Meet The Artist is a mini interview series where you’ll find out a little bit about the person and inspiration behind some very cute shops and products. It’s been 8 years since we last interviewed Riss Zanfei, the artist behind Tasty Peach Studios, and we thought it would be fun to catch up. Have a read the original interview for more about the early days.
Hi Riss! Introduce Yourself
Hello hello! Big thank you for the follow-up ~ I’m Riss, and I’m the Artist/Creative Director and Co-owner of Tasty Peach Studios! I’m a Midwest girl from the USA.
What have been the biggest highlights for Tasty Peach Studios since we last interviewed you?
It’s been a wild ride since our last interview! My brand has gained tremendous traction in the convention circuit, and I’m so proud to share that my brand is officially licensed by list of amazing brands and spaces! It’s been an incredible journey and I couldn’t be more proud of what we have accomplished so far!
It’s been really exciting to see Tasty Peach Studios finding a wider audience. What has licensing made possible that wasn’t before?
Oh my goodness, it’s been a total dream come true! I’ve had the incredible luck of bumping into people who have embraced my work and given it so much love. It’s opened up an entire world of possibilities – from creating new designs and crafting plush toys for my store or collaborating with bigger brands on exclusive projects, to breathtaking opportunities like signing with Funko. What an amazing milestone that was! I have even had the opportunity to make custom products for Hot Topic & Claire’s, plus so much more. Every new project is like an adventure!
Can you tell us about one of your recent completed creations and what inspired it?
Would LOVE to! My Meowchi Ita Bags project was a fun one! I just couldn’t find any cute ita bags that were big enough for my needs, so I had to design my own and make sure it was perfect.
Throughout the process, I asked my community, friends and peers for their thoughts and opinions, then sent samples to influencers and artists for feedback before they were even finalized.
I wanted to create something fun and collectible that was also functional, and we did it – with flying colors! Our Kickstarter was a huge success and funded every colorway I listed. My heart is bursting with joy whenever I think about it.
What else have you been working on recently that we can look forward to?
I’m so excited to launch my first ever blind-bag series of 8 adorable ‘gummi bear’ Meowchi enamel pins! They’ll be available this summer on the website, with a matching lanyard, gorgeous clear stickers and washi tape too! Who knows what other goodies might come as well in the future?
And that’s not all –
I’ll also be releasing my Peach Meowchi this upcoming Autumn! She’ll be a total one-of-a-kind exclusive and won’t be sold anywhere else. There will be an exclusive Ita Bag as part of the set, plus some other cute surprises that I just can’t wait to share with you all!
What advice or tips would you give to kawaii artists and creators that are just starting out?
Don’t wait till it’s perfect to start. If you wait till it’s perfect, you’ll have waited too long.
If you love creating, make time for it and do it because it makes you happy! Do it without second guessing yourself! I started Tasty Peach because I wanted to be able to follow my passion and blossom in my own way. Thanks to this decision, I was able to move forward without getting stuck in ‘prep’ phases or feeling overwhelmed by all the information I had to learn.
So if I can offer any advice, it would be to stay true to yourself and make art that YOU love because it will bring you so much joy <3 Also remember that your style is always evolving, so don’t let this hinder you from learning new things and trying out something different. Make art/content just for YOU and those who appreciate it will love what you create!
You also on Twitch now. What do you love about the platform and are there any other cute streamers you’d recommend?
I absolutely love streaming with my Vtuber Kaimeriss! It’s such a comfy experience for me and my community. Streaming is a hobby and side passion. When I’m live on air on RissTV, you won’t find me talking about my day job much but you’ll always find me having lots of fun!
My favorite genres are open world, exploring games, sand-box adventures & RPGs like Final Fantasy XIV, Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom & Pokemon! If you tuned in you’d also catch me drawing up some personal artwork or doing silly projects. Plus, there are ‘Hand Cam Days’ where I unbox goodies & do crafts too! I love spending time with my community. A few other amazing streamers are KisakaToriama, AtomicKawaii and matchaartist.
Thanks Riss! Find out more and shop for cute plush, accessories, apparel and collectibles at Tasty Peach Studios (US – ships worldwide). You can also follow Riss & Tasty Peach Studios on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook as well as Twitch. Look out for a cute review here on the blog soon too!
Browse our Super Cute Creators category for more artist and maker interviews.
All photos and artwork by Riss Zanfei / Tasty Peach Studios
Marceline is the co-founder and editor of Super Cute Kawaii and the author of The Super Cute Book of Kawaii. She lives by the seaside in Scotland in a flat full of kawaii, creating cute character goods as Asking For Trouble, working on endless craft projects and playing Nintendo.
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