Colorful hand-drawn illustration with art supplies and text. The text reads: 'Hi! My name is TAARIKA and I’m an illustrator, writer & designer.' Art supplies include a pink ink bottle, a blue colored pencil, a green paintbrush, red and green paint tubes, a black marker, and red and yellow paint smudges. The background has small colorful stars and dots.
Colorful illustration of a outdoor marketplace in Jaipur, India with vendors selling fruits and vegetables, traditional architecture, and people shopping under a large leafy tree.
Illustration of the word "Illustration" with colorful art supplies like pencils and a glue stick.
A cozy living room scene with a woman sitting on a green armchair reading a book and drinking from a mug, while another woman lies on the red patterned rug with a cat. It is raining outside through large window panes, and the room has art on the wall
Illustrated infographic about Bob Dylan, featuring a central image of with sunglasses, surrounded by text and drawings including a motorcycle, books, a typewriter, and portraits of Bob Dylan and other figures. It provides facts about Bob Dylan's earl
Two women sitting at a table with desserts, coffee, and berries, in a room with colorful, patterned decor and framed artwork on the wall.
Illustration of a corner building with French flags and signs in French, featuring two people walking on the sidewalk.
A cartoon boy with red hair, glasses, and a green jacket flying a red star-shaped kite in a grassy field with hills and trees.
Three women in colorful traditional Indian attire standing inside a building with intricate architecture. One woman is wearing a green saree with floral patterns, another a pink saree, and the third a purple and orange saree. They are surrounded by l
An illustration of a woman with curly black hair sitting on a wooden table, holding a pink lighter. The room is filled with green plants, books, and decorative items. There's a bookshelf with books, a large cactus, and a window with a framed photo an
A man sits at a counter in a restaurant, wearing glasses and a blue jacket, with condiments and a napkin dispenser in front of him. Behind the counter, a worker with a face mask and apron that says 'SEND A SALAMI' stands near a hanging scale and a wa
A young woman with sunglasses on her head, wearing a white and blue striped shirt over a green top, blue skirt, and white sneakers, holding a can of soda and looking surprised or concerned.
A girl with long blonde hair wearing a cream-colored dress is lying on grass surrounded by wildflowers, holding scissors. A boy with curly brown hair wearing a blue striped shirt is lying nearby with his hands behind his head, looking at the girl.
An illustration of an elderly man with glasses, wearing a blue checkered shirt, sitting on a green bench while reading a newspaper. There are four blue pigeons around him, with one perched on the backrest and three on the ground, one of which is on h
A woman and a man are lying on the grass under trees, reading books in a park. The woman is holding a book titled 'naked' and the man is resting his head on his hands, looking at an open book.
Drawing of a woman with dark, curly hair wearing a green top, looking out of an airplane window at the ocean and sky.
A blue bowl filled with lemons, topped with a white cap that has a graphic of grapes and the word 'Bocconcini' embroidered on it.
Two illustrated portrait photographs of a woman with long, curly hair, wearing traditional and modern clothing, placed on a beige background.
A woman is giving a presentation to two seated people with a projector screen behind her displaying charts and graphs.
EXPLORE MY ILLUSTRATION PORTFOLIO

I’ve been creating illustrations and design solutions for brands, corporations, and start-ups for over 8 years and my work has been featured in promotional campaigns, editorial, advertising and packaging.

Some of my past clients include

Collection of various black and white logos from brands including Levi's, LOEWE, United Nations Human Rights, Wipro, Vice, WeWork, Palié Agro, Red Bull, and Adidas.
A cartoon boy running in a tropical landscape holding a large banana leaf as an umbrella, with palm trees and a cloudy sky in the background.
Hand-drawn illustration with a teal laptop icon followed by the words "Client Projects" in black, whimsical lettering.

  • NEW YORK TIMES

    Editorial illustration for the New York Times

    see more
  • Drawing of the Earth shaped like a heart, surrounded by dashed red lines forming hearts, on a light pink background.

    UNITED NATIONS

    A series of animated videos created for a global World Migrants Day campaign.

    see more
  • Illustration of diverse people engaging in activities around Columbia University, with the Empire State Building in the background, representing the Committee on Global Thought annual report 2022-2023.

