Huiling Chen is a freelance illustrator and researcher from China, currently based in Scotland. She graduated with an MA in Visual Communication (Research) from the Royal College of Art in 2022 and is now pursuing a PhD in illustration at the Edinburgh College of Art, focusing on nonlinear interactive picturebooks. Her research explores how multimodal interactivity can be integrated into storytelling to support children’s emotional literacy.
Chen has been shortlisted for several prestigious competitions, including the 58th Bologna Children’s Book Fair Exhibition, the 8th China Illustration Biennial (CIB8), and the 9th, 10th, and 11th Hiii International Illustration Competitions. She was also awarded the "Merit" Prize in the International Climate Illustration Competition.
Research interests
Huiling’s work centers around picturebooks, using picturebook narrative as a medium for expressing ideas and exploring form, outcomes, and frameworks. This approach aligns with her research interests in nonlinear interactive picturebooks and emotional development. Her work seeks to intersect illustration, picturebook creation, and children's emotional exploration.
Drawing inspiration from the artistic works that help children understand the world—such as picturebooks, movable books, and interactive formats—Huiling's practice often delves into subtle and nuanced emotional shifts, or the process of emotional exploration. In particular, she is focused on the aesthetics, structure, and narrative modes of picturebooks, examining how both linear and nonlinear forms challenge traditional ways of reading and experiencing stories. She also explores the status of picturebooks as a medium that bridges children’s literature, art, and illustration, yet stands distinct from them.
Picturebooks have become one of the key tools for children to understand the real world, acting as a narrative language and a universal mode of communication. The juxtaposition of text and image offers multiple layers of meaning and narrative possibilities. Huiling is particularly interested in interactive design and the space between text and image, where manipulation and subversion can serve as a window into children’s understanding of emotions.