Yao Xiao is an illustrator, cartoonist, and writer in New York.

She is the author of graphic novel Everything Is Beautiful, And I’m Not Afraid, co-creator of children’s book How To Solve A Problem, and an award-winning artist.

Books

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Latest book releases including graphic novel, children’s book, and anthologies.

Short Comics

Short comics published in the New Yorker, LA Times, Catapult, The Washington Post, Autostraddle, and more.

Illustration

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Illustration Portfolio for commissions in editorial, advertising and publishing.

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How To Solve A Problem is picked Best Books 2020 by Publishers Weekly

Teen author and climber Ashima Shiraishi doesn’t just scale rocks—she solves problems. When problem-solving is a necessary part of any process—one that informs and aids in resilience—the specter of failure disappears.

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Everything Is Beautiful, And I’m Not Afraid is a 2021 Lambda Literary Awards Finalist!

This one-of-a-kind graphic novel explores the poetics of searching for connection, belonging, and identity.

My goodness, Yao’s first New Yorker cartoon!! ❤️‍🔥✏️🃏It took 18 months of intense dreaming to officially have a sense of humor. Thank you @newyorkermag and @emmaewallen for intensifying (amplifying?) my nightmares. I might have dreamed ab
Very humbled to be named @gomagazineny 100 Women We Love class of 2021! 💖🌈to be included in this amazing group of queer women, and as an artist to have my career validated, was a highlight for me in many ways. always thanks to @lannyfrank for takin
Do I offer my unfiltered perspective? Am I progressing? 😥💗💭”Asking Fair Questions” new comic on @autostraddle this week. Those of us who work through insecurities and impostor syndrome knows well. 🃏But asking questions & deconstru
I am a queer immigrant 💜🌈Happy #pridemonth to all of us! In all of the ways I exist and the frustrations they bring, I have supportive communities to rely on, and for that I am grateful.💖🥰💖🥰💖🥰🌈
“Be Safe.” “We Will.” 💌To honor #aapiheritagemonth, @johnleedraws and I teamed up with @camlaorg to create this mural at @westfieldsantaanita in LA. It is a representation of activism and bonds in our AAPI community, and our
Spring emotions💚🌱new comic “Some of Us Don’t Depart Forever” on @autostraddle. The changes in nature brings back memories, but change isn’t always sad. It can be healing and restorative. 💚
Honoring moms isn’t just for Mother’s Day! ❣️During my life as a creative woman, I became very interested in writing about the lives of women. I always remember the work of women in my mom’s generation - a lot of them doing domestic
You know you’re a grown up when mom actually buys you something you want...at least that’s my experience. ☺️🙈Shopping is a mutual passion my mom and I share, and I can’t wait till we can spend all day at the mall again. Maybe lofty
Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month! 🌱🎋⚡️I’m Yao Xiao, cartoonist and illustrator in New York. I’m the author of Everything Is Beautiful, And I’m Not Afraid (@andrewsmcmeel 2020), a graphic novel about belonging, mental health, and th

“Chinese-born cartoonist Yao blends slice-of-life comics with surreal introspection in this remarkable debut collection.”

“At its purest essence, Everything is Beautiful is a book about love. The love we have for others and ourselves, and for the magical and confusing planet that we live on.”
— KQED
“...warm colors, probing questions, deeply personal reflections, and an endless exploration”
— Autostraddle