Mariam (pronounced "Mur-ee-yum") grew up in Karachi, Pakistan before moving to Providence to pursue her BFA in Illustration from none other than the Rhode Island School of Design. She began her publishing career as an in-house designer at Penguin Young Readers (Viking Children's Books). Today, she is a children's book designer at Chronicle Books, in her new city of San Francisco. Meanwhile, her personal artwork has been featured a number of places including the Children's Literature Festival in Pakistan and she has exhibited at the Society of Illustrators in NY.
Mariam's work often brings Pakistani and South Asian art forms to bear in unexpected ways, even on stories having nothing to do with the region, but offering an exciting new lens of perception, inclusion and understanding. Those who pay close attention will notice the subtle influence of her fascinations with Ottoman and Persian miniatures as well as art from the Indian Mughal courts.
Her other illustrations are often inspired by the plants and textiles she loves. She delivers visual storytelling via fine detail and rich colors, and will never back off a challenge to create an intricate pattern. Mariam works primarily in watercolor and gouache "and I occasionally tea stain my paper, sometimes on purpose, sometimes by accident." Her playful and thoughtful approach to illustration is apparent in everything she does.
Mariam welcomes book projects that help children learn about arts and literature from around the world, including but not limited to those from South Asia. She enjoys bringing historical and scientific stories to life, and any projects that explore nature.
On her wish list as an artist to illustrate: characters that are eccentric and quirky (even grumpy!), but lovable; books about astronomy; anything to do with tea; works that celebrate Islam in a non-didactic way; and grandparent/grandchild relationship books.
Mariam is available for children's books ranging from picture book illustration and middle grade through YA book covers, as well as limited adult nonfiction and gift illustration projects.
When she's not strolling around San Francisco, Mariam is hard at work on her own new author/illustrator picture book concepts!
Welcome to Full Circle Literary, Mariam; we're so happy you are with us, and we can't wait to introduce your work to readers around the world!
Mariam's lead agent is
Lilly Ghahremani
, now back in our San Diego office!
For more information please contact Lilly@fullcircleliterary or (858)824-9269 x4.
For more information on all of our Full Circle Literary illustrators, please visit:
www.fullcircleliterary.com
