A collection of silly birds designed to help you overthink a little less
Tenitori is a series of silly characters—mostly birds—who first appeared outside the windows of a quiet studio. They are chill, they are relaxed, and they are designed to help you quiet your mind just by looking at them. Born from a studio window and shaped by simple gestures, these characters are traveling the world to remind us all to stay chill. In a world that often feels a bit too loud, these birds aren’t here to demand your attention; they’re just here to hang out.
Bird in the Hand: The Story of Tenitori (テニトリ)
The name Tenitori is a playful nod to the Japanese kanji for “Bird in Hand” (手に鳥). By using only the most basic building blocks – circles, rectangles, and bold, confident lines. Tenitori is about simplicity. It’s an aesthetic that feels like a kid’s drawing, intentionally easy and approachable, inviting everyone to stop worrying and just start creating.
Meet the Flock: Three Moods, Three Gestures
- The Good Goose (The Thumb Up 👍): The resident optimist. He’s the friend who tells you “you’ve got this,” even when you’re not so sure yourself.
- The Bad Duck (The Middle Finger 🖕): Perpetually grumpy and delightfully unimpressed. He represents those “not today” moods.
- The Seagull (The OK Sign 👌): The ultimate spirit of “no worries.” Believer of everything will eventually be alright.
From the Studio to the World: Postcards, Stickers, and Zines
Tenitori was never meant to stay behind a screen. These characters are at their best when they are held in your hand literally.
The collection has evolved into a tangible world of postcards, stickers, keychains, and zines. These objects have become little ambassadors of “chill,” traveling across borders to different art and print markets around the world. Whether it’s a sticker on a laptop or a zine on a bookshelf, the goal is to bring a small moment of silliness to whoever finds them.
They have been to:
• London DIY Art Market: diyartmarket.com/
• Miss Read Berlin: missread.com/
• Art Book Osaka: artbookosaka.com/
• Glasgow Print Fair: glasgowprintfair.co.uk/
• Edinburgh Artists’ Bookmarket by Fruitmarket: www.fruitmarket.co.uk/
and more…
Postcards collection
Keyholders
Stickers
Zine volume 1: Duck the Day
The Joy of the Simple and the Silly
In the design world, there is often a pressure to be complex—to use intricate layers and heavy metaphors to prove a project’s value. Tenitori suggests the opposite: that design doesn’t have to be complicated.
It is more about what you say and how you communicate it. By focusing on personality and the “silly,” Tenitori creates a space where we can stop overthinking. It’s a reflection of a relaxed personality—a reminder to enjoy the quiet moments, embrace the grumpiness of a Bad Duck, and trust the “no worries” mantra of a Seagull.
Latest updates of Tenitori
This is a continuous series. For the latest update, please visit https://www.instagram.com/te.ni.tori/
