Get in touch for classes, a range of courses, consultancy or CPD for you or your team.
Art Programmes | Drawing Classes
info@divyamariekato.com
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Winter 2025 ~ Availability Update
*** FULLY BOOKED ***
Registration Open For 2026:
Atelier Opens January 5th 2026
*Bookings First-Come, First-Served Basis
Registration For January 2026 Waiting List: info@divyamariekato.com
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Big Draw’s Back… All Right!
Brought the Big Draw – the world’s largest festival of drawing – back to Tokyo with our award-winning, Big Draw Japan team, for 2025!
Details
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Happy Summer From Atelier Kato Tokyo
School’s out for summer! Updates on classes and programes below as we look ahead to autumn. Kicked off celebrations with a freedom party with the Tokyo tribe (I have never loved you more), thrilled to have passed postgrad studies (full time working mama to 2 kids under 5 – prrrrrrrrroud!), welcomed Mama to the frying pan formerly known as Tokyo, dipping in and out of any pool available, consuming vast amounts of ice cream and looking ahead to the future! Writing in haste (on pick up duty) but wishing you all the happiest of summers and looking forward to welcoming some of you back to the atelier for drawing classes soon or bumping into you further down the road – be well!
Warm wishes,
Team Kato
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~ September 2025:
Courses, Curricula, Consultancy, Art After School
Divya Marie Kato’s Signature Programmes
Hand-crafted, distilling 20+ years of experience in art education
Programmes for individuals, communities, corporations, schools and universities
To ensure quality, bespoke CPD consultancy (tell us what you need) and training (tell us how we can help) included.
PROGRAMME PAGE
info@divyamariekato.com
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Tokyo Drawing Classes & Art After School
Tuesdays / Fridays / Saturdays
Registration For January 2026 Waiting List: info@divyamariekato.com
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Drawing Classes
The visible work is on the paper. The invisible work is in yourself.
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Tokyo: Tuesdays / Fridays / Saturdays
Taking The Course At Home: Email to get your art set sent to you
info@divyamariekato.com
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WHEN IN DOUBT DRAW: Think You Can’t Draw? Think Again!
Artist Divya Marie Kato’s most popular, signature, five part drawing course. As Atelier Kato celebrates 10 years, we’re proud that our humble home/drawing school/art atelier, home of When In Doubt, Draw, a course that started off at my kitchen table, has now welcomed students from all around the world and helped many return to drawing for life, work and play. My promise to you: you’ll leave with a portfolio of drawings you never thought possible.
WHAT’S WHEN IN DOUBT, DRAW?
Divya’s flagship art programme, distilled from 20 years of teaching people how to draw, is designed to give you all you need to build a strong foundation in drawing – even if it has been a while or you really think you can’t! Many have used the course to build and prepare portfolios – with artists and artworks to explore, this portfolio continues growing well past the last class of the course.
5 STEP FOUNDATION COURSE
In 5 classes, accompanied by drawing exercises, artists and art history, art materials, downloadable PDFs and an ever growing resource area, Divya will guide you through the process she’s developed over 20 years working as an artist and educator. Doubts to drawings, stick figures to stress free sketching: guaranteed. You’ll never walk alone with a pencil in your hand.
WHY WHEN IN DOUBT, DRAW?
You’ll find Divya’s approach different than traditional art courses. How? Don’t take her word for it, check out the reviews – she passionately believes that drawing is for everyone and that everyone can!
CLASSES & ENQUIRIES
Divya has taught students from all over the world, aged 5-75 – you can and you will!
Tokyo: Tuesdays / Fridays / Saturdays
Taking The Course At Home: Email to get your art set sent to you
info@divyamariekato.com
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Art Adventures….
Rocking With Refugees!
Happy to create this hand-painted banner and see it flying high at Fuji Rock! Ganbatte Refugees Empowerment International! Did you go? How was it this year?!
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Theatre Set Painting
Grateful for the opportunity presented by Tokyo International Players to paint this backdrop for their fantastic production of the Tempest. Thank you Jack and Shinji at Our Space, Hatagaya!
(psst! you know I’ve been painting BIG since the 90’s and love nothing more, so if you’re in need of a backdrop, or anything over 5m, you know who to call)
info@divyamariekato.com
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Year of the Snake!
A Year Of Transformation
Thinking about shedding!
What are you shedding this year?
info@divyamariekato.com
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Septic Tank Transformation…
Turning s*** to gold!
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Mural Magic
Reflecting on the collaborative murals we’ve created over the years, these have been the most meaningful pieces, because they involved many different hands, hearts and minds coming together.
These large-scale, ambitious, vibrant, collaborative murals brought together members of each community, unifying their mark making into masterpieces bringing energy, dynamism and inspiration to blank spaces. They champion hope and form an eclectic testament to what it means to work together.
I found a cool article by the Royal Drawing School embracing this idea too (see below).
A picture is worth a thousand words…
Having taught art for twenty years, I can:
- design a programme around your time frame involving the whole team
- plan and provide a draft of the mural (reflecting vision / values)
- PAINT!
- Document the process with photography/time lapse video
Idea for a wall? Get in touch and let’s make it happen!
info@divyamariekato.com
ps! large scale backdrops are my jam (or anything over 5m…)
Royal Drawing School Article: Power Of The Mural Here
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Giving Back: Buy Art, Bring Hope
With the little ones in tow, we’re not able to get to many events these days and missed the one and only REI (Refugee Empowerment International) Gala, so… welcome to our Fundraising Auction!
30% of all sales to be donated to Refugees Empowerment International.
Click on the link below for the Auction PDF.
Email with the title of the painting and your bid.
Enquiries: info@divyamariekato.com
Year of the Dragon Auction PDF
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Divya Marie Kato, Atelier Kato Tokyo
Artist, Educator, Consultant, Drawing Teacher, Visual Arts Specialist (Preschools, International Schools, University, Community & Corporations), Creator, When In Doubt, Draw drawing programme, Story of Art & Art History for Oracy, What Is Art For? programmes, Founder, Atelier Kato Tokyo and The Award-Winning Big Draw Japan. Paris-born, London-raised, Tokyo-based, British Indian artist and educator raising the bar on art education since 2005.
Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, Companion of The Guild of St. George and passionate advocate of drawing (and dragons).
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Drawing For Work, Life & Play
Divya’s Art Programmes & Consultancy | INFO
Drawing Classes & Courses | INFO
Art For Hope Stories | INFO
Divya’s Portfolio | INFO
Services | INFO
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info@divyamariekato.com
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