Ahya kim

represented by astound agency

christian illustrator and cottagecore lover, always with my little dog milk snuggle up on my lap based in Surrey, england

hi everyone! my name is ah-young, but you can call me ahya :) I’m a British Korean freelance illustrator, born and raised in a small town in Surrey, England.

as a student, I was torn between two main interests: art and theology. they were both very near and dear to my heart. however, after much deliberation, I decided to push forth with my love for studying philosophy and religion at a-level by enrolling on a Religion and theology course and temporarily pushed a pause button on a potential art career.

having really enjoyed my studies, I graduated from the University of Bristol with a degree in Religion and theology and was now left with a lot of time to ponder over what I really wanted to do - maybe a postgraduate course or become a book editor? after all, i did always enjoy spending time reading. but at the time, my art account @ahyasartroom that I started during the first few lockdowns in London was beginning to gain a little bit of traction, and I was excited that I now had the freedom to dedicate myself completely to creating more art. and the more I drew, the more I began to realise that I loved drawing children’s book illustrations the most!

so here I am now, combining my love for art and the whimsical world of kidlit as an illustrator, but also my love for cosying up with books by sharing book recommendations and reflections.

if you’d like to work with me, I’d be over the moon to hear you from you! ✏️