Photo courtesy of Minted

I tell stories through charming illustrations that evoke curiosity & wonder.

Hello there! curiouszhi is a petite illustration & design studio run by Zhi Ling Lee in London, United Kingdom. I have illustrated for clients like Disney, Netflix and Penguin Random House, bringing their stories to life with whimsical illustrations and beautiful typography.

With a background in Software Engineering and corporate IT, I bring a unique perspective to my creative projects – a duality wherein charming illustrations are anchored on thoughtful concepts and solid design principles. When I’m not drawing or designing, I love experimenting in the kitchen and playing the piano.


Work With Me

  • For enquiries on children’s publishing and commercial illustration, contact my agent at The Bright Agency.

  • For art licensing and personal commissions, please contact me directly.

 

Selected Clients

  • Illustration & Licensing: Disney, Netflix, Trader Joe’s, Minted, Skillshare, Target, Mattel, Greetabl

  • Publishing: Penguin Random House, Little Tiger Press, Rebel Girls, Igloo Books, End Game Press

 

Awards & Recognition

  • Gold Winner, Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, 2023

  • Highly Commended Illustrator, 2021 FAB Prize (Children’s Illustration)

  • Highly Commended Illustrator, 2020 FAB Prize (Children’s Illustration)

 

Exhibitions

  • ESEA Creatives Showcase for ESEA Heritage Month, September 2021

  • Bologna Book Fair Illustrators Wall, June 2021

  • Inner Monsters, Discover Children’s Story Centre London, September 2020

 

Press Mentions

  • The Jewish Press, November 2023

  • The Irish Examiner, August 2020

  • Minted’s International Women’s Day Interview, March 2018

 

Follow me on Instagram for charming illustrations to brighten your day, and some sneak peeks behind the studio.

Happy Halloween! 🎃👻 I have lots of in progress spooky season art this year - alas, work has been so busy lately that I didn’t have time to finish them 😮‍💨. Instead I’m resharing this Halloween dance party piece I did last year for
‘Tis the night before Halloween and Grogu is ready for trick n treating! 💚🎃 I’ve been itching to draw some Star Wars fan art so I decided to combine my idea of drawing a new witchy piece for spooky season with my favourite space baby. H
A fun idea I drew for the @drawtober prompt - VAMPIRE. 🧛🏻🖤 Swipe for the full piece and some close up of the details. I still loved my “gentle haunting” ghost idea from 2 years ago and decided to expand it to other monsters. ‌ Lil
Publishing today - this board book I illustrated for Little Tiger Press last year. Swipe to see some interior pages. This book has a cute rainbow colour-coded theme throughout. 🌈✨ Available in the usual stores (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Wa
Cosy tea time between friends. ☕️🎃 This is another old piece I still love, and I just wanted to repost it now that autumn is finally here, YAY! 🍁 ‌ Also, how fun is the audio? Autumn is the perfect time to rewatch Gilmore Girls while armed wit
A repost of my @WednesdayNetflix fanart from last year in celebration of the sneak peeks we’re seeing of Season 2’s filming in the past couple of days. I *adore* the grumpy/sunshine Wednesday & Enid vibe. 🖤💖 And did you see the Lego