About the Artist

Zarina Liew is a Cambridge based artist who specializes in comic art and illustration. Using both digital and traditional processes, her work draws inspiration from vintage fashion, Japanese printmaking and conceptual psychology.

She embarked upon a career in the ruthless world of marketing until it became clear that her first and only love was Art! After four years of being slightly professional, the only thing that really began to matter to her was drawing {stroke} daydreaming. She left the big smoke and started her life again in the country armed with some old acrylics, two mouse-pens and a sketch-pad.



Early artistic influences grew from her love of Japanese mangaka such as Yoshitaka Amano, Hayao Miyazaki and Kiriko Nananan. Soon her passion for comic art developed towards the indie comic scene with a special interest in sequential art and visual storytelling. Her interest in fashion grew organically alongside her love of 40s, 50s and 60s social history.

Zarina's recent motivations include the great works of Aubrey Beardsley, Ronald Searle and Edward Gorey to the White Horse {in soho}, Yukio Mishima and John Martyn.

She has illustrated for The Times Educational Supplement, BBC Worldwide, JR Rouche, Who's Jack Magazine and currently runs a monthly strip at Secretarialblog.co.uk. She is also the lead illustrator and travelling artist for the indie small-press record label Track Fed Morphine.

She is a member of The Association of Illustrators and loves green tea.







Exhibitions:

May 2008 The Ballad of the English Nose
La Viande Gallery, London ("East Meets West" Group exhibition for Who's Jack Magazine)

March - April 2008 Chinese New Year
Riverside Gallery, Richmond (Group exhibition for Liveline Comics Open)

October 2007 Letters of Suzurandai
The Goodship Gallery, London

February 2007 Nicetouch! Collection
Nicetouch! Beauty Salon, Oxford (private commission)

September 2006 Vintage Now
Leonard Street Gallery, London (Group exhibition for JR Rouche)