About me
Hey! I'm Mishelle, a freelance illustrator and fine artist currently based in the UK.
I draw things and make paper sculptures.
My style has formed under the influence of M.C. Escher, Jim Woodring, and Ernst Fuchs. For the most part, the things I create are visual riddles that require patience and an eye for detail; every stroke, shape, and colour conceals layers of meaning, inviting viewers to engage in a playful dance of interpretation.
My game has no winners or losers because
I believe that there are no ‘wrong answers’ in the dialogue between art and audience.
20th-century literature is the main source of my inspiration, yet my work is more than merely creating a visual accompaniment to stories. My aim is to reimagine them and offer a new vision, all because I believe that ideas are alive as long as they are discussed. Apart from this, I also use art as a cathartic outlet, a tool to externalise my Weltschmerz.
As you might have already guessed, I favour traditional art techniques.
My preferred media are alcohol-based markers, coloured pencils, and watercolour.
As a professional, I'm primarily focused on book illustration, sculpture, personal fine art projects, and artistic research.
I studied illustration at the University of Hertfordshire and BHSAD, and I plan on continuing my education in the creative field.
PAPER SCULPTURES
Paper, foam board, cellulose film, fine liners, super glue

Amidst the Chaos

What if your familiar reality is nothing but a maze of trick mirrors? And what if you yourself are a part of this self-interpreting entity, a distorting mirror?

Oddly enough, this project started with me looking for parallels between Nietzsche's eternal recurrence and fractals, but I ended up exploring the idea that truth is impossible. This paper sculpture is symmetrical and composed of two visually identical parts that, as one moves away from the centre, grow less and less similar to one another.

Paper, foam board, cellulose film, fine liners, super glue
Amidst the Chaos

What if your familiar reality is nothing but a maze of trick mirrors? And what if you yourself are a part of this self-interpreting entity, a distorting mirror?

Oddly enough, this project started with me looking for parallels between Nietzsche's eternal recurrence and fractals, but I ended up exploring the idea that truth is impossible. This hand-cut sculpture is symmetrical and consists of two visually identical parts that, as one moves away from the centre, grow less and less similar to one another.

Participated in the Home_: _Work exhibition

Home : Work was a series of 124 exhibitions held in the flats, dachas, and gardens of artists and designers who completed the Foundation programme at BHSAD.
Visit Exhibition
White paper, watercolour paints, PVA glue

Bring Me Back
to the Start

The aim of this artwork was to capture the longing for the ultimate state of peace. This sculpture depicts a foetus in the mother’s womb, which I believe is the only place where one is truly at peace, as one is not yet self-aware and is free from existential dread. Hands and faces surrounding the foetus represent the hardships awaiting them once they are born.

With only a scalpel and a stack of thick white paper, I tried to capture the essence of this precious stage of life. To produce more natural-looking textures, I painted over the cutouts and soaked them in PVA glue until they stiffened.

White paper, watercolour paints, PVA glue
Bring Me Back
to the Start

The aim of this artwork was to capture the longing for the ultimate state of peace. This sculpture depicts a foetus in the mother’s womb, which I believe is the only place where one is truly at peace, as one is not yet self-aware and is free from existential dread. Hands and faces surrounding the foetus represent the hardships awaiting them once they are born.

With only a scalpel and a stack of thick white paper, I tried to capture the essence of this precious stage of life. To produce more natural-looking textures, I painted over the cutouts and soaked them in PVA glue until they stiffened.

Shortlisted for the Batsford Prize in 2023
From May 18 to May 28, this sculpture was on display as part of the At Peace exhibition at the Batsford Gallery in London.
Paper, foam board, balsa wood, fine liners, super glue

The Storm

This project required me to pick a certain song or album and create an illustration inspired by it. So I pretended that Schwarzer Engel's song "Der Sturm" was a single and designed a record sleeve for it. My aim was to communicate its solemn atmosphere and portray man's vulnerability before the forces of nature.

Paper, foam board, balsa wood, fine liners, super glue
The Storm

This project required me to pick a certain song or album and create an illustration inspired by it. So I pretended that Schwarzer Engel's song "Der Sturm" was a single and designed a record sleeve for it. My aim was to communicate its solemn atmosphere and portray man's vulnerability before the forces of nature.

DRAWINGS

FAQ:
Do your drawings have meaning?

They absolutely do! I express myself using allusions, cultural references, and symbols, which are often derived from dream sequences and archetypal imagery. I also communicate my messages through shapes, colours, and lines. It is of paramount importance to me that my drawings have some hidden meaning aside from their emotional component.

FAQ:
What type of media do you use?

