Qianhui Yu
Or call me Chiya
ABOUT ME
Hi! I am an Animation Director and an Illustration artist living in London, U.K., born in Guilin, China.
I specialise in 2D frame-by-frame animation, crafting vibrant, imaginative worlds through expressive character design, rich colour palettes, and hand-painted textures.
My work often draws inspiration from nature, dreams, and surreal moments of daily life, resulting in whimsical visual narratives. I work across a range of outputs, from editorial to branding and music, and have collaborated with many global clients, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Penguin Random House, Faber Children, Adult Swim, Coldplay, Hyundai, Revolut, and more.
I just finished my animated short film 'Statue in the Garden', which was supported by the BFI Network and awarded funding from the National Lottery. Produced by Animate Project.
WHAT I DO
Animation Direction
Animation
Illustration
Workshop
Lecture
Public Talk
REPRESENTATION
POCKO in the US/EU/KR/JP, Advertising and Marketing jobs in the U.K.. Please contact info@pocko.com
Scale Model Studio for commercial animation project in the U.K..
Please contact info@scalemodelstudios.co.uk
CONTACT
To get in touch for projects or collaborations, send email to Qianhui.art@gmail.com
FOLLOW ME
QUALIFICATIONS
Royal College of Art (MA, Animation) 2020
China Academy of Art (BFA, New Media Art) 2017
SELECTED CLIENT
EDITORIAL: The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, WIRED, It's Nice That, Bon Appetit, Barron's, Berliner Zeitung, Republik Magazine, W
PUBLISHER: Penguin Random House, Faber Children, Little, Brown
BRAND: HYUNDAI, TIC TAC, Zimmermann, GCDS, Revolut, Huawei, Kiltane, Blue Q
COMPANY: GOOGLE, GIPHY, Adult Swim, Warner Music Sweden, Universal Music Group, Girls In Film
MUSIC: ColdPlay, Khruangbin, Steve Aoki, Corinne Bailey Rae, Chinese American Bear, Drug Store Romeos, Birdlord
AWARD
Best Animated film
Issued by Midlands Movies Awards · June 2026
‘Statue in the Garden’ won the Best Animated Film in Midlands Movies Awards
Best Animated Short film
Issued by Northampton Film Festival · Mar 2026
‘Statue in the Garden’ won the Best Animated Short Film in Northampton Film Festival
Finalist
Issued by Young Guns23 · Dec 2025
My illustration works were selected as a finalist in Young Guns 23
Arthur Berry Centenary Prize
Issued by Keele University · Aug 2025
My film ‘Statue in the Garden’ won Arthur Berry Centenary Prize during Three Counties
Exhibition, hosted by Keele University.
Merit Awards
Issued by 3x3 International Illustration Awards · Apr 2025
I received Merit Awards for my illustration works at 3x3 International Illustration Awards on 2025
ACAVA Studio Awards
Issued by Acava Studio · Sep 2024
I received ACAVA Studio Awards during Three Counties Exhibition, hosted by Keele University
and ACAVA Spode in 2024. I was able to do an art residency at the ACAVA Spode
Jury Selection- Illustrator 65
Issued by Society of Illustrators · Dec 2023
I received Jury Selection at the Illustrator 65, which was hosted by Society of Illustrators in New York
Second Place Illustration Winner
Issued by Faber Children · Oct 2022
I was the Second Place Illustration Winner at the FAB Prize, hosted by Faber & Faber in 2022.
Best Student Animation Awards Nominee
Issued by Brighton International Animation Festival · Apr 2022
I received the Best Student Animation Awards Nominee at the Brighton International Animation Festival in 2022
Gold Medal Prize at Illustrators 63
Issued by The Museum of American Illustration · Oct 2021
I won Gold Medal Prize at Illustrators 63 (represented by The Museum of American Illustration)
for Uncommissioned section
Best International Film nominee
Issued by BFI Future Film Festival · Feb 2021
PUBLIC TALK
Public Talk at Cheltenham Illustration Awards, Uni of Gloucestershire, 2026
Seminar at London College Of Communication, UAL, 2026
Let's Talk Design #31, Gent, Belgium, 2025
Motion North, Manchester, 2025
BFI Short Film Club+Q&A, Flatpack Festival, 2025
Attendee Stage at PICTOPLASMA, Berlin, 2024
Screen Talk at London International Animation Festival 2023
Animators in Conversation: Fiction versus Reality
LECTURE
BA Animation Course at University of Gloucestershire, 2026
PRESS
London International Animation Festival
What to watch at the BFI Future Film Festival 2021 – the programmers’ picks
ARTIST RESIDENCY
Animation Residency at Cartoon Mill, Kaş, Turkiye, 2026
ACAVA Spode, 7 April - 14 May 2025
EXHIBITION
Solo Exhibition 'Serenade', Caravan Books and Records, London 2026
Solo Exhibition, 'The Delightful Unnamed' , Pocko Gallery, London 2025
Solo Exhibition, 'Closer' , ACAVA Spode, Stoke-on-Trent 2025
Group Exhibition, Three Counties, Stoke-on-Trent 2025
Group Exhibition, Featured, Appetite, Newcastle-under-Lyme 2024
2024 Group Exhibition, Three Counties, Burslem Town Hall, Stoke-on-Trent
Group Exhibition, Summer Exhibition, Eastside Project, Birmingham 2023
Group Exhibition, Illustrators 65, The Museum of American Illustration, New York 2022
Group Exhibition, Illustrators 63, The Museum of American Illustration, New York 2021
