Photo credit: Jiayue Yu, www.jiayue-yu.com

Marianna Smith is a Brazilian-American children’s book illustrator, cartoonist, and art educator. Smith's Brazilian cultural heritage and childhood memories inspire her work. Utilizing a bold, expressive watercolor and ink technique, Smith captures joy and emotion in her work.

Smith’s work has garnered recognition from The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles and the iJungle awards and has been shortlisted for Communication Arts.

Smith graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2020 with a BFA in Communication Arts and a Creative Writing minor. Smith is currently attending Syracuse University to obtain an MFA in Illustration.

For work inquiries, contact ms@mariannasmith.com

Education

2026 - Master of Fine Arts - Syracuse University

2020 - Bachelor of Fine Arts - Virginia Commonwealth University

Exhibitions and Achievements