    COLUMBIA University

    Cover illustration for the Global Thought Department’s Annual Report.

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  • A girl with crossed arms standing in the rain, holding a red and white umbrella, with a serious expression, wearing a school uniform with a skirt, white socks, and black shoes, on a blue background.

    NAATIL EVIDEYA

    Design, illustration & product development for English-Malayalam flashcards.

    SEE MORE

  • Brooklyn bridge fencing club

    A series of illustrations and infographics created for a fencing club in Brooklyn.

    see more
  • A white baseball cap with a cluster of cheese and the word 'Bocconcini' embroidered on it, placed on top of a blue bowl filled with lemons, on a sandy textured surface.

    brik oven

    A series of illustrations created for a Bengaluru-based pizza kitchen specializing in Neapolitan pizzas.

    see more
  • Two people assembling a large 3D puzzle of a shopping bag, with one person on a ladder fitting a puzzle piece and the other holding a piece that matches.

    EM SOFTECH

    A series of illustrations created for the website of a software development company.

    see more
  • Top-down view of an Asian-inspired meal on a table, including a bowl with boiled eggs, leafy greens, and red beans, a plate with bao buns with sauce, and chopsticks resting on the dishes. The table has a fringed cloth with a red grid pattern.

    NATGEO TRAVELLER

    Editorial illustrations for a range of articles featured in NatGeo Traveller.

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  • Four people sitting around a birthday party table decorated with pink cake, cupcakes, flowers, and birthday banner, all looking at their phones.

    TWEAK INDIA

    Editorial illustrations for a range of articles featured in Tweak India.

    see more
all client projects
Hand-drawn illustration of various school supplies including glue, a marker, a pencil case, a pack of crayons, and a pencil.

HAVE A PROJECT IN MIND?

GET IN TOUCH hello@taarikajohn.com

let's work together!
A cartoon carrot and tomato characters holding hands, with the carrot playing a guitar, next to the word 'KIDLIT' in playful black lettering.
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Three children with curly hair wearing orange shirts, engaged in creative activities on a blue and white geometric patterned rug. One girl is sitting inside a cardboard box, working with blocks; another girl is lying on her stomach, drawing with cray
Illustration of various dinosaurs playing musical instruments on stage, including a pink Triceratops, a yellow Brachiosaurus, a green Baryonyx, and a yellow Tyrannosaurus rex, with stage lights shining down.
Children and adults in an art museum looking at artwork, taking photos, and sitting on benches.
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A young boy at birthday party with a cake topped with lit candles, wearing a party hat, blowing out candles while a girl with pigtails, party hat, and a pink shirt offers ice cream. Party decorations in the background.
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A cartoon boy with red curly hair and round glasses flies a red and green star-shaped kite in a grassy field with hills and colorful bushes in the background.
see more kid lit illustration
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Hand-drawn illustration of the word 'BOOKS' with a stack of colorful books to the right.
A book titled "Simple Twist of Fate" by Taarika John, with an illustration of a woman with curly hair, glasses, and an earring, looking to the side. The cover features a polaroid with a landscape scene, including grass, flowers, and a boat.

What role does American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan play in the lives of a suburban Indian family?

A considerable one if you grew up with a father as obsessed with Bob Dylan as mine is. Simple Twist of Fate is an ongoing graphic memoir project.

The story centers around my relationship with Dylan’s music and how it was influenced by my relationship with my father and my attempts to feel closer to him.

Learn more
A black and white illustration with orange accents depicting three people sitting on a rug, seemingly floating in the sky with cloud-like formations around them. One woman is speaking, with a speech bubble that says, "and take me I disapearing through the smoke rings of your mind." Below, two people ride motorbikes along a path lined with trees, and another pair walk along a fenced trail, with a flowing banner that reads, "down the foggy rums of time."
An illustration of four people walking through a forest with tall, dark trees. A banner reads, 'Far past the frozen leaves through the haunted frightened trees.' There is a detailed close-up of a woman with curly hair and glasses, reaching out to touch a tree, and a smaller scene shows three people talking as they walk.
A book titled "Fat Uncle: An Illustrated Novella" resting on a green textured fabric surface, which appears to be a jacket or a blanket.
Black and white line drawing of a naked man with