Revealing the AOI Mentees 2025
We introduce you to the 27 individuals taking part in this year’s AOI Mentorship Scheme.
Hosted by the AOI for its 6th consecutive year, our Mentorship Scheme is designed to promote and increase diversity in all areas of our industry. Each mentee is offered a series of 1-1 meetings with a respective Illustrator or Agent mentor, providing valuable support and helping them get closer to achieving their individual goals.
This year our call drew 300+ applications by illustrators from all over the world, and narrowing them down to a smaller selection presented no easy task for our small team.
Ultimately, the following 27 mentees were chosen based on the strength of their applications, portfolios, experiences, and potential to grow with the support and expertise of our mentors.
JUM
JUM (aka Julia Marinelli) is a Hong Kong-based Brazilian artist who graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design (Hong Kong) in 2020 with a B.F.A. in illustration.
She works with multimedia and digital mediums to create colourful surreal visuals that resonate between real life and imagination. JUM has worked in digital illustrations, painted murals, 2D animations and most recently, weaving and embroidery. Her works are near lingual and highly autobiographical, each piece tells the story of a personal dream or journey of self-expression.
JUM will be mentored by illustrator Carina Lindmeier.
Ariel Victor Arthanto
Ariel Victor Arthanto is an Indonesian-born illustrator and animator based in Berlin. He crafts vibrant, character-driven worlds, blending playful compositions and simple forms with striking figures that sprinkle the mundane with whimsy. Ariel’s short films have screened at international festivals, while his illustration work brings warmth and personality to projects ranging from commercial campaigns to community initiatives.
Ariel will be mentored by illustrator Ashwin Shacko.
Erin May Cooper
Erin May Cooper is an illustrator from the West Midlands, UK, who loves using bright colours and texture in her illustrations. Highly inspired by nature and history, she is passionate about children’s illustration but dabbles in creating work for surface design and licensing.
When not illustrating, Erin loves long walks, curling up with a book and tackling big crochet projects.
Erin will be mentored by illustrator Ruthine Burton.
Hello Vonnie
Hello Vonnie (AKA Yvonne Keesman) is an illustrator from the north of the Netherlands, known for her joyful, colourful artwork filled with cute characters and happy little worlds. Inspired by everyday moments, childhood memories, and the magic in simple things, she creates playful designs that spark happiness. With a love for nature and vibrant colours, her shop offers art prints, risograph prints, stickers, washi tapes and more!.
Hello Vonnie will be mentored by illustrator Sean O’Brien.
Wajeeha Abbasi
Wajeeha Abbasi is a Toronto-based designer and illustrator exploring identity, culture, and the human experience through bold visuals and storytelling. Her work features confident female characters in vibrant, imagined worlds inspired by her desi roots. She has collaborated with NASA, Coca-Cola, UN Women, and more, and exhibited at Art Toronto, Now Gallery, and London Design Festival. Wajeeha holds a Master’s in Illustration from the University of the Arts London and is driven by a passion for community, creative exploration, and art that sparks meaningful dialogue.
Wajeeha will be mentored by illustrator Claudine O’Sullivan.
Dalia Bieliunaite
Dalia Bieliunaite is a Lithuanian illustrator who explores complex ideas through a modern, minimal style with a conceptual and emotional approach. She’s proud to be part of the AOI mentorship program and excited to develop projects that challenge her and deepen her personal voice under Ollie’s guidance.
Dalia will be mentored by illustrator Ollie Hirst.
Lilit Martirosyan
Lilit Martirosyan is a conceptual illustrator based in Yerevan, Armenia. Having a strong academic background as a fine artist she works for a variety of industries mostly focusing on editorial and advertising. Lilit is especially interested in the topics of healthcare, psychology and stress management, politics, science and technology. Her works are textured and meticulously developed giving out a rendered effect. She likes to combine bright colors and geometric shapes with strong conceptual narratives.
Lilit will be mentored by illustrator Ollie Hirst.
Julia Specht
Julia Specht is an editorial illustrator and animator with an MFA from HAW Hamburg (2024), specializing in visual storytelling across print and digital media. Using a painterly digital airbrush style with manga-inspired linework, Julia creates thoughtful, detailed illustrations that evoke emotion and tell visually rich stories.
Julia will be mentored by illustrator Ari Liloan.
