Faculty of Design

Illustration

In the Illustration program, students learn how to produce images that complement the written word or stand on their own. Students are encouraged to express their individual artistic voice, while examining the world we live in.
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Gillian Goulet
Gillian Goulet

Illustration

Gillian Goulet

“Feathered Friends looks at how humans have benefitted from birds through our history, mythology, and present day, to show the strange and complex ways that people try to connect with creatures unlike themselves. ”

Arden Cahill
Arden Cahill

Illustration

Arden Cahill

“He/They Queer Illustrator ”

Aris Welchner
Aris Welchner

Illustration

Aris Welchner aka. astroxnot

“Crossroads synthesizes liminal spaces with moments of transition to give people a sense of grounding and stability in what is otherwise a very turbulent, ever changing time in their lives. ”

Beige Blum
Beige Blum

Illustration

Beige Blum aka. icedtaho

“Not your Waifu questions the grounds of race fetishization, particularly the fetishization of Asian women, by comparing instances of fetishization to particular objects which exemplify and help illustrate those occurrences. More

Tenzin Tsering
Tenzin Tsering

Illustration

Tenzin Tsering aka. Tenzoni

“Bittersweet” uses oxymorons as visual metaphors to explore immigrant identity, focusing on common mental health experiences found in 2nd generation individuals and their 1st generation parents. ”

Aidan Wilkins
Aidan Wilkins

Illustration

Aidan Wilkins

“Retold and Rewritten - Illustrates the failure of storytelling and how through lies, biases, omissions, and opinions, stories change from reality. Presenting the danger of these narratives and the warped realities they cause in those who believe... More

Emily  Dakin
Emily Dakin

Illustration

Emily Dakin aka. Emildee

“History points to women as being the proprietors of herbal knowledge and the first ones to document and categorize herbs by their medicinal and toxic qualities. This ancestral knowledge lives on today through storytelling, mythology and communal... More

Alizah Hashemy
Alizah Hashemy

Illustration

Alizah Hashemy

“Pseudo-Travels looks at the effects of pseudoscientific personality typology using imagery of travel in order to illustrate how they may hinder us in the pursuit towards self- discovery. More

Ashley Mozo
Ashley Mozo

Illustration

Ashley Mozo

“"The Everyday" illustrates the repercussions of human activity and its impacts on the environment. It visualizes the destruction of the natural world synthesized with everyday objects to amplify the neglect and carelessness we have on our planet. ”

Aimee Xiao
Aimee Xiao

Illustration

Aimee Xiao

“Hi! I'm an Illustrator and creative, that is always excited about collaborating with and learning from others. I love creating impactful visuals just as much as I love making meaningful connections, so feel free to get in touch! ”

Lukus Kiernicki
Lukus Kiernicki

Illustration

Lukus Kiernicki

“~ Freelance Illustration, Concept Art and Comics ~ More

Michayla Buium
Michayla Buium

Illustration

Michayla Buium aka. Milkbox

““Don’t Betray Me,” is a series of illustrations and murals that depict characters choosing to be resilient, rather than betray themselves in the face of personal challenges. In creating these works, I hope those who view them are motivated to... More

Meegan Lim
Meegan Lim

Illustration

Meegan Lim

“'Hierarchies of Taste' critiques the divisiveness of the food industry by reinterpreting common food idioms, exposing how invisible barriers prevent food’s ability to bring people together. ”

Chloe Gifford
Chloe Gifford

Illustration

Chloe Gifford

“Chloe draws inspiration from many sources to give her work a unique style. The female figure is a symbol of beauty and life often seen in her gallery. The eighties nightlife aesthetic brings a colourful grit to her pieces. Finally, she draws from... More

Lixiyue (Melanie) Yan
Lixiyue (Melanie) Yan

Illustration

Lixiyue (Melanie) Yan aka. Melanie Yan

“Toronto-based emerging illustrator/concept artist who has the same taste in music as a mid-aged dude in a leather jacket. ”

