Lotte Siu, a Hong Kong-born, London-based artist with a narrative-rich style
Cheuk Lam Siu - who goes by Lotte Siu - is a Hong Kong-born, London-based illustrator known for her delicate, narrative-rich style. Lotte’s illustrations have earned recognition from the iJungle New Talent Award, Fab Prize, Hiii Illustration, and 3x3 Annual. Most recently she’s created book covers for the Penguin Book Cover Awards, and she approaches each project as an evolving conversation. Inspired by everything from museums and manga to opera and film, Lotte sees illustration as a form of storytelling where imagination breathes into the smallest details. Passionate about creative exploration, she believes art is at its best when it’s curious, playful, and open to discovery.
What would you say is your best piece of work or collaboration to date, and why?
My latest work is always my best—not for its technical perfection, but because I believe in evolution: refining, reimagining, and reaching beyond my grasp. Right now, that’s the three book covers I illustrated for the Penguin Book Cover Awards, completed just two weeks ago. Fresh in my mind, they reflect where I stand creatively. But creativity is restless—ask me in a month, and I’ll likely be chasing the next, the better, the elusive.
Where do you like to go to be inspired, or how do you find your inspiration?
Museums are my sanctuary. Walking through exhibitions, I imagine the stories behind each piece, the hands that shaped them, the worlds they once belonged to. But inspiration is everywhere. I find it in animation, film, manga, comics, opera-anything that sparks wonder. Art speaks in many voices, and I love listening to them all.
Is there anything you'd say you would be a good advocate for?
I would be a strong advocate for the importance of creative exploration-the idea that art should be about curiosity, play, and discovery rather than just the final product. Too often, we focus on perfection or end results, but I believe creativity thrives when we allow ourselves to experiment, make mistakes, and embrace the unknown. Whether through illustration, design, or any other medium, I think fostering a sense of artistic freedom is something worth advocating for.
What would you say sets you apart from other illustrators?
The instinct to see a narrative in everything, to let imagination breathe into the smallest details, has never left me. What sets me apart as an illustrator is this deep storytelling approach. I don’t just draw an image; I build a world within it. Whether it’s a book cover, a character, or a single composition, I want my work to feel like a scene from a story you haven’t read yet, but somehow already recognise.
If you have done paid commissions prior to joining the agency, what would you say is something that clients repeatedly come to you for?
Clients don’t just come to me for my illustrations - they come because I treat their projects as more than just a brief to execute. I step into their vision, hold it up to the light, turn it in my hands, and ask, "What more can we do? How can this be something greater?" I believe collaboration should feel like a conversation, not a transaction. I stay open, listen, refine, and refine again - until the work feels like it was always meant to be that way.
How would you describe your style?
My style is delicate, intricate, and layered with storytelling. I love weaving details into my work, inviting the viewer to linger, explore, and discover small narratives tucked into unexpected corners. Every composition feels like a moment suspended in time, familiar yet slightly surreal, as if there’s always more to the story than what first meets the eye.
Please give a scenario of a project that would mean the world to you if you were offered it - something that connects to something meaningful to you.
A New Yorker cover would be a dream project for me. I remember back when I was still just dreaming of becoming an illustrator, I would always check to see who had drawn the latest cover. At that time, I didn’t even dare to think it was possible. It wasn’t a dream so much as a distant spectacle, like a fan standing in the crowd, looking up at the stage, watching the performers. The idea of one day being on that stage myself felt beyond reach. To create a cover for The New Yorker wouldn’t just be an illustration job - it would be a moment of reflection, a quiet acknowledgment to my younger self: You made it here.
Are you working on any personal projects you can share with us?
I’m working on a series of illustrations titled Lost Property. But the property here isn’t necessarily something tangible - it can be a feeling, a moment, a connection that once was. Loss is a quiet, continuous thread in all our lives. We misplace objects, time slips away, emotions shift, memories fade. Some losses are barely noticed; others shape us forever. Through this series, I want to capture these fleeting absences, turning them into illustrations that hold the stories we often leave behind.
Finally, if you were to illustrate a book related to a real-life person, who would that be?
If I could illustrate a book about a real-life person, it would have to be Hayao Miyazaki. His work has shaped my imagination from childhood to now, and his creative philosophy - his deep respect for storytelling, nature, and the unseen - continues to inspire me. He is someone I deeply admire, not just for his films, but for the way he sees the world. If given the chance, I’d love to illustrate a book about him - both as an artist and as a person, to understand more about the mind behind the magic.
If you’d like more info, please contact: [email protected]
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