Daily Inspiration: Meet Annie He

Today we’d like to introduce you to Annie He.

Hi Annie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in China and moved to Los Angeles to study illustration at ArtCenter College of Design. I’ve always been deeply interested in painting and artistic expression, especially how images can hold emotion, memory, and personal experience. Over time, I began developing my own visual language around culture, femininity, nature, and a sense of place.

While I was in school, I started developing my own body of work through painting, watercolor, and mixed media, while also experimenting with how artwork could live beyond the wall. One of those experiments became a silk scarf inspired by the Gamble House in Pasadena. That project ended up opening a lot of doors for me — it was shortlisted for the World Illustration Awards and eventually developed into a collection of artist-designed objects carried by the Gamble House.

Since graduating, I’ve been building Annie He Studio and figuring out what it means to be both an artist and a creative business owner. I now work across fine art, illustration, cultural and heritage projects, and collectible objects. I’m still early in that journey, but I’m excited about building something that allows my art to exist in different forms and reach people in different ways.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I actually consider myself pretty lucky. I started drawing when I was very young, so years of practice gave me a strong foundation. But staying committed to art for most of my life hasn’t always been easy. There were definitely periods with very little positive feedback, where the only thing I could do was keep making work and trust that it would eventually lead somewhere.

Now, the biggest challenge is figuring out how to build a sustainable career without losing the reason I became an artist in the first place. For a while, I struggled with whether I should focus on fine art or commercial work, and how to balance making what I love with making a living. I’m realizing more and more that it doesn’t have to be one or the other.

I was also a very shy and introverted person growing up. Art was always much easier for me than putting myself out there. But building a career has pushed me to meet people, talk about my work, approach institutions, and build relationships. I’m still an introvert, just a much braver one now.

And honestly, making art and building a career around it are two very different skills. I’ve had to learn pricing, clients, production, and the business side of being an artist. I’ve also learned that saying no is just as important as saying yes. I’m still figuring things out, but I’m much clearer now about what I want to build and what kind of work is worth my time and energy.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a visual artist and illustrator based in Los Angeles. My work is rooted in painting and drawing, and I’m especially interested in memory, emotion, nature, mythology, and the relationship between people and place.

I work primarily with watercolor and painting, often combining organic forms, symbolic imagery, and detailed hand-drawn elements. More recently, I’ve been expanding that visual language beyond works on paper into textiles and collectible objects. One project I’m especially proud of is my Gamble House collection, where I translated the architecture and details of the historic Pasadena landmark into an intricate hand-drawn silk scarf and a series of objects. The scarf was recently shortlisted for the World Illustration Awards 2026.

My fine art practice is equally important to me. My work has been recognized by Graphis, 3×3, and the Society of Illustrators, and has been exhibited in Los Angeles and New York.

I think what sets my work apart is that I don’t really see a hard line between fine art, illustration, and design. I care a lot about craftsmanship and making work by hand, but I also love seeing an image take on a different life, as a painting on a wall, a silk scarf someone wears, or an object connected to a place. At the center of all of it, I’m still a painter. I just like finding different ways for the work to exist in the world.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I do think I’ve been very lucky, but I’m also someone who actively creates opportunities for myself. I don’t like to just wait for things to happen. I reach out to people, send the email, enter the competition, show up, ask questions, and try things even when I don’t know where they’ll lead.

I also believe a lot in persistence. Many things don’t give you an immediate result, especially in art. Sometimes you keep working for months or even years before something comes back to you. I’ve learned to be patient with that.

So yes, luck has definitely played a role in my life, but I think the more you keep showing up and creating opportunities, the more chances you give luck to find you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.annieheportfolio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.annieheportfolio.com/
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/annie-he-423844291