Jacob Gong
Jacob Gong is a Los Angeles based illustrator working in publishing and animation. He loves taking inspiration from childhood nostalgia to tell whimsical and surreal stories in his work, whether it be about friendly monsters, magical mirror portals, or people with toys for heads.
Jacob will be mentored by illustrator Kingsley Nebechi.
Amber Lim
Amber Lim is a Malaysian-born illustrator based in Iceland. After graduating from Pratt Institute, she pivoted from graphic design to illustrating human stories. Her style is shaped by a childhood love of Asian media from creative hubs like Hong Kong and Japan, blending tender moments with the raw, imperfect sides of life. With a strong foundation in typography and design, her work balances emotional depth with visual clarity. She is an avid fan of tiramisu and grapes.
Amber will be mentored by illustrator Kingsley Nebechi.
Jasmine Baker
Jasmine Baker is a UK Illustrator and Graphic designer who conjures bright and playful artworks, often featuring humorous personifications of inanimate objects, plants and animals. Her love of colour, bouncy shapes, and snazzy textures form the foundation of her practice, which celebrates the beauty of diversity and nurtures a gentle optimism, making her work perfect for small beings and fun adults alike.
Jasmine will be mentored by illustrator Diane Ewen.
See more of Jasmine’s work:
Viktor Melistas
Viktor Melissa’s is a self-taught illustrator living in Kyiv, Ukraine. The inspiration for his work originates from the love of comics and pencil drawings, but it goes well beyond that. Coming from an activist background, he loves to create illustrations that are cause-driven and focusing on our humanity. He often explores topics related to justice, identity and war. Maksym worked on projects for editorial, nonprofits, and book publishers.
Viktor will be mentored by illustrator Matt Murphy.
Gilmary Gil
Gilmary Gil is a Venezuelan immigrant shaped by life across Asia and beyond, drawingfrom a richly layered identity marked by displacement and cultural fusion. Her illustrations, rooted in magical realism, blur the line between the real and the surreal. Through evocative imagery, she explores themes of belonging, memory, and transformation. Her work invites viewers into a liminal space where wonder, shadow, and truth converge, offering a mirror for those navigating their own evolving sense of self.
Gilmary will be mentored by illustrator Laurindo Feliciano.
See more of Gilmary’s work:
Maksym Filipenko
Maksym Filipenko is a self-taught illustrator living in Kyiv, Ukraine. The inspiration for his work originates from the love of comics and pencil drawings, but it goes well beyond that. Coming from an activist background, he loves to create illustrations that are cause-driven and focusing on our humanity. He often explores topics related to justice, identity and war. Maksym worked on projects for editorial, nonprofits, and book publishers.
Maksym will be mentored by illustrator Marcus Marritt.
Tamara-Jade Kaz
Tamara-Jade is a black, queer illustrator who creates punchy, community-focused work that amplifies marginalised voices. Based in East London, her work is connected to her presence in grassroots activist and counter-cultural spaces. Blending digital and ink techniques, and with a honed live illustration practice to offer, she loves creating work for unapologetic clients proud of their values. Notable clients include Amnesty International, Adidas Originals, UN Women, Apple, and Channel 4.
Tamara-Jade will be mentored by illustrator and educator Rachelle Panagarry.
Nosheen Ahmed
Nosheen Ahmed is a British born South Asian freelance illustrator. She creates artwork which helps to tell stories and spark curiosity, through her quirky, authentic hand drawn style. She specialises in portraits & illustrated hand lettering.
Nosheen will be mentored by illustrator and educator Rachelle Panagarry.
Annika McFarlane
Annika McFarlane is a Chinese-Canadian illustrator and screen printer whose work combines poetic storytelling with a love for the natural world. Based in France and raised in Vancouver, she draws on metaphors from nature to explore identity, connection and emotion. Her organic style connects with clients across editorial, publishing and environmental projects.
Annika will be mentored by illustrator Maggie Stephenson.
See more of Annika’s work:
Joumana Ismail
Joumana Ismail is a 2D animator, animation director, character designer, and illustrator from Syria. She enjoys exploring her characters and stories through a cultural lens. Her narratives are often observational and reflect her thought process and perspective on the world around her. Joumana frequently engages in documentary animation that addresses current societal issues faced globally and in the Middle East. Her work often emphasises humanitarian causes, political turmoil, and the refugee crisis, focusing on their impact on children’s rights.
Joumana will be mentored by agent James Childs from Bold Child.
