With over half a million followers under her belt, Felicia Chiao is one of the illustrators that should definitely be on your radar. Her illustrations will bring you peace and comfort despite usually capturing “strange pains” that we all experience but struggle to put into words.
Chiao used to be an industrial designer by day and an illustrator by night when she first joined Instagram. She studied industrial design at the Rhode Island School of Design and specialized in toy design, machining/shop work, and digital and physical prototyping in the years to come.
Illustration was just a hobby in the beginning, but she eventually decided to do it full-time. Her social media channels took off and she shared hundreds of works of art over the years.
Chiao’s artwork is strangely comforting thanks to her attention to detail and a mix of neutral and soothing colors. Despite their calming nature, her illustrations usually explore “strange pains” that are hard to put into words.
“I think a lot of my work is about the small, undefinable pains you sometimes feel when nothing is specifically wrong. It can come as that ache you feel from a sad song or that fleeting wave of despair that comes over you while waiting for water to boil,” she explains on her Instagram.