Evie Campbell
Evie Campbell

Illustration

Evie Campbell aka. Crispy

“"Space Elephant" is a series of what if’s exploring how the unique human experience might be misinterpreted by alien species when they are presented with only a sliver of information - in this case, the Voyager’s golden record. ”

alan zhang
alan zhang

Illustration

alan zhang

“"Fake News?" explores the mainstream media’s role in portraying felonious person/people of color more publicly while diminishing the good deeds that they've done. This is done through a pair of illustrations that rely on one another. The mainstream... More

Terry Dang
Terry Dang

Illustration

Terry Dang

““COVID-19: An Alternate Way of Life”, which features a reimagined world that we live in if COVID-19 pandemic was to continue into the not so distant future. A series of fun and somewhat ridiculous depiction and ideas of the ways we keep the COVID... More

Victoria Riopka
Victoria Riopka

Illustration

Victoria Riopka

““Echoed Behaviors” explores the human experience in a developed world of technological solutions. Humans have made breakthroughs in multiple fields yet remained the same imperfect beings. We will see how things only take a new form rather than... More

Lucy Hong
Lucy Hong

Illustration

Lucy Hong

“‘Endangered’ depicts the similar ways Koreans and the endangered animals native to Korea struggle through various societal issues and challenges today’s tendency to care for the endangered animals more than the people in trouble. ”

Ruina Cao
Ruina Cao

Illustration

Ruina Cao

“Hello there! Thank you for clicking on my page! This little space here is what I call 'Happy World", where I hope I can bring some happiness to you. Feel free to contact me to say hi and share your stories with me! If you like my art please follow... More

Mingjun Guo
Mingjun Guo

Illustration

Mingjun Guo

“Through personal and nostalgic illustrations, “Right Here Waiting” compares and contrasts traditional and modern cultures of my hometown, Hangzhou. ”

Eldon Barrett
Eldon Barrett

Illustration

Eldon Barrett

“'Signs of Life' explores the varied aspects of spaces by viewing them through an emotive lens to illustrate the challenges urban development imposes on people and communities. These images question the importance of new developments and contemplate... More

Sid Sharp
Sid Sharp

View Medal Winners

Illustration

Sid Sharp

“My thesis project The Occupant interprets the body through folk tales of magic and transformation to create an imagined world wherein our conceptions of our inner selves replace the external view. ”

Victoria Tao
Victoria Tao

Illustration

Victoria Tao

“Illustrator and designer~ More

Thamara Perera
Thamara Perera

Illustration

Thamara Perera

“May the Yakshi Rise Again! is a series of mixed-media illustrations that visually synthesize South Asian women’s issues with feminist concepts found in ancient South Asian mythology, art, and literature. The series aims to shed light on the... More

Shahrzad Soroosh
Shahrzad Soroosh

Illustration

Shahrzad Soroosh

“The Book of Queens is a contemporary take on the 10th-century Persian epic poem book of Shahnameh (The Book of Kings) that tells the story of 10 influential Iranian women as its protagonists and legendary heroes all sharing a theme of rebellion. ”

Val Poon
Val Poon

Illustration

Val Poon

“✨Hello world! I’m a serious goof who communicates in pixels. Are you aware of your reactions online? Check out my current project 🅁🄴-🄰🄲🅃🄸🄾🄽! ”

Hyoeun Kim
Hyoeun Kim

Illustration

Hyoeun Kim aka. Joy Kim

““The Earnest Wish” is a series of illustrations to present imagination of modern people who desire to escape from symptoms of stress. This illustrations imply that we live with hope for happy moments though we all have difficulties in our lives. ”

Thilany Arunthavarajah
Thilany Arunthavarajah

Illustration

Thilany Arunthavarajah

“The Other Reality depicts the psychological responses we develop from Internet use, through the use of fantasized imagery and metaphor, in order to understand how the online world morphs our sense of reality. ”

