Hi! I’m Yan Li — an illustrator, printmaker, and art teacher based in Cambridge, UK. I love creating illustrations that connect with viewers on an emotional level.
I earned my first MA from the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology and then came to the UK to study a second MA in Children’s Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art, at which I graduated with distinction. Although I have been teaching art since 2014, in 2024 I quit my day job to teach art and do illustration full-time in my garden art studio.
That same year, I founded Swallow Art Cambridge — a warm and welcoming studio where both children and adults can enjoy exploring art, developing their creativity, and discovering their own visual language in a relaxed and supportive environment. It’s a space I’ve dreamed of building for a long time, and I’m excited to grow it step by step into a cozy little studio where imagination can play and creativity can bloom.
Let me know if you’d like to chat about learning art — I’d love to connect!
Awards
The Black Bird, shortlisted by Nami Concours 2021
The Giant’s Garden, Golden Pinwheel Illustration Special Mention 2021
︎ yanliillustration
︎ yan.li.illustration@gmail.com
小红书 (Rednote) 燕子Yan
I earned my first MA from the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology and then came to the UK to study a second MA in Children’s Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art, at which I graduated with distinction. Although I have been teaching art since 2014, in 2024 I quit my day job to teach art and do illustration full-time in my garden art studio.
That same year, I founded Swallow Art Cambridge — a warm and welcoming studio where both children and adults can enjoy exploring art, developing their creativity, and discovering their own visual language in a relaxed and supportive environment. It’s a space I’ve dreamed of building for a long time, and I’m excited to grow it step by step into a cozy little studio where imagination can play and creativity can bloom.
Let me know if you’d like to chat about learning art — I’d love to connect!
Awards
The Black Bird, shortlisted by Nami Concours 2021
The Giant’s Garden, Golden Pinwheel Illustration Special Mention 2021
︎ yanliillustration
︎ yan.li.illustration@gmail.com
小红书 (Rednote) 燕子Yan