Yantong Wen
(She / her)
Yantong Wen (YOYI) is an illustrator and animator from China. Before pursuing an MA in Children’s Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art, she worked for five years as a storyboard artist and animator, developing a strong foundation in visual storytelling.
During her postgraduate studies at Anglia Ruskin University, she shifted her creative focus from animation to illustration, a transition that marked an important stage in her artistic growth. She explores picture book-making through storytelling, material experimentation, artistic techniques, and emotional expression. Her work spans printmaking, comics, children’s picture books, and pop-up books.
Working primarily with acrylic and gouache, she creates illustrations with rich textures and vivid yet gentle colours. She enjoys sketching during her travels, using these observations as a source of inspiration. Each project reflects her ongoing artistic development and evolving self-awareness.
Website: www.yoyiart.com
Instagram: @yoyi_illust
Email: yantongillust@gmail.com
The Unknown Journey
The Unknown Journey tells the story of a solitary man living a repetitive rural life, whose quiet days and nights reflect an inner longing for change, escape, and the possibility of an unknown journey beyond the familiar.
A Friend Behind the Window
A Friend Behind the Window tells the story of a lonely child who forms an imaginary friendship with a teddy bear she never owned, finding comfort, companionship, and emotional connection through nightly imagination and quiet observation from a shop window.
Are You Ready？
Are You Ready? captures the rising excitement of a family preparing for a special moment, as repeated questions and simple actions build anticipation from day to night, ending in a joyful shared experience beneath the sky.
