“Statue Lovers”

Mia Araujo is an Argentine American artist and author, born and raised in Los Angeles. She graduated as valedictorian from Otis College of Art and Design, with a BFA in Illustration and a minor in Creative Writing. Mia has shown her art in galleries, museums, and conventions across the US and around the world since 2007, and her illustration work has been commissioned by Penguin Random House, Wizards of the Coast, the Washington Post, and HBO. She also co-hosts Painted in Color, a BIPOC art podcast on Youtube. Her debut illustrated novel, "Afia in the Land of Wonders" was published by Scholastic in 2025. It was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, a 2025 Barnes & Noble Book Award Finalist, and an Amazon Editor’s Pick.