Kaitlyn Lui

Illustrator & Painter

Kaitlyn Lui began their academic journey at FAU High School before progressing to a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Communications at Florida Atlantic University, where they further cultivated their artistic voice. Heavily influenced by Japanese pop culture, Kaitlyn has built their career as a freelance artist by creating aesthetically pleasing, colorful, and cute imagery to elicit joy. However, this commercial practice stands apart from their current body of work, where they seek to deviate from mass appeal by introducing the grotesque. Bridging the gap between digital and traditional mediums, Kaitlyn is now focused on the tension between contrasting elements—drawing on the Japanese concept of “Gap Moe,” where seemingly incompatible qualities coexist. This tension is embodied in their fascination with horror and the macabre, contrasting with their adoption of a cute aesthetic. Through this contrast, Kaitlyn intentionally invites discomfort, using the distortion and mutilation of their figures to invite the uniquely human horror of having a body.