About me, about Yuxuan Zhou and my creative journey

London-based illustrator, book artist, researcher.
Play is my style, drawing is my language, documentation is my practice.

Work with me or acquire my artwork/zines:
[email protected]
You can also find my works at Gosh! Comics, the Cartoon Museum,
South London Gallery and National Art Library.

I studied fashion design for my Bachelor's degree and explored my interest in the overlooked narratives embedded in objects during my Master's degree in Goldsmiths, University of London.

I focused on the topic of sustainable fashion, but rather than having a macroscopic look at the global influence, I approached the topic from an intimate perspective focusing on individual feelings and experiences. Through a series of conversations starting with the topic of second-hand clothes, our conversations later arrived aat many new areas far beyond clothes, including the sustainable industry, self-expression through clothes, relationships with parents bound with clothes and so on. The project is presented as an installation piece accompanied by a zine and a podcast.

Creating the zine From-Second Hand for my graduate project sparked a passion for bookmaking and self-publishing that has flourished ever since. Following graduation, I founded Satsuki Press, a small self-publishing studio, where I create a diverse range of works, including annual Riso-printed calendars celebrating the Chinese Zodiac, comics, artist books, short fiction, and silent picture books.

To deepen my craft, I honed my bookbinding skills at the London Centre for the Book Arts summer school, enriching my ability to present these handmade books with care and precision.

My two years with the Pathways into Children's Publishing program have led to incredible growth in both my illustration and creative writing skills. Growing up across multiple countries with diverse cultural influences, I've long sought an authentic voice to represent my heritage—a perspective that I feel is often underrepresented and misrepresented in today's market. Pathways encourages emerging illustrators from minority backgrounds, like myself, to share our stories boldly, guiding us through lectures and publisher-led briefs that nurture our unique illustration styles. Today, I am confident in creating vibrant, diverse characters and have discovered a strong interest in non-fiction projects.

I am confident about drawing outdoors and enjoy capturing the movements of people and the overall atmosphere of the locations. With a sketchbook always in hand, I enjoy sketching scenes on the underground and during fashion weeks, embracing the spontaneity of each moment. As an active member of the Hesketh Hubbard Art Society, I explore a variety of materials in life drawing sessions, continually experimenting with new techniques. This playful approach to materials fuels my creativity in fashion illustration, allowing me to create pieces that are both energetic in pose and inventive in medium, delivering the bold brand image to the audience.

My exploration of unconventional drawing materials led me to the captivating art of sand drawing. I'm fascinated by the delicate balance between control and unpredictability when working with coloured sand, always surprised by the final image that emerges as I sweep the sand away. This tactile process deepens my connection to the materials, encouraging me to capture subtle, often-overlooked moments from everyday life in a unique and ephemeral form.

Besides, I maintain a visual diary, where I document my thoughts, feelings, and daily experiences on a daily basis. This practice helps me build a visual vocabulary that enriches my storytelling.

Beyond my roles as a book artist and fashion illustrator, I embrace drawing as a research tool, seeing it as a flexible language with varied tones suited to different contexts. My semiotic approach to drawing likely stems from my multilingual and multicultural background, allowing me to explore nuanced meanings and perspectives through visual language.

Drawing facilitates my research into the human body, with new ideas often emerging organically through the process itself. I also use drawing to build connections with interviewees in my projects, documenting conversations in a way that feels both personal and visually expressive.

Awards

Shortlist for Children's category, Penguin Cover Design Award 2024
Second Place Illustration Prize Winner, FAB Prize, 2023
Merit Award, iJungle Illustration Awards, 2023
FIDA Award Finalist, 6th & 7th FIDA Award, 2023
Winner, FIDA in Paris Poster competition, 2023
Finalist, Hiii Illustration
Shortlist, FIDA SS20, 2020
Shortlist, DrawFashion Competition, 2020