Art connects: Lily Huraini and her debut book «Birdhouses»
1 october 2025 в 18:13
Jordanian artist Lilli Huranni is finishing work on her debut children’s book «Bird Calls», in which she combines her love for art and music. This artist-developer and illustrator, known for her illustrations for factual pictorials as well as educational and conceptual illustrations, embarked on a journey across continents to hone her skills, which she often did. Thus, her «journey» becomes a sentimental story in which she creates art and dreams of uniting cultures. In «Bird Calls», Huranni aims for readers, including children and adults, to discover how differences between people can unite, much like the charming sounds of various bird calls beautifully demonstrated on the pages of her monograph.
Growing up in Amman, Jordan, Huranni comes from a culture that is not always at the forefront of art. But even from a young age, she felt a creative instinct within her that surpassed this. When she was 17, she left home to study abroad and began years of studying the world of art. Since then, she has lived in three other countries, each with its own unique cultural position and ideas about art, and most importantly, she has created a rich global network of collaborative artists and storytellers through their stories and art. Her unconventional and inspiring journey demonstrates how hard work, perseverance, and determination can meet the opportunity to create something outstanding.
Initially, studying at art school was a humbling experience; she went from being an outstanding talent in Jordan to feeling like a «little fish, moving from a small pond to a big one», - as she puts it. But through dedication and countless hours of practice, she quickly bridged that gap.
Supported by the success of her graduation, Huranni set her sights on an even larger creative arena: the United States. She moved to San Francisco to earn a master’s degree in fine arts, immersing herself in a dynamic environment filled with animators and concept artists from studios such as Disney and Pixar. Once again, she was a little fish in a vast ocean of talent, and once again, she rose to the challenge.
By her final year in San Francisco, Huranni’s perseverance was richly rewarded. She poured «blood, sweat, and tears» into her thesis project.
In addition to academia, Huranni had already begun to make her mark on the world of art as a whole. Internationally, her work has crossed borders just like she has. Each milestone, from the Middle East to Europe and North America, highlights Huranni’s ability to connect with audiences everywhere through her art.
While illustration and visual development remain at the core of her career, Huranni’s creativity extends to the field of design. Currently, she brings her artistic vision to the tech industry, creating user interface designs and establishing a cohesive aesthetic for innovative tools that help companies manage their teams and projects. This modern twist in her multifaceted journey shows that her visual storytelling is not limited to canvases or printed pages. Whether creating characters for a story or designing an app interface, the same line runs through it all: a passion for art and design focused on human connection.
What truly unites all of Huranni’s efforts, from painting to digital design, is the desire to connect people of different cultures through art. «Global brushstroke: An artist bridging borders through vision and connection», - she often says, summing up her artistic mission. This ethic is evident in everything she creates. As an artist-developer, Huranni often starts her works in a traditional way: drawing or painting each element by hand before moving on to digital processing. This meticulous, personal approach gives her work a warm, authentic feeling that resonates universally. In each illustration, she strives to help portray different cultures through art, whether it’s a scene inspired by her Middle Eastern heritage
Growing up in Amman, Jordan, Huranni comes from a culture that is not always at the forefront of art. But even from a young age, she felt a creative instinct within her that surpassed this. When she was 17, she left home to study abroad and began years of studying the world of art. Since then, she has lived in three other countries, each with its own unique cultural position and ideas about art, and most importantly, she has created a rich global network of collaborative artists and storytellers through their stories and art. Her unconventional and inspiring journey demonstrates how hard work, perseverance, and determination can meet the opportunity to create something outstanding.
Initially, studying at art school was a humbling experience; she went from being an outstanding talent in Jordan to feeling like a «little fish, moving from a small pond to a big one», - as she puts it. But through dedication and countless hours of practice, she quickly bridged that gap.
Supported by the success of her graduation, Huranni set her sights on an even larger creative arena: the United States. She moved to San Francisco to earn a master’s degree in fine arts, immersing herself in a dynamic environment filled with animators and concept artists from studios such as Disney and Pixar. Once again, she was a little fish in a vast ocean of talent, and once again, she rose to the challenge.
By her final year in San Francisco, Huranni’s perseverance was richly rewarded. She poured «blood, sweat, and tears» into her thesis project.
In addition to academia, Huranni had already begun to make her mark on the world of art as a whole. Internationally, her work has crossed borders just like she has. Each milestone, from the Middle East to Europe and North America, highlights Huranni’s ability to connect with audiences everywhere through her art.
While illustration and visual development remain at the core of her career, Huranni’s creativity extends to the field of design. Currently, she brings her artistic vision to the tech industry, creating user interface designs and establishing a cohesive aesthetic for innovative tools that help companies manage their teams and projects. This modern twist in her multifaceted journey shows that her visual storytelling is not limited to canvases or printed pages. Whether creating characters for a story or designing an app interface, the same line runs through it all: a passion for art and design focused on human connection.
What truly unites all of Huranni’s efforts, from painting to digital design, is the desire to connect people of different cultures through art. «Global brushstroke: An artist bridging borders through vision and connection», - she often says, summing up her artistic mission. This ethic is evident in everything she creates. As an artist-developer, Huranni often starts her works in a traditional way: drawing or painting each element by hand before moving on to digital processing. This meticulous, personal approach gives her work a warm, authentic feeling that resonates universally. In each illustration, she strives to help portray different cultures through art, whether it’s a scene inspired by her Middle Eastern heritage
© Artemenko Olga
