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Bella Han is a freelance illustrator from China and a first year student in the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay program at the School of Visual Arts (Class of 2027). This work is part of a series illustrating one of the most famous Qing Dynasty stories in China, which depicts the opulent yet tragic life of Zhenhuan, a concubine of Emperor Yongzheng, who later became Empress Dowager after his death.

This year’s awards were sponsored once again by Format, an online portfolio builder specializing in the needs of photographers, artists, and designers. With nearly 100 professionally designed website templates and thousands of design variables, you can showcase your work your way, with no coding required. To learn more about Format, check out their website here or start a 14-day free trial.

We caught up with Bella to ask her to share a bit about herself and her artistic process—check out our full interview below!

Hoi Chan is an illustrator from Hong Kong, currently based in New Orleans. His winning illustration is an image he created for The New York Times, “The Beauty of a Silent Walk” (Art director: Sarah Williamson).

A huge thank you to Format for supporting our awards this year. Format is an online portfolio builder specializing in the needs of photographers, artists, and designers. With nearly 100 professionally designed website templates and thousands of design variables, you can showcase your work your way, with no coding required. To learn more about Format, check out their website here or start a 14-day free trial.

We had the opportunity to ask Hoi some questions about his work—enjoy the interview below!

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