BIO
Maria Jose Nunez Bonequi
About the Artist
I am an illustrator with a particular interest in character design and world-building for animated shows, video games, and graphic novels. My style is a mixture of Western cartoon styles and anime styles by making expressive characters with big eyes and also anthropomorphic characters.
I was born and raised in Mexico City during my childhood, then moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina for my teenage years and I currently live in North Carolina, USA. All this traveling around has been useful for me in order to incorporate elements of all the different cultures that I have met throughout my life into my art. I am especially fascinated by the prehispanic cultures such as the Aztecs and the Mayans, cultures that are heavily present in various of my illustrations.
My most recent work has been the children’s book “What the Forest Hides” illustrated and written by me. I am a passionate storyteller and I have lots of stories that I want to tell to the world since I feel it's my purpose in life to change the world with my stories with meaningful lessons and unforgivable characters.
Currently, I am working on developing a story inspired by ancient cultures that could become either a comic or an animated show.
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When I am not working, I like to learn new techniques and experiment with new mediums such as 3D modeling, sculpture, and photography.
My interest in art has been there since I can remember, I recall always doodling in class and painting in my free time, but I didn't start taking art classes until 5th grade when I took extracurricular art classes and was later taught more complex techniques in Argentina. However, my passion for digital art didn't start until middle school when my dad gifted me a Wacom tablet. Then, I began reading books about concept art in Disney movies and decided I wanted to become an illustrator and concept artist.
During my free time, I like to hang out with my family in Mexico and visit new archeological sites where I learn more about different cultures. I also love to visit art museums and read about art history. Another thing I enjoy doing is watching new animated shows and movies of my interest like Helluva Boss, The Owl House, Love, Death and Robots, and much more!
Education
Awards
2021-2023
Sessions College for Professional Design
Associate Degree in Illustration.
GDUSA Students to Watch List