Maylene Chou is a Chinese illustrator based in Wimbledon. With loose brushstrokes and abundant textures, her artworks mostly explore diaspora identity and loneliness via quirky creatures displaced in urban settings.

Coming from a unique background in political science and historical research, she has been honing her art skills at the Art Academy London and the Royal Drawing School. Since September 2024, she has been pursuing an MA in Children’s Book Illustration at the prestigious Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University.

Commuting between her Croydon home and Wimbledon studio, she is busy working on a coming-of-age picture book featuring a feline heroine and transforming her illustrations into bolder paintings.

When not immersed in art making, she enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her loving husband and three cats.

FAQ

Q: What is your background? How did you start a career in illustration?

A: I have been in love with painting and visual storytelling ever since I was a kid. Before embarking on the journey of illustration, however, I was trained in disciplines that seem totally irrelevant to ART in most people’s minds. I was a full-time Ph.D. candidate in history (SOAS) with two Master’s degrees respectively in international politics (Peking University) and international history (LSE). Believe it or not, I would have been absolutely surprised a few years ago if I told myself about the decision to be a full-time illustrator!

Since the covid pandemic destroyed my fundamental faith in the meaning of academic work, I have made up my mind to become a professional artist/illustrator, not only to make a living but also to make a change. Years of education in politics and history revealed to me the ugliest facets of human life in vast space and time, which stimulated me to create something fun and beautiful for this cruel world. By making art, I grant myself the chance to soothe at least one wounded soul.

Growing from all my journeys in the past, I still care, so I create illustrations!