7:30 a.m. First coffee. Same ritual, every single day.

Some people have a sweet tooth. I have a coffee tooth. And while the kettle boils, I usually catch myself daydreaming about the same place: Japan, a trip I’ve wanted to take for years.

For this challenge, I brought the two together. Digging through public domain archives, I found Japanese woodblock prints with rolling waves, round windows, cherry blossoms and graceful women drawn in a few calm, confident lines. I turned them into a custom Recraft Style and gave it a brief no Edo-era print shop could have imagined: a modern café, with takeaway cups, delivery bags, loyalty cards and an ordering app.

The café is called Mado, “window” in Japanese: a small window to slow down in a busy day. Its barista, also Mado, wears an indigo wave apron, a round-window hairpin and wireless earbuds. She remembers your oat milk order, protects the window seats from video calls, and believes every laptop should close when the cake arrives.

Old prints, new rituals. My entry for the Contra × Recraft Archive Style Challenge.

Project: https://www.recraft.ai/project/432bd549-89dd-4c6e-a723-8f0c55bfd16f

Such an original idea! 😍

Still experimenting... and I need your help! Your taste and perspective will decide right direction for my entry.

While exploring the open collections mentioned in the contest brief, I found myself drawn to one particular aspect of history: the extraordinary artistry of fashion captured through brushstrokes.

That’s what sparked the idea of Her, a series where I use AI to revisit, revive, and reimagine iconic women from the past, bringing their timeless elegance into a contemporary visual language.

I want to explore how their fashion, presence, and individuality might translate through a modern lens while still honouring the artistry and spirit of the original works.

I’m excited to see where this exploration leads, and I’d love to know what resonates with you more.