Jhenny Castillo
Jhenny Castillo

Illustration

Jhenny Castillo

“Hi! My name is Jhenny Castillo. I am a Canadian-born illustrator from Toronto and I create expressive work based on themes of nostalgia, personal growth, and promoting personal connections through my illustrative works. ”

Melody Yuan
Melody Yuan

Illustration

Melody Yuan

““Our world: Man-made world” relates Artificial Intelligence with animal and plants performing similar behaviours, to understand the advancements of artificial Intelligence. Moving beyond the boundaries of “traditional” defined technology, and... More

Dan Waites
Dan Waites

Illustration

Dan Waites

“"Odd Jobs" takes obsolete professions from the past and reinterprets them using elements of the fantastical and the occult to challenge human traditions and values. ”

Marla Menendez Posada
Marla Menendez Posada

Illustration

Marla Menendez Posada aka. Glossywooo

“My thesis Fervid is a series of stories detailing the romanticization of obsessive behaviors and the negative consequences of a person’s pursuit for passion. ”

Michael Thompson
Michael Thompson

Illustration

Michael Thompson

“My work at OCADU has gone through many phases of styles and qualities. Thankfully, all my professors through all four years encouraged me to experiment and not get stuck or satisfied with one way of creating. As a result, I’m very happy as a... More

Matt Xie
Matt Xie

Illustration

Matt Xie aka. prairiecryptid

“My interests include hockey, emotions, and the color green. ”

Lana Liu
Lana Liu

Illustration

Lana Liu

“My thesis work imagines how our future physical and emotional ideas and home will evolve as the civilization advances. ”

Vincy Lim
Vincy Lim

Illustration

Vincy Lim aka. kiwimii

“Surviving Abuse” illustrates how to survive, recover, and aid survivors from the traumatic nature of abuse in a visually non-triggering manner to emphasize that recovery is possible and to support survivors and educate allies. ”

Radha Joshi Raulgaonkar
Radha Joshi Raulgaonkar

Illustration

Radha Joshi Raulgaonkar

“Late to the Party looks at the histories behind commercialized Western trends that are rooted in minority cultures to depict the immense amount of commodification that happens at the expense and erasure of systematically marginalized communities. ”

Mia November
Mia November

Illustration

Mia November

“Little Golden Books illustrates the storied evolution of children’s books through changing adult perceptions of childhood, demonstrating how these deceptively simple stories are never just about kids. ”

Avery Bursey
Avery Bursey

Illustration

Avery Bursey

“"Naturally" is a series that explores the side of science that the western world typically discredits or cast aside. Such as various cultures traditional knowledge and different ways of knowing and interacting with our environment, that often is at... More

Lisanne van der Oort
Lisanne van der Oort

Illustration

Lisanne van der Oort

““Love Conquers All” explores the paradox of love blooming during war. In this series of images, I visually interpreted stories of love thriving in a time of war to explore the resilience of love and the need for love to conquer hate to preserve our... More

Mackenzie Coleman
Mackenzie Coleman

Illustration

Mackenzie Coleman

“'On the Upside' synthesizes children’s games with mental disorders to parallel the resilience of kids with the coping abilities of young adults. ”

Tianshu Kuai
Tianshu Kuai

Illustration

Tianshu Kuai

“'Shameless' Escape is a series of illustrations that imagines scenarios of people fantasizing and escaping from reality overdose, indicating that humans need retreat and fantasy to discharge real-life tension and anxiety. ”

Ivan Nikitin
Ivan Nikitin

Illustration

Ivan Nikitin

“My thesis is a creative project that has a fine art approach that also has the possibility for commercial use. The creative pieces are each unique in terms of technique and stylistic approach and can stand on their own, appealing to the different... More

Ania Fan
Ania Fan

Illustration

Ania Fan aka. Tsugumi

“"Caregiver" uses symbolic and metaphorical narratives to depict unknown and unintentional forms of child abuse. By looking through a child's perspective, we can understand the harm caused by unhealthy caregiving, and educate caregivers on the... More

