Meet Connie Kwok | Illustrator & 2D Animator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Connie Kwok and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Connie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I mostly started selling my art because I love the process of merch making. It’s something I would dream of as a kid. Growing up I mostly worked digitally so having my work into a physical product feels very special to me. There is something about seeing your own work and having people wanting to buy them. It just feels real in the way. Besides that, I love buying merch from artists I look up to. I enjoy surrounding myself with things that make me feel inspired and there is a type of excitement I get when I put up art prints I have bought at art festivals on my bedroom walls.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Most of my work I do is digital but I am super into painting with watercolor and acrylic. I love depicting cute creatures as I am a big fan of animals. Growing up I frequent a lot of furry-adjacent spaces online. It is there where I have started to pursue art more seriously. Though in terms of subjects I gravitate towards, nature is my favorite. It inspires me all the time. My art is very graphic in terms of linework. I am a big fan of organic and inorganic lines and the contrast between the two. Growing up in the 2000s made me obsessed with old technology. Most of my inspiration comes from early internet.
I knew visual art was something I was set on doing for my career but I wasn’t entirely sure of the industry behind it. I learned a lot from attending Fashion Institute of Technology and realized how broad the world of Illustration is. It was the first time being exposed to the idea of client based work. It was tricky balancing between what a client wants and my own interests but I eventually learned ways to approach ideas that can marry the two. If anything, I learned more about my own practice from that experience. I think it is very important to listen to your gut and be authentic to yourself.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am a big fan of bookstores and stationary. One of my favorite places is Printed Matter Inc. in Chelsea Manhattan. They have a huge selection of books published by artists and they even have zines in store. I love coming in and getting inspired by all the work on the shelves. Printed Matter Inc. also hosts their own art book fair which is always great to see.
For a little treat, I always love Lily Bloom Bakery’s Portuguese egg tart. Whenever my mom visits Brooklyn, she buys at least two boxes. They’re so sweet and delicious.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It is hard for me to name just one person as so many people have been so influential to me but I would like to dedicate my shoutout to all my friends that I’ve meet in the recent years for accepting who I am and my interests in drawing silly little creatures.
I think in terms of exploring self expression and my art as a whole I want to also shoutout Fox Teih (foxteeth) and sparklecat2009 for inspiring me to be authentically myself and to pursue interests that I grew up liking but later grown to be ashamed of. They both have given me hope of a future where someone like me can belong in a space while also mean something to others that grew up the same as I did.

Website: https://cookiiecats.carrd.co/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cookiiecats_

Twitter: https://x.com/cookiiecats

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO0jA4CvS1qdsCGKtVUPbdQ

Other: https://linktr.ee/cookiiecats

Image Credits
Damaris Chamorro (@createtheframe)