Carla Cieza (she/her) is a queer Peruvian-Latinx artist currently living in Portland, Oregon. Right now, she is pursuing her B.A. degree in Illustration. Carla's affinity for art was inherited from her father. Even though he has an office job, he always wanted to be an artist, which is why he instilled the passion for art in his two daughters from a very young age. Carla grew up in a home that prioritized drawing and painting over regular homework, and she wouldn't have had it any other way. During her junior year of high school she realized that working creating stories, characters, and cartoons was an actual career path she could take. She was, and still is, very interested in storytelling, and knew then, she wanted to study illustration. When the opportunity to study abroad became available, Carla knew she had to take it. She sacrificed time she could have spent with friends to study and do well in school, which luckily paid off when she was accepted in various universities in the U.S. and awarded scholarships to afford tuition. The three years she has spent in college have taught her independence, responsibility, and determination. She also discovered an unknown passion for animation, specially with the emergence of shows and movies showcasing queer and/or BIPOC characters. She finally felt seen, and her desire to give that feeling to children--and people of all ages--across the world was born. Her work includes editorial illustration, poster and character design, storyboarding, and a little bit of animation. She loves using bright colors, using mixed media, and collage. With her art, she hopes to give a voice to minorities, and to bring awareness to social issues. Right now, her future plans involve pursuing a Master's degree in Animation, as she would like to develop her craft and abilities further. She hopes to work in a big animation studio one day, one that will give her the chance to give a voice to marginalized communities through stories and characters. In her free time, she loves buying over-priced iced coffee, and people watching. She also enjoys hanging out with her friends, thrifting, and driving. When she goes back home to Peru, she loves going to the beach, hanging out with her sister and friends, and eating very delicious food.