Agate Rubene is the artist and illustrator behind Restless & Infectious. Originally from Latvia, she is now based in Auckland, New Zealand.
With a background in fashion and graphic design, Agate began her creative journey through fashion illustration—a foundation that continues to shape her distinctive style. Her work focuses on people and their actions, capturing emotion and celebrating life’s pleasures with a light-hearted tone.
She uses bright colour palettes, fluid shapes, and vibrant characters to craft alternative realities inspired by daily experiences, mood, and the aesthetic of pop culture.
Agate creates bold, expressive paintings, custom commissions, and commercial illustrations that bring stories to life. She has collaborated with brands such as Dipsea, The Beauty Book, and Urbanaut, and her work has found homes with collectors worldwide—reflecting its universal appeal.
https://restlessinfectious.com/
https://www.instagram.com/restless_infectious/
https://www.facebook.com/RestlessInfectious
About your host:
Kate Hursthouse is a practising artist and trainee Creative Arts Therapist with over a decade of creative and community experience. She combines her background in design, illustration, and arts education with a growing therapeutic practice centred on inclusion, emotional wellbeing, and creative expression. Guided by empathy and curiosity, Kate supports individuals and groups to explore identity, connection, and growth through the transformative process of art-making.
She started this podcast to try and answer the question: how do we continue to be creative and produce creative work, while raising children? Her goal is to create a little corner of the internet where creative mothers share their stories and gain a feeling of community, understanding and inspiration.
https://www.katehursthouse.com/
https://www.instagram.com/katehursthouse/
https://www.instagram.com/creativemotherpodcast/
A huge thanks to Auckland Council Creative Communities Scheme for supporting this season of the podcast.
