Open to opportunities

Karen Kutame Selasie

@karenkutameselasie

Message

I’m an art director and illustrator crafting story-driven visuals for animation.

Ghana

Message

What I'm looking for

I’m looking for a creative role where I can direct or develop visual stories—combining concept art, illustration, and storyboarding to engage audiences, especially in education and animation.

I’m an art director and visual storyteller, currently coordinating the Deviogli launch and designing kid-focused art experiences across lower primary, upper primary, and junior high. I love turning narratives into interactive visuals, and my sessions have exceeded 30 children.

Previously, as a Visual Development Artist and Animator, I developed character designs, concept art, and colour keys for animation projects adapted from books. I also produced storyboards aligned to scripts and contributed over 150 background and prop illustrations, supporting the production pipeline through inking and colouring 25% of animated frames.

My illustration work spans picture books, social media content, merch, and children’s educational games. I’ve created comic panels to boost engagement, contributed to published children’s books, and—earlier in my career—supported communications by curating web content that improved reader engagement by 70% and creating promotional materials like documentaries, brochures, and posters.

I bring a strong communication-design foundation and a collaborative studio mindset, whether I’m refining characters, building visual development assets, or designing promotional graphics. I’m motivated by projects that blend creativity with purpose—especially stories that help audiences learn, imagine, and connect.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Art Director

Current

Deviogli Story Studio

Oct 2025 - Present (9 months)

Coordinated the Deviogli launch, attracting over 50 participants. Developed child-focused art activities and led art sessions with attendance exceeding 30 children.

Art Direction Launch Coordination Activities Storyboarding Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop)Fresco Premiere Pro Lightroom InDesign Content Creation

Visual Development Artist and Animator

Smartline Publishers Ltd

Jun 2024 - Aug 2025 (1 year 2 months)

Created character designs, concept art, and colour keys for two animation projects adapted from Besiwa’s Scary Adventures and Ayuda. Produced background/prop illustrations, storyboards, and supported inking and colouring of animated frames.

Character Design Concept Art Background & Prop Illustration Storyboarding Inks Colour Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop)Fresco Premiere Pro Lightroom InDesign Krita Clip Studio Paint Grease Pencil

Illustrator

Kloud 9 Studios

Aug 2023 - Jul 2024 (11 months)

Designed and refined character illustrations for picture books, social media content, merch, and children’s educational games. Created humorous comic panels for LOLGH’s online campaign and contributed illustrations for the children’s book Gyedie Tales.

Illustration Children'S Book Illustration Social Media Content Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop)Fresco InDesign Krita Clip Studio Paint

Communications Officer

Sustainable Energy Service Centre (SESC)

Nov 2022 - Sep 2023 (10 months)

Curated web content and improved reader engagement by 70%. Increased visibility by developing promotional materials (including documentaries, brochures, and posters) and authored articles for SESC social media platforms.

Content Writing Posters Social Media Content Word Excel

Illustrator

Wise Ant Publications

May 2022 - Jul 2022 (2 months)

Executed illustrations for the children’s book Nursery Ant: Our World and Our People for Nursery 2. Supported visual learning materials for early readers.

Children'S Book Illustration Illustration Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop)InDesign Krita Clip Studio Paint

Illustrator

Branfluenzas LLC

Jan 2021 - Feb 2022 (1 year 1 month)

Illustrated Kwame the Lion Boy, receiving consistently positive reader reviews on Amazon. Created illustrations for the folktale book Sankofa.

Illustration Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop)InDesign Krita Clip Studio Paint

Graphic Design Intern

TV3 Network and Akomfa FM

Oct 2021 - Dec 2021 (2 months)

Edited and designed promotional materials, including flyers, mock-ups, short videos, and on-air headlines. Assisted videographers on news coverage and TV show shoots.

Graphic Design Promotional Materials Video Editing Photoshop InDesign