My name is Kyria, and I was born and raised in the Christian faith. My dad was a pastor of a small church in France, so faith has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I have cherished it throughout my life, and I am now bringing up my own children in the faith too. It is something very personal to me, and it holds a very special and intimate place in my heart.

More recently, I have felt increasingly drawn to share that part of myself through my work when I can. I still illustrate many stories that aren't specifically faith-based, and I love doing so, but the projects I take on always need to align with my values in some way. I think I would find it very difficult to put so much of myself creatively into something that went against what I personally believe.

Why faith-based stories mean so much to me

I think Christian and faith-based stories have become even more meaningful to me as I've grown and become more established in my work.

I've been working as a full-time illustrator for several years now, and I've reached a point where I feel able to be more purposeful about the projects I choose and the stories I want to make room for.

Being able to create that space for Christian and faith-based stories feels like a privilege. In some ways, it feels like the work I've put into building a solid career as an illustrator can now also be put in service of something I deeply believe in.

That feels very special to me.

What I hope children take from my illustrations

When I illustrate a Bible story or a story with a Christian message, I hope, in some small way, that it feeds a child's soul.

I want the illustrations to feel nurturing. Faith, to me, is incredibly personal. It is something each individual ultimately needs to choose, discover and explore for themselves. I don't want my work to feel as though it is simply telling a child what they should think or believe.

Instead, I hope I can create something warm and beautiful that nurtures that little seed. Something that perhaps helps them see the light, while leaving them the space to discover it for themselves.

A Christian story doesn't have to be a Bible story

I think a Christian story can take so many different forms. It doesn't necessarily need to retell Scripture or even contain obviously Christian imagery.

It can be in the values of the story, its message, the atmosphere it creates and what it leaves with a child after they have finished reading it.

I also think Christian children's literature should feel like a safe place. There is so much content available to children today, through books and particularly online, and as a parent myself, I know how important it is to be able to trust what we put into our children's hands.

For me, there is something beautiful about creating books that parents can feel safe sharing with their children. Stories with goodness and purpose at their heart.

The way my faith comes into my artwork

Light has always played an enormous part in my artwork, whether I'm illustrating something religious or not.

I love using atmosphere, warmth and light to tell a story. But when I'm trying to illustrate something supernatural, heavenly or touched by God, those things become even more important to me.

My work is quite painterly, and I am always searching for beauty in an image: the way light falls through a window, the warmth of a landscape, the feeling of being surrounded by something bigger than ourselves.

Of course, my artwork could never rival the beauty of what the Creator has already made for us. But I also believe that being able to create is a gift He has given me, and I feel very deeply that I want to use that gift in a way that can serve His glory.

Working with authors who share my faith

Being a Christian in the world we live in is, for me, a kind of guiding conduct. It influences how I try to live, how I treat people and, naturally, how I run my business too.

Working with Christian authors can therefore be a real blessing. There is often a wonderful sense from the beginning that our values align and that, ultimately, we are trying to create something with a shared purpose.

And that carries through into the practical side of working together too. Things such as honesty, trust, kindness and respect matter enormously to me in a creative relationship.

Illustrating someone's book is a very collaborative process, so starting from that shared foundation can make the experience particularly special.

If you have a story on your heart

If God has placed a passion in your heart for a particular project, I think it is worth giving that project the care it deserves.

Find the right person to trust with your story. Invest in it, nurture it and find someone who understands what you're trying to create, both artistically and in its deeper purpose.

You don't need to know exactly what every page should look like before approaching an illustrator. That's part of our job. Bring the story, the heart behind it and the things that really matter to you, and then allow the creative process to unfold collaboratively.

And, ultimately, give the project to the Lord.