About me

Hi, I'm Kat! 

TLDR; I'm a biologist from 9-5 and an artist from 5-9. 

Art and nature have always been a part of who I am. Growing up in the middle-of-nowhere, Florida, I spent much of my childhood outside playing in the dirt, fishing with my dad, and watching nature documentaries. When I wasn't outside, I was doodling on literally any paper I could get my hands on. Seriously, my mom has boxes and boxes of random art I made. Learning new things, creating, and sharing my experiences with others makes me happy. Though, it didn't make my mom too happy when I came home covered in mud with giant frogs in my lunch box... Or when I got detention from doodling all over my homework. Sorry, Mom!

As I grew older, my joy of learning turned into sadness. Fun facts came with asterisks. It seemed like every new thing I learned came with a looming threat. The very nature that nurtured me growing up was not being taken care of in the way I had hoped. And so, I put down my art for a long time to pursue a career in biology. I moved across the continental US working different bio gigs before finally settling in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi in 2022. The beauty of the islands struck me at first, but the more I learned about the community, the more impressed I felt. This place is like nowhere I've ever been— there is a deep sense of responsibility and respect for nature permeating every facet of life here. I found love and made friendships here (including the best cat ever, see left), and while I will always be a transplant, I feel very fortunate to call Honolulu my home. 

Fast forward to 2025— massive academic funding cuts in the US have led to career instability for many biologists, myself included. While I love my job and the incredible scientists I work with, it's unclear how long my position will exist. The consequences of these cuts to research will be immeasurable. And so, I've picked up my paintbrush and returned to my art, hopeful that I can capture and share the beauty of the world around me before it disappears forever. 

In some ways, art is more than just a hobby for me. This is how I show my experiences and express happiness, uncertainty, disappointment, frustration, and more. My style may shift over time to encapsulate these emotions, incorporating both nature and surrealism to represent concepts that words alone aren't able to describe. Currently I enjoy several mediums, including traditional acrylics, gouache, watercolors, markers, pen, and digital illustration. 

I am self-taught and do not use or support the use of AI. All of the art and written content on this website is created by my hand and I reserve all copyrights associated. Please do not use my art for any personal or commercial reasons without written permission from me.

Please feel free to browse my gallery and contact me directly (kat@hikat.art) with any questions. Thank you for taking the time to read my story, and I hope you enjoy my art.