#1 NYT Bestselling Illustrator
More About Niña Mata (She/Her/Siya)
Languages: English and Tagalog
Author and Illustrator Niña (Neen-Ya) Mata is the #1 New York Times Bestselling Illustrator of "I Promise" by LeBron James (nominated for the 52nd NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literature). She is also a 2021 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honoree for her work in "Ty's Travels, Zip Zoom by Kelly Starling Lyons".
Niña grew up a typical latchkey kid in Queens, New York. Her family emigrated from the Philippines when she was 6 years old. Because her parents worked and went to night school, Niña spent a lot (like a whole lot) of time drawing. Her after school activities usually involved watching Bob Ross, Reading Rainbow and looking for adventures in the library (which she still does).
Niña studied Illustration at The Fashion Institute of Technology of NY. She grew up in a very diverse neighborhood and often references her childhood in her illustrations. She is proud to be known for the diverse characters in her work as she never saw anyone who looked like her or her friends in books growing up. With one drawing at a time, Niña wants everyone to see how important they are in this world and that our power comes from embracing who we truly are.
You can find Niña online at:
Niña’s strengths are…
Nina's strengths are the ability to see the potential in an illustrator’s body of work and how to create portfolio pieces to showcase their style. She has a knack for narrative illustration and is an expert in the art of visual pacing.
Niña uses, emotions, movement, and personal experiences to write and create engaging illustrations. She believes that no one can tell our stories in as much detail as ourselves.
What Niña is looking for…
Niña is looking for a mentee whose objectives are clear. Whether it be getting closer to a style they're confident in, or if they're mid-career looking for the joy in their art again, or getting their portfolio ready for query, she would love to work with someone who's ready to do work to get closer to their goals.
She hopes to connect with someone who is open to productive feedback and is willing to experiment with their body of work and have fun while doing it!
A Note from Niña:
“Before you go any further in this career, KNOW YOUR WHY. Sometimes it will be the only thing that can keep you going when things get hard. And once you reach your goals and the noise outside becomes too loud, HOLD ON TO YOUR WHY. It will be the only thing that keep your feet planted on the ground.”
Niña’s Picture Books
I PROMISE, written by Lebron James and illustrated by Niña Mata
*2021 NAACP NOMINEE FOR
OUTSTANDING LITERARY WORK – CHILDREN
#1 New York Times Bestseller!
I ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY LOVE MY SPOTS, written by and illustrated by Niña Mata
*NAACP NOMINEE FOR
OUTSTANDING LITERARY WORK – CHILDREN
YOU ARE MY FAVORITE COLOR, Written by Gillian Sze | Illustrated by Niña Mata
WE ARE ONE, Written by Jackie Azua Kramer | Illustrated by Niña Mata and Raissa Figueroa
TY’S TRAVELS: WINTER WONDERLAND! Written by Kelly Starling Lyons | Illustrated by Niña Mata
TY’S TRAVELS: CAMP OUT, Written by Kelly Starling Lyons | Illustrated by Niña Mata
TY’S TRAVELS: SHOWTIME! Written by Kelly Starling Lyons and illustrated by Niña Mata
TY’S TRAVELS: ALL ABOARD! Written by Kelly Starling Lyons | Illustrated by Niña Mata
TY’S TRAVELS: ZIP, ZOOM! Written by Kelly Starling Lyons | Illustrated by Niña Mata
**A 2021 THEODOR SEUSS GEISEL HONOREE*
TY’S TRAVELS: BEACH DAY! Written by Kelly Starling Lyons | Illustrated by Niña Mata
SHE’S GOT THIS, Written by Laurie Hernandez | Pictures by Niña Mata
*A New York Times Bestseller!
I’M A FIGURE SKATER! Written by Sue Fliess | Illustrated by Niña Mata
EVERYTHING GROWS, written by Raffi and illustrated by Niña Mata
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AMERICA? Written by Rana DiOrio and Elad Moran | Illustrated by Niña Mata
Niña’s Upcoming Picture Books
BEACH HAIR, written by Ashley Woodfolk and illustrated by Niña Mata
I AM MORE THAN, written by Lebron James and illustrated by Niña Mata
NEW, written and illustrated by Niña Mata (HarperCollins, coming in 2025)
If Niña created a Visual Wish List, it would be made up of…
*Unless otherwise stated, the below serves as a wish list only. Each mentor is excited about the opportunity to find a manuscript they can’t stop thinking about. Please apply if you think you’d be a good fit.
Netflix: Nimona
Netflix: Orion and The Dark
OUR NIPA HUT: A STORY IN THE PHILIPPINES, written by Rachell Abalos and illustrated by Gabriela Larios
A DAY WITH NO WORDS, written by Tiffany Hammond and illustrated by Kate Cosgrove
THE PERFECT PLACE, written by Matt De La Peña and illustrated by Paola Escobar
BIG, written and illustrated by Vashti Harrison
THE YEAR WE LEARNED TO FLY, written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Rafael López
Niña is a good fit for…
Illustrators
Author/Illustrators
Illustrators interested in becoming authors
Character-driven illustrators
People who draw from experience
Someone who aligns with the immigrant experience
Unique stories/characters
Illustrators who work digitally (Photoshop/Procreate)
Niña is not a good fit for…
Traditional mediums
Authors
Graphic Novel artists
Artists new to digital art
Who can apply to Niña? BIPOC, unagented and agented illustrators and author-illustrators.
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