About me
Hi, I’m Zhilei, an illustrator and designer born in Guangdong and currently based in New Jersey. I consider myself a "traditional" artist at heart, as I primarily rely on hand-drawn mediums, such as watercolor and colored pencil, to bring my artwork to life. Beyond the page, I am also an avid explorer of diverse mediums, including woodcraft, ceramics, silkscreen printing, book binding, and sewing. To me, materials speak for themselves, and my role is to assign a perfect visual story to each of them.
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I’m so glad you’re here. Welcome to my world, and I hope you enjoy the journey.
Work Experiences & Awards
​Commission for Shanghai Kerry Parkside - The Forbidden Garden.
-Character design and poster illustrations.
-2024
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Designed promotional illustrations featuring the studio’s IP character Blue, contributing to its visual branding and marketing materials.
-Illustration
-2025
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Cover illustration for the published novel Rite of Passage.
-Cover design
-2025
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ICVA International Council of Visual Arts Award
GBA Youth Art Competition Award
China Illustration Biennial CIB Award
2018 - Present
2016 - 2018
Education
Maryland Institute College of Art
Master of Illustration Practice
2024 - 2026
School of Visual Arts
Bachelor of Illustration
2020 - 2024