lucheung.july@gmail.com 

Currently, Lu works as a freelance illustrator based in Shenzhen, China.

She captures subtle variations in shape and usually renders them to life through thoughtful shifts in color. To create a new world with her brush, she painstakingly searches for the details that add depth and richness.

Lu believes that the most captivating abstract creations come from a deep appreciation for and observation of the genuine, tangible details of everyday life.



Education
MFA, Illustration Practice
Maryland Institute College of Art

BFA, Illustration and Sequential Art
China Academy of Art



ClientsThe New York Times
The New Yorker
VICE Media
bearbear creative
Working Not Working
Columbia Magazine
Harvard Business Alumni Bulletin
Kenyon Alumni Magazine
Children's Literature (China)
YOUTH Magazine (China)
L’OFFICIEL (China)
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (China)
ViViCat (Pop Mart Blind Box Series, China)



AwardsBest Illustrations
6th Children’s Literature JinJin Awards
2023

Honorable Mention
3x3 Illustration professional show 18
2021

Chosen Winner
American Illustration 40
2021

Selected
Creative Quarterly 59
2020

Selected
Society of Illustrators 61
2018

Semifinalist
ADAA
2018

Selected
China International Cartoon and Animation Festival
2013



Exhibitions
Circle Illustration Festival
Raffles City, Shanghai
2022

Seed (digital billboard)
Times Square, New York City
2020

POST IT SHOW 15
Giant Robot 2 Gallery, Los Angeles
2019

fatherland
Grad Show II, RIGGS & LEIDY GALLERY, MICA, Baltimore
2019

Gear and Grow
Unravel the Code, Open Works, Baltimore
2019

Humilitas (SOI 61)
Museum of Illustration at the Society of Illustrators, New York City
2018

Unravel the Code
Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam
2018

Old Loves
Sheila & Richard Riggs Gallery, MICA, Baltimore
2018

Hands
Fox 3 Gallery, MICA, Baltimore
2017





Last Updated 2026




The Most Vital Conductor of Beethoven Is Ninety-four

Editorial Illustration (2021)
Client: The New Yorker
Art Direction: Rose Wong

Portrait of Herbert Blomstedt for The New Yorker.




Spring Game

Narrative Illustration (2022)

Client: Children's Literature
Art Direction: Li Dong

Illustration for a short story by contemporary author Feng Jicai. The tale follows a boy befriending a mysterious peer through the lens of a traditional game.




Unvaxxed, Unmasked and Putting Our Kids at Risk

Editorial Illustration (2021)
Client: The New York Times
Art Direction: Claire Merchlinsky

Illustration for an Op-Ed page.





How To Find Yourself

Editorial Illustration (2021)
Client: Sanlian Lifeweek: YOUTH Magazine
Art Direction: Ke Tian

Illustration for a youth-oriented article exploring self-understanding through practice and lived experience.






Now One Foot, Now The Other

Narrative Illustration (2021)
Client: Children's Literature
Art Direction: Li Dong

Two illustrations for the classic story by Tomie dePaola.

Bob was the grandfather who taught Bobby how to walk. They loved building wooden block towers together—a ritual that always ended in laughter when Bob’s sneeze finally sent the blocks tumbling down.

"When the weather turned warm, Bob would say, 'You. Me. Walk.' Bobby knew exactly what Bob wanted. He would stand in front of his grandfather, letting Bob lean on his shoulders for support. 'OK, Bob. Now one foot, now the other.'"




Case Study: Inside Story

Editorial Illustration (2021)
Client: Harvard Business School
Art Direction: Erin Mayes

Illustration for Saga, an audio app for recording family history. The founder left the tech industry to focus on capturing personal narratives while preserving their intimate charm.




Summer on the Island

Narrative Illustration (2021)
Client: China Children's Press and Publication Group
Art Direction: Li Dong

Narrative series for a story about a young boy’s summer on a southern island, where tales of life and loss slowly unfold over a cycle of sunrises and sunsets.




A Professor Was Accused of Sexual Harassment and Resigned. At His Next University, It Happened Again

Editorial Illustration (2021)
Client: VICE Media
Art Direction: Cathryn Virginia

Illustration for VICE.




Freckles and Pebbles

Narrative Illustration (2020)
Client: Children's Literature
Art Direction: Li Dong

Two illustrations based on the story by Kelly J. Hunsaker.

“Exactly,” Mom said. “It’s all in how you look at it. Just like with the pebble, try not to focus only on your freckles—otherwise, you miss all the other great things about you, like how smart and patient you are.”




Grace in Crisis

Editorial Illustration (2020)
Client: Kenyon Alumni Magazine
Art Direction: Erin Mayes

Illustration for a reflective essay on finding grace during the COVID-19 pandemic, written by the President of Kenyon College.