Born in Seoul, South Korea, Manha Kim began her children’s book illustration career in 1999 in Korea, and had been professionally illustrating for the children’s book industry in Korea until 2005, when she entered the Master of Arts in Illustration program at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York city. While working as an illustrator in Korea, she frequently used acrylic on paper as a medium to explore her images for children’s books such as Monster Picnic, Grandfather and His Granddaughter, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Ocean King and Sky King and My Pink Sweater.

During her time at FIT, Manha Kim had found that she was especially enjoying using oil paint and pen and ink to create new images.

‘The Giant Bird’ (꽁지 닷발 주둥이 닷발) is her latest picture book.
Illustration is a tool to deliver messages people want to speak out. For this, Manha is a messenger, a storyteller, and an artist. Before she starts working, a clear idea combining storytelling is a priority. She tries to sketch in a way of putting incident ideas and to mix all required elements for text. ‘FUN’ is her key point to sketch or paint. Her painting style is mainly oil paint as well as pen and ink, but she is pursuing new painting style compounding a different medium such as digital.

For more information contact Manha at kimmanha@gmail.com or 607-242-9172