Tate x UAL Christmas Cards
It’s that time of the year again! Introducing our four winning designs from our annual UAL x Tate Christmas Card student competition: Yuqing Lei, Katherine Chen, Natalia Makri and Kate Zabudska.
Now in it’s 7th year, we are thrilled to work with Tate once again to produce this festive opportunity for our UAL students.
This year’s designs were selected with help from our very own maker James Barker, along with a panel formed of members from the Tate’s Merchandising Team. Each winning design is distinct in style and theme, but are all united by the sentiment of bringing people together during the holiday season.
Here, we ask our winning students what their inspirations were, how they found working for an established brand such as the Tate, and what their favourite Christmas traditions are.
Yuqing Lei | The Shape of Wishes
What was the inspiration behind your Christmas Card design?
The idea came from my first time writing Christmas cards in London, wondering which language to use for friends of different cultures. London is so diverse, and I am part of it. So, I created a checkered pattern of different languages, where blessings take shape through many encounters.
Do you have any special Christmas traditions?
Every Christmas I watch a film box set during the holiday season. Last year it was Tokyo Godfathers by Satoshi Kon.
Where will you be spending Christmas?
I think I will no longer be in London this Christmas, but this card can take my place and send my wishes to my friends. Merry Christmas, everyone!
What is your favourite thing about the holiday season?
Making mulled wine with friends.
What would you like the viewers to take away from your card design?
I imagine that receiving a card printed in one’s own cultural language at Christmas could be a joyful experience. This year, more people will be able to buy a card that carries the language they use to celebrate the season.
Katherine Chen | Pieces of Joy
What was the inspiration behind your Christmas Card design?
My design, Pieces of Joy, was inspired by the small but meaningful moments of togetherness that come with the holiday season. I wanted to capture a sense of warmth, connection, celebration and the way little details can come together to form a bigger picture of joy.
How did you find working toward a brief for an established company?
It was a rewarding challenge. Having a clear brief from Tate gave me direction, while still leaving room to explore my own interpretation. I was also mindful of Tate Modern’s contemporary and innovative style, which encouraged me to think outside of the box and find ways to make a Christmas card feel both festive and refreshing. The process pushed me to balance creative expression with the practical considerations of a design that could resonate with Tate’s audience while standing out in a unique way.
How would you describe your artistic style?
I would describe my style as illustrative and narrative-driven, often focusing on atmosphere and emotion. I enjoy combining delicate linework with thoughtful compositions that encourage the viewer to linger and notice details.
What would you like the viewers to take away from your card design?
I hope viewers experience a sense of warmth and connection. More than anything, I’d like the card to spark a feeling of comfort and joy that people can share with others during the holiday season.
Natalia Makri | A Sunday Christmas
How would you describe your artistic style?
My work is informed by cultural stories and mythologies, especially from my Greek background, which I reimagine in ways that speak to the modern world. Visually, I work with flowing lines, warm colour contrasts, and storytelling imagery. My style is intimate and hand-drawn, with a focus on capturing human connection in everyday moments.
How did you find working toward a brief for an established company?
It was both motivating and rewarding. Tate’s ethos of accessibility and inclusivity really resonates with me, and it encouraged me to create a design that feels personal but also universal. I wanted the image to reflect community and togetherness in a way that anyone could connect to.
What would you like the viewers to take away from your card design?
I want the design to remind viewers that joy lives in small collective rituals; friends working together, carrying the joy of the season and embracing the new year to come. Creating warmth even in the cold. The glowing windows symbolise that sense of home, showing how friendship can bring light and belonging just like family.
I’ll be sending my cards to both my family and my close friends. Since we’re spread across the world, it feels important to have this small gesture of connection.
Do you have any special Christmas traditions?
Yes, in Greece we bake melomakarona and kourabiedes (traditional Christmas sweets), and children still go carolling from house to house. On New Year’s Day, we cut the Vasilopita, a special cake with a hidden coin. Whoever finds the coin is said to have good luck for the year. These traditions are part of what makes the holiday season feel so rich and meaningful to me.
Which camp are you in: traditional or alternative Christmas decorations?
Traditional. I love classic decorations, Christmas songs and warm lights because they instantly remind me of home and my childhood.
Kate Zabudska | This Wonderful Time
What is your favourite thing about the holidays?
My favourite thing about the holiday season is the warmth it brings to people’s hearts. The whole year often feels like a rush, but Christmas seems to slow time down and gives us the chance to be with our families. I love walking through the city at a gentler pace, admiring the decorated windows and lights, and carefully choosing gifts with each person in mind.
There is a kind of quiet bustle in the preparations, full of thoughtfulness and care, which juxtaposes the cold weather outside. That warmth, together with the atmosphere of kindness and love that fills everything at this time of year, is what makes the season so special to me.
Who will you be sending a Christmas card to?
Sending Christmas cards is quite a new tradition for me. I grew up in Ukraine, where it is more common to call or write a message rather than send a card. But after moving to London, I discovered how important and meaningful this tradition is here, and I was eager to embrace it.
I want to send my card to all of my relatives, with the warmest wishes, and to my closest friends, with a mix of heartfelt and lighthearted messages for the New Year. It is a small way to bring joy and connection to the people I love.
I would also like to send my card to the many people in London who have supported me on my creative journey. Moving to a new country can be stressful, but I was lucky to meet kind and open people who helped, guided and encouraged me to grow. This card is a way of thanking them for being part of my story. I truly hope it brings them as much warmth and happiness as they have given me.
Which camp are you in: traditional or alternative Christmas decorations?
Without a doubt, I am for traditional Christmas decorations, especially vintage and retro pieces. When I was little, my father and I would often visit a toy factory together to buy collectible ornaments. For me, traditional and vintage ornaments carry so much warmth and charm. There is something tender in their design and the way they capture light.
I continue to collect ornaments to this day. London has so many wonderful Christmas shops filled with sparkling displays, and I also enjoy searching through vintage markets for unique finds. After three years here, I already have quite a large collection that I use to decorate every Christmas.
I love these decorations not only for myself, but also as gifts. I think they make the most special presents, because they carry both beauty and history.
Where will you be spending Christmas?
For me, the most important thing about Christmas is not the place itself but the people you share it with. You can be far from your hometown and still feel at home if you are surrounded by love and warmth.
I am from Ukraine, but I have been living in London for three years now. Because of the situation back home, I cannot always travel to be with my family, even though they are always in my heart. Instead, I celebrate here, together with my closest friends, and that has become its own kind of home. There is a special comfort in gathering with people who care for you, who make you feel valued and loved.
Even though I am far away from my family, I carry them with me. At Christmas, I feel as if the distance between us disappears, and in spirit we are very close. That is what makes this season so magical – it creates a sense of home wherever love is present.
Special offer: 4 for 3 on all UAL x Tate Christmas packs.