Mengchia Lai had never even heard the word ‘illustration’ when she first arrived in London. ‘I went to see the degree show at the RCA in 2001 and was very impressed. When I saw the word ‘illustrator’ on the back of one of the artist’s cards, I felt butterflies in my stomach.’ The warmth of her playful style caught our eye; Pilipala, which means ‘sound of the rain’ in Mandarin, explores ‘the sounds of my thoughts dropping on my mind’, while We Share is a self-explanatory book which advocates sharing with others in all aspects of life. ‘I have been keeping a diary since 2005 when my sister and best friend left for Taiwan. My diary became my best friend,’ explains Lai. ‘I am constantly expanding my library.’ Right now she is working on a project with Walker books based on Hello?, an interactive book which aims at parents and children interrelating with five different characters from across the globe, and is based on another of her final RCA projects
Would most like to work with: I’d like to work on collaborations that allow me to be playful and inspiring with my work.
INFORMATION
ILLUSTRATION
School
Royal College of Art, London
Graduated
2008
- Website
- http://www.mengchialai.com
