About

Stef Choi is a Portland-based artist and freelance illustrator who is best known for her unique character design and illustration work on animated projects. She is passionate about designing characters and the world they inhabit, and works in different mediums including painting, illustration, sculpture, installation and film, depending on the project. In 2011, she illustrated her first children’s book, Ruby Lu, Star of the Show, with Simon & Shuster. Stef received a BFA from Cal Arts, after which she worked as a character designer at Cartoon Network on shows including “Powerpuff Girls,” “Dexter’s Laboratory” and “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends.” In 2005, she moved to Portland to work as an illustrator on LAIKA’s Coraline. At this time, she began creating characters based on Oregon’s landscape. In her 2008 LED light sculpture, “Crater Lake,” Stef turned her subject into a mythological character.  Her art reflects her love of nature, her connection to the people around her, and her sincere desire to shine a light on the world. 

In 2009, Stef Choi formed BELLY & BONES, LLC with sculptor Tony Candelaria and business manager Eden Sosa to create a platform and voice for their combined focus in both fine art and commercially driven work.