Zhiyu You and the Art of Quiet Unease
Zhiyu You is an illustrator and visual artist from China whose work blends fine art sensibilities with contemporary illustration. After studying Fine Art at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, she earned her BFA in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in 2022 and is currently based in New York. Her images often explore psychological tension, identity, and quiet emotional narratives, balancing delicate detail with symbolic, atmospheric compositions. Zhiyu has created work for clients including The New Republic, Zócalo Public Square, Shenzhen Press Group Publishing House, and Tbaar, and her illustrations have been recognized by organizations such as Communication Arts, the Society of Illustrators, the London International Creative Competition, Creative Quarterly, and the 3×3 Illustration Awards.
Peilin Li on Drawing Ordinary Moments Before They Disappear
Peilin Li is an illustrator and designer based in Los Angeles whose work moves between editorial, branding, advertising, and motion. At the core of her practice is illustration — her most instinctive and personal way of working. Influenced by childhood picture books, comics, and a lifelong habit of sketching daily life, Peilin creates lively, character-driven scenes that capture humor, chaos, and tenderness in everyday moments. Her images are often exaggerated yet grounded, combining bold composition with emotional nuance, and aim to spotlight the quiet beauty of ordinary life while offering viewers a small sense of comfort.
Zoe Sophia on Daily Drawing, Creature Design, and Building Creature Nation
Zoe Sophia is a Swiss-American illustrator and digital artist known for her imaginative creature characters and playful world-building. Over the past ten months, she has committed to drawing one original creature every day — a personal challenge that has grown into Creature Nation, an ongoing YouTube series with over 7,000 highly engaged subscribers and more than 1.1 million views. Her creatures emerge from wordplay, visual themes, and family lore, often inspired by her miniature dachshund, Esmé, her ultimate creature muse.
Online and Offline Identities: Feixue Mei on Cross-Cultural Design and Diaspora
Feixue Mei is a designer, illustrator, artist, and educator from China, now based in Virginia, US. Her work often grows out of questions about whose stories get told, how they circulate, and what happens in the spaces in between cultures. She moves between client projects, books, installations, and self-initiated publications, with a particular interest in voices shaped by migration, diaspora, and cross-cultural dialogue.