Cienna Smith
Cienna Ignacio-Smith is a Caribbean-American Illustrator and Visual Development Artist based in New York City. Her artistic practice is focused on creating colorful pieces that evoke a dreamlike energy and a vibrant perspective to life. Her personal work explores themes of surrealism, spirituality, myths, nostalgia, mental health. She drives to represent the cultural landscape of the Caribbean, primarily through painting women who look like they could be family.
Cienna will be mentored by illustrator Raj Dhunna.
Nur Ventura
Nur Ventura is a children’s book illustrator based in Barcelona, Spain. She specialises in picture books, educational content and non-fiction titles, focusing on nature, science, animals, and everyday adventures for children. Her dream is to collaborate internationally with publishers and authors, while also creating her own illustrated books to inspire curiosity and creativity in young readers.
Nur will be mentored by illustrator Frenci Sanna.
Maria Bautista Signorini
Maria Bautista Signorini is a Dominican illustrator passionate about heartfelt stories. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 2023, and is currently working as a freelance artist. She loves to tell stories through picture books. Her favorite themes focus on emotion and change/transformation. Maria’s Latin-American roots have influenced her artistic view and love for colorful illustrations. She loves to paint scenes of daily life that incorporate stylish characters and whimsical backgrounds.
Maria Bautista will be mentored by illustrator Frenci Sanna.
Lew Pearce
Lew Pearce is a 3D illustrator and animator based in Manchester. Blending technology and creativity, they use 3D software along with tools they have developed to make digital work which emulates printed media. Their vibrant work explores the adventure and fun of everyday life and they are inspired by the beauty that can be found in small moments. Previously Lew has worked with clients such as Everyman Media and The Novella Film Festival.
Lew Pearce will be mentored by agent Sam Walker from Brilliant Artists.
Milena Milak
Milena Milak was born in Poland at the dawn of the Soviet Union.
After years of nomadic life, she now calls both Warsaw and Barcelona home. She thinks in English, speaks in Spanish, and dreams in Polish. Her career has always followed visual art: from graphic design to tattooing, and eventually UX/UI design. A lifelong storyteller and world-builder, she once crafted her own toys, dollhouses, and costumes. Today, she is an aspiring children’s book illustrator.
Milena will be mentored by agent Penny Holroyde from Holroyde Cartey
Chantal Valerie
Chantal Valerie is an Amsterdam-based writer and illustrator.
Her illustrations express her love for animals and nature. They are gentle and warm, but also playful and infused with a sense of humour. She works analogue and most of her illustrations are created with acrylics or (coloured) pencils.
Chantal is inspired by stories because she believes that a good story can not only enchant us but also help us see things from a different perspective and thus develop empathy for others.
Chantal will be mentored by agent Emma Layfield from Children’s Books North Agency.
Rose Antony
Rose Antony is an illustrator and visual artist from Kochi, currently living in the UK.
She draws inspiration from personal experiences and archival research to redefine visual narratives, exploring themes of culture, heritage, identity, and gender. Drawn by the idea that ‘liberation begins in the imagination,’ she uses drawing as a form of self-liberation and imagination. Her work captures intimate self-portraiture by drawing people from real life, creating a personal visual archive.
Rose will be mentored by illustrator Zoë Barker.
Pepper Plantain
Pepper Plantain loves to paint whimsical stories that bring comfort to children and adults alike. They believe stories can comfort us in dark times, teach us how to be human, immerse us in worlds far different than our own- and yet we will always find ourselves in them.
They believe all children should see themselves reflected in stories—their voices, bodies, fears, and hopes. They want to empower children to love themselves fiercely. Pepper loves fantasy and the wild collective imagination of myths, folklore, legends, and dreams. They are available for picture books, character design, and book cover design, with professional experience of over 4 years.
Pepper Plantain will be mentored by Lynda Murray from Hachette Learning.
Helen Lo
Helen Lo is an illustrator who creates whimsical and surreal art, weaving strong narratives into her work. Inspired by her roots from Hong Kong and experiences in the UK, she blends both cultures into her art.
One of her favorite descriptions of her work, as someone once put it, is “a bundle of light.” Helen believes that maintaining a childlike imagination is vital to creativity.
Helen will be mentored by illustrator Carina Lindmeier.
Congratulations to all mentees! Stay tuned via our Mentorship News section and Instagram as we share more of their process in the coming months.
The AOI Mentorship scheme is possible thanks to the support of our members.
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