Reyhane Khonsari
Reyhane Khonsari

Illustration

Reyhane Khonsari aka. Raya

“Illustrator, Dreamer, Freedom Advocate. ”

Dwight Zhang
Dwight Zhang

Illustration

Dwight Zhang

“I like painting but I need to get better at it. ”

Christine Kilfoil
Christine Kilfoil

Illustration

Christine Kilfoil aka. c.tinfoil

“'Encyclopædia Securus, Contineo, Protegere' is a scientific encyclopedia that visually depicts anomalous entities derived from The SCP Foundation web forum, blurring the lines between academia and urban mythology. ”

Merryn Connelly-Miller
Merryn Connelly-Miller

Illustration

Merryn Connelly-Miller

“My thesis, Dream Home, examines the human conception of “home” by looking at the various ways that other species in nature construct their homes, in order to emphasize that access to adequate housing is an essential aspect of our existence. ”

Sara Morgado
Sara Morgado

Illustration

Sara Morgado

“'Studio 51' documents and celebrates contemporary LGBTQ musicians who create music true to their identity in the pursuit of honest artistic expression. ”

Jackson Tuson-Morse
Jackson Tuson-Morse

Illustration

Jackson Tuson-Morse

“Underpass24 relates the impermanence of graffiti with the superficiality of modern culture. ”

Lina Wu
Lina Wu

Illustration

Lina Wu

“Hi! I'm an artist, illustrator, and art worker. I have a wide variety of interests connected by a passion for images and narrative. I'm always looking for fun projects so don't hesitate to get in touch. ”

Mia Debbas
Mia Debbas

Illustration

Mia Debbas

“Teta Alit visually translates phrases from the Arabic/Lebanese language into literal scenarios to bring humor, lighthearted connection, and understanding between diverse backgrounds. This series will play with language and show how beautiful,... More

Rebecca Michie
Rebecca Michie

Illustration

Rebecca Michie

“The Ramblin' Women re-imagines the stories of the women portrayed in folk ballads of old. By retelling their sometimes subtle, sometimes fatal (yet nonetheless pivotal) moments of agency, these overlooked, foregone women regain their power through... More

Brooklin  Holbrough
Brooklin Holbrough

Illustration

Brooklin Holbrough aka. Brooklin Stormie

“‘Rare’ interrogates the human tendency to codify and mythologize rare physical traits, in spite of their scientific explanations. The intent is to examine the logic behind the unusual, and the apologetics of meaning in a world shaped by myth. ”

Caitlin Todd
Caitlin Todd

Illustration

Caitlin Todd

““Steeped Through Centuries” illustrates the influential impact of tea on various historical and cultural developments. Exploring the way tea, since its discovery, has been an ever present ingredient for conflict, invention, and culture. ”

Carlena De Guzman
Carlena De Guzman

Illustration

Carlena De Guzman aka. Carlena Jean

“Inspired by the journey of balancing the dualities in my life, this collection of work borrows elements of printmaking and analog mediums to renew them in the digital sphere. ”

Catherine Zhang
Catherine Zhang

Illustration

Catherine Zhang

“My thesis is about to show a future wall that can show what happened right now around us, by using mythology, and the material is mineral pigments and digital. More

Yu Rong Xue
Yu Rong Xue

Illustration

Yu Rong Xue aka. Ürong X

“‘Yokai’ reveals various types of bias and stereotypes through contemporary social issues by redesigning the monster characters and adapting the Asian monsters’ origins. More

Katy Pan
Katy Pan

Illustration

Katy Pan

“Cosmos illustrates the mundane daily interactions within society reflects with conflicts between bordering countries throughout history, indicating the invariable nature of all human conflicts regardless of the scale. ”

