Julia Carusillo

Julia Carusillo: Set Designer and Artist

Julia Carusillo is a Chicago-based artist and set designer who works in a variety of media including SketchUp, gouache, watercolor, Illustrator, Photoshop, clay, and hand-embroidery.4 She is known for her intricate designs of miniature worlds, particularly Polly Pocket clamshells which she collects and showcases on her popular Instagram account @polly_pick_pocket.1

Professional Experience

• Exhibit Designer at Space Haus, LLC (Chicago): Conceptualizes and designs exhibitry for museums, zoos and aquariums. Duties include digital modeling, rendering, and fabrication.3
• Set and Exhibit Designer: Creates sets and displays for theaters, nature centers, and aquariums.16
• Artist: Works across various media including embroidery, gouache, watercolor, digital art, and clay sculpture.4 Created a 1/8" scale tactile model of the house from the Ingmar Bergman film "Persona".5

Education

Carusillo attended the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she used SketchUp extensively for her MFA thesis project.2

Influences and Interests

Carusillo is inspired by the world of miniatures, citing examples like the Venus of Willendorf statuettes, jade carvings in the Asian wing of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Thorne Miniature Rooms. Her dream job would be to design Polly Pocket worlds.1