In the vast majority of cases, I use traditional media, such as fineliner pens, alcohol-based markers, felt-tip pens, colour pencils, and watercolours. But recently, I've started using Photoshop to edit and animate my drawings.

Wanna see more?

Then why not visit my gallery? You will find the title of each drawing there, along with brief descriptions of the idea behind some of them.
More drawings!
EDITORIAL
February 24. This small diary-esque book describes my life during the first month of the invasion of Ukraine and calls for action, encouraging the reader to help Ukrainian refugees and raise awareness of this war. Since I obviously lack the moral authority to speak for the Ukrainian people, it mostly focuses on my personal experiences. This project was my attempt to make a difference and get through depression.
February 24. This small diary-esque book describes my life during the first month of the invasion of Ukraine and calls for action, encouraging the reader to help Ukrainian refugees and raise awareness of this war. Since I obviously lack the moral authority to speak for the Ukrainian people, it mostly focuses on my personal experiences. This project was my attempt to make a difference and get through depression.
../////
EP cover for Fletcher Barrett from Welkin Music. The idea behind this cover was to visualise music of different heights and juxtapose some objects so that it appeared a little bit chaotic and bizarre.
EP cover for Fletcher Barrett from Welkin Music. The idea behind this cover was to visualise music of different heights and juxtapose some objects so that it appeared a little bit chaotic and bizarre.
Visit Fletcher's website
No More Tears is a fold-out book about loneliness that provides six coping strategies. Originally designed for kids, it’s straightforward and life-affirming; it's also based on my own experience of social isolation. I created this book in an effort to help kids who are struggling with loneliness.
No More Tears is a fold-out book about loneliness that provides six coping strategies. Originally designed for kids, it’s straightforward and life-affirming; it's also based on my own experience of social isolation. I created this book in an effort to help kids who are struggling with loneliness.
Illustrating Hesse's Steppenwolf.
Illustrating Hesse's Steppenwolf.

It just so happens that the vast majority of Steppenwolf book covers feature a wolf, which trivialises Hesse’s idea and reduces Harry Haller’s multifaceted personality to the platitudinous "two souls in one body."

The aim of this project was to find out what communicates Hesse’s ideas better than images of werewolves. Apparently, one of the possible solutions to this problem is to create illustrations filled with symbols and allusions so that the reader can recognise something familiar and rely on that piece of information when forming their initial opinion about the book.

It just so happens that the vast majority of Steppenwolf book covers feature a wolf, which trivialises Hesse’s idea and reduces Harry Haller’s multifaceted personality to the platitudinous "two souls in one body." The aim of this project was to find out what communicates Hesse’s ideas better than images of werewolves. Apparently, one of the possible solutions to this problem is to create illustrations filled with symbols and allusions so that the reader can recognise something familiar and rely on that piece of information when forming their initial opinion about the book.

Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 5
Chapter 13
This is my version of the cover for Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty.
This is my version of the cover for Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty.
That's not all I have!
If you'd like to view more of my self-published books and illustrations I created as part of my freelance work, click the button below.
The 'drawings' section, though, is the most interesting one, at least in my opinion, so be sure to check it out! It's solely dedicated to my personal projects (ღ˘⌣˘ღ).
More Illustrations!
SKETCHBOOK

Wait, there's more!

My sketchbook is a place where I experiment with different styles and mediums, draw from life, and, of course, come up with dark stories.
More Sketches!
OTHER
This one is a prototype of the sculpture from the Amidst the Chaos project. It is circular because, back then, I thought I'd make something about eternal recurrence but changed my mind later. It's called So It Goes.
This one is a prototype of the sculpture from the Amidst the Chaos project. It is circular because, back then, I thought I'd make something about eternal recurrence but changed my mind later. It's called So It Goes.
In 2021, my fellow students and I staged The Tempest at the uni. For one scene, I arranged stage lighting, produced stage designs, and made three masks (Ferdinand, Ariel, and Caliban).
In 2021, my fellow students and I staged The Tempest at the uni. For one scene, I arranged stage lighting, produced stage designs, and made three masks (Ferdinand, Ariel, and Caliban).
I made these paper clouds for the project called "Size Matters." I basically had to create something huge in just five days, so I decided to go for a suspended sculpture. Its dimensions are 130x122x113 cm.
I made these paper clouds for the project called "Size Matters." I basically had to create something huge in just five days, so I decided to go for a suspended sculpture. Its dimensions are 130x122x113 cm.
CONTACTS

I'm always willing to try new things, meet new clients, collaborate with fellow artists, and receive feedback.
Feel free to drop me a line (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ
Email: miselserri86@gmail.com
Instagram: @mishelle_sherri
Made on
Tilda