Duration: One year and four months.

Location: Austin, Texas, but looking to move to London in a few months.

Education: BFA in illustration at Paris College of Art in Paris, France.

Career path: I always knew I wanted to work as an illustrator, but it wasn’t until I started creating more authentic personal work and posting on my social media accounts that I gained an audience. Shortly after growing a significant following, a lot of clients started approaching me, and that’s when it all began!

Artistic influences: Growing up in the ’90s and early ’00s with anime and amazing cartoons. I’d hole myself up in the family laundry room with this tiny TV, just drawing and watching various shows. Sailor Moon was a huge influence on me, especially on my color palette. I’ve always been a fan of pastels and soft aesthetics. I also get a lot of inspiration from listening to music—certain song lyrics will strike a chord with me and help generate ideas. Most of my work is based on certain things I find interesting in the songs that I’m listening to.

Favorite projects: My first official commission, creating animated GIF illustrations for adidas Women. It was a major client for me to start out with, and it got me to set the bar high for myself. I was happy that I was able to create something for one of my favorite brands. Since then, I’ve had the chance to create another animation for Adidas, to advertise its shoes made out of recycled plastic. This was my toughest project to date, and it taught me a lot about time efficiency.

Another project was an editorial commission for Tumblr in collaboration with mental health platform Made of Millions. It was cathartic for me to draw this piece after losing my father, and it was for the great cause of raising mental health awareness. It was a very hard piece for me to do.

Work environment: At the moment, I don’t have a studio space dedicated solely to my work because I’m in between places. I’ve just temporarily moved back to Texas while I wait out my visa application to relocate to the United Kingdom. I’m hoping to move back to London soon and am very excited about the thought of having a great studio space. I’m looking to share a studio with my partner, who is also an artist. I’d love to have our studio in an area surrounded by other creatives; that would be such an inspiring atmosphere. I’m planning on having a clean space with lots of plants, my art books and manga on the shelves, and lots of pastel.

Aspirations: I want to learn more about graphic design and animation, as well as dabble in Cinema 4D and ZBrush. I’m hoping to find the time to pick up new skills so I can experiment more. My main goal, though, is to save up enough money to start tattooing. I’ve always wanted to tattoo. In the future, I’m planning on opening up a shop that functions as both a gallery space and a tattoo studio. In the next couple of years, I’m also looking to work on my brand and image, and to create a lot of merchandise that people will love!

Philosophy: I try to take on work that has a story that I can relate to—especially if it has a spark and is really moving. It’s great to be the one to bring that story to life. These pieces are the ones I can look back on and be proud of.

Fun fact: I love meeting new people, and I try to go out of my way to do so—especially other creatives who are passionate about what they are producing. I also love to cook. It’s a huge hobby of mine. It helps me relax and focus, and it temporarily separates me from my busy mind.