Maomao Xiong
(he/him)
Mao Mao is an illustrator from Chengdu, China.
He came to Cambridge to study children’s picture books partly to step away from the so-called “social clock” in China, choosing to pursue his creative path regardless of age expectations. More importantly, his work aims to give voice to disabled communities and sexual minority groups, creating stories that explore love, self-perception, and lived experience.
Before pursuing illustration, Mao Mao worked as a design director, creating work for commercial brands. This professional background continues to inform his visual sensitivity and storytelling approach.
He draws inspiration from small, often overlooked moments in everyday life — from conversations, events unfolding around him, and the people he shares his life with. One such moment was observing a blue-grey disabled pigeon on Grafton Street in Cambridge, always accompanied by white pigeons. This quiet companionship inspired his first picture book focusing on disability and care.
He primarily works with watercolour and ink, using these mediums to build gentle narratives rooted in observation and empathy.
Instagram: @maomao.xhc.art
Email: xionghechao@gmail.com
Shake it
In Shake it, a small stone becomes the voice of difference. The story is a quiet metaphor for autism, a reminder that every being feels the world in their own frequency. Happiness is not about keeping pace, but about finding your own beat and letting it shake gently through your life.
Cloud Park Here
This story originated from conversations I had with my host during a summer spent in Dougnon, in central France. Each time we drove to the supermarket, we would see endless clouds arranged neatly across the sky, like the rows of cars in the parking lot outside. This image sparked the initial idea for the story.
BLUE
This picture book centres on a blue-grey disabled pigeon living on Grafton Street in Cambridge, who is always accompanied by a white pigeon. Through their quiet companionship, the story explores themes of disability, care, and coexistence.
