CLIENTS :
Knopf
Holiday House
Chronicle Books
Anne Schwartz Books
Roaring Brook Press
Carolrhoda Books
Levine Querido
Urban Outfitters
Boston Children’s Hospital
+ more
Il Sung Na was born in Seoul, South Korea, and moved to London in 2001 to pursue a BFA in Illustration and Animation at Kingston University. It was there, among the shelves of local bookshops, that he discovered his love for children’s books. Inspired by his new favorite authors, he began experimenting with illustration—an exploratory phase filled with trial and error that ultimately shaped his creative voice.
Since then, Il Sung has published numerous picture books, some of which have received starred reviews from Kirkus and appeared on prestigious book lists. In 2015, he earned an MFA in Illustration Practice from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).
Now based in Kansas City, Il Sung teaches illustration at the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) while continuing to develop new book projects. In his free time, he enjoys hunting for quirky treasures at flea markets—often returning home with finds to share with his wife and their small dog. Recently, he has also taken an interest in ceramics, exploring yet another dimension of storytelling through tactile form.