Miranda Belen
Miranda Belen

Illustration

Miranda Belen aka. shiverspooky

“"Choose Your Next Words Carefully" is a series of illustrations that reclaims commonly used phrases (as well as behaviours) with sexist, gendered undertones by subverting them in order to critique the harmful gender roles and expectations we... More

Kelly Wan
Kelly Wan

Illustration

Kelly Wan

“Modern Superstition challenges the idea of modernity by illustrating superstitious beliefs that have been ingrained in modern societies, showing that supernatural elements can coexist in a modern world that operates on rationality and science. ”

Emily Fin
Emily Fin

Illustration

Emily Fin

““Happy Halloween” explores the notion that some traditions should remain as a piece of history that we study rather than practice. When we try to be good by keeping these traditions alive, but accidentally do bad as the outcomes play out in modern... More

Changyi Mu
Changyi Mu

Illustration

Changyi Mu

“"Solar Terms in life" is about the comparison between the "rhythm" of life stages and the twenty-four solar terms. By synthesizing them visually and shown that seasonal changes unconsciously influence people’s lives. The patterns and systems are... More

Brooke Lyle-Noble
Brooke Lyle-Noble
Minah Lee
Minah Lee

Illustration

Minah Lee

“ “Hobbhism” compares Buddhist practices to various hobbies by visually synthesizing the vital components of both worlds. This project suggests that the mundane daily activities we encounter in our lives are, in reality, closely connected to our... More

Michael Hu
Michael Hu

Illustration

Michael Hu

“'Lost&Found' incorporates labyrinths into various aspects of life to discover self belonging, and to imply that life is a game of searching ”

Geneviève Groulx
Geneviève Groulx

Illustration

Geneviève Groulx aka. Ève

“I work at the intersection of the humanities and the sciences--of biology and art, of knowledge and imagination, of fact and fiction. A fundamental part of my artistic process consists in observing the intricacies of nature and anatomy, of people... More

Elim Lei
Elim Lei

Illustration

Elim Lei

Tina Shan
Tina Shan

Illustration

Tina Shan

““Am I the same person I was yesterday?”, explore and present the new technologies and possibilities that may emerge and the changes they will bring to people from the perspective of future man. ”

Caroline Icardo
Caroline Icardo

Illustration

Caroline Icardo

“"Bad Grrls" is a series of infamous historical women portrayed through a contemporary fashion lens to tell their stories and reclaim their power. ”

Athena Leung
Athena Leung

Illustration

Athena Leung

““Nano Acquaintance”, journey of the rare and endangered wild medicinal plants going on a journey to protect their own kind to avoid from being overharvested. They set off an adventure in search of finding someplace intact and healing other animals... More

Vicky Huang
Vicky Huang

Illustration

Vicky Huang

“Hi, I am Vicky - an Illustrator. More

Tara Zeng
Tara Zeng

Illustration

Tara Zeng

“ This illustration series “Playful Mundane” finds excitement in small mundane activities in order to help cope with boredom, in the hopes of going about your day with a positive mindset. ”

Vivian Liang
Vivian Liang

Illustration

Vivian Liang

““The More You Know” will explore how some of the most well-known Japanese prefectures are ridden with problems that are affecting itself and in turn, Japan as a whole. ”

Becky Wu
Becky Wu

Illustration

Becky Wu

Leann Mei Foon
Leann Mei Foon

Illustration

Leann Mei Foon

Luke Phillips
Luke Phillips

Illustration

Luke Phillips

Amelia Gaille
Amelia Gaille

Illustration

Amelia Gaille

Jordyn Coles
Jordyn Coles

Illustration

Jordyn Coles

Yiting Chai
Yiting Chai

Illustration

Yiting Chai

Ashley Wang
Ashley Wang

Illustration

Ashley Wang

Vivian Zhu
Vivian Zhu

Illustration

Vivian Zhu

Tamara Villar
Tamara Villar

Illustration

Tamara Villar

Aki Li
Aki Li

Illustration

Aki Li

Elma Shen
Elma Shen

Illustration

Elma Shen