Hi, I'm Yaretzi!

          Yaretzi (pronounced “Yar-et-zee”) Morales is a 21-year-old illustrator, concept artist, and graphic designer from the South-Western suburbs of Chicago. Her work has been showcased in galleries across Chicago, such as the Arcade gallery, the C33 gallery, and the Mc Cord Gallery. She has sold prints for events at Shop Columbia, and her editorial work has been published in e-magazines by TrillMag, a news and entertainment publisher for teen audiences. 
 

          It all started out from a love for entertaining others with her art. At first, she would create 
silly comics trying to make her middle school friends laugh, then she started to place first in local student-level art competitions. Right after high school, she began seeking a career in arts. She attended the American Academy of Art briefly for 2 years before transferring to Columbia College Chicago, where she would graduate in 2026 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration. Her art takes notes from online artists such as Tan-staR, Joseph Feinsilver, and Sas Milledge. Some of her traditional artist inspirations include Claude Monet, Hasui Kawase, and JC Leyendecker.  
 

          Nowadays, Yaretzi is known for her playful storybook illustrations and lively, fantasy concept work. She works both digitally and traditionally, with watercolor being her favorite medium. Her work embarks viewers on a journey. It invites imagination and wonder for all ages. With this, Yaretzi strives to break into the entertainment industry, either as a book illustrator, story artist, or visual dev artist.