With her color palettes that evoke the hyperreal, her compositions that evoke the techniques of ancient Chinese art, porcelain and clothing, and her trademark characters with shapely ears and lips, London-based illustrator Wei Wu has developed a style that feels distinctively cross-cultural and feminine. “The obvious femininity in my work has to do with my identity as a woman, which I deeply care about and connect with,” she says. “And I have always been fascinated by my own culture and historical legends, marveling at the unique aesthetics and craftsmanship of the ancients. I combine these interesting elements within my work to present a sense of mystery and vintage.” Encouraged by her parents and teachers to explore all kinds of traditional art media while growing up in China, Wu found her way to illustration after she enrolled in an art college in China and began to work as a part-time art teacher at a children’s art studio. “One of my university teachers inspired me to launch a career as an illustrator; her name is Gen, an excellent illustrator, cartoonist and ethnic minority artist in China,” Wu says. “She not only showed us the diversity of illustration but also told us the story of how she got into the industry. I was so impressed that after graduating from university, I came to the United Kingdom to study illustration.” Having graduated from the Kingston University of Art with a MA in 2022, she now hopes to encourage more diversity in the industry. “As a female artist from Asia who draws inspiration from my Eastern culture and traditions, I hope to promote cross-cultural understanding and appreciation so that audiences from different countries and cultural backgrounds can experience the glamour of illustration,” Wu says.