Surreal Sea Creatures

Hoiyan Ng is a New York City-based illustrator and graduate of the School of Visual Arts.

For her Zócalo Sketchbook, Ng takes us below the waves to experience her near-hallucinatory ocean dwellers. “The inspiration for this series of cartilaginous animal illustrations stems from the intricate textures, fluid forms, and delicate details of creatures like snails, octopuses, and jellyfish,” she tells Zócalo. “Their graceful yet powerful presence in the underwater world presents a captivating blend of mystery and beauty, ideal for exploring in a minimalist, illustrative style. “

Ng’s illustrations combine stylized line art with gently surreal color choices to …

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Nature’s Balancing Act

Petra Holländer is an artist and illustrator from Vienna, Austria. A graduate of the University of Applied Arts Vienna, her work combines bold characters with organic shapes, vibrant colors, and …

Picturing Pān-toh

Miki Kuo is a Taiwanese illustrator based in New York. She is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts, and her work has been included in magazines such as Creative Quarterly.

Kuo’s Sketchbook …

Floral Fabrications

Mashanda Lazarus is a Los Angeles-based artist. For their Sketchbook series, Lazarus turned their eye to organic material. “I chose flowers and mosses of significance to base these textile sculptures …

Innovative Extinction

Matt Wood is an illustrator and the co-founder of the cooperative animation team Bad Idea Motion Studios.   

Wood’s Zócalo Sketchbook imagines “what nature might look like if it insisted on innovating …

Shapes of Spring

Tirth Katrodia is an Indian illustrator and visual artist based in London. His studio is called Yatra, which means journey in Sanskrit.

For his Zócalo Sketchbook, Katrodia brings us a vibrant burst of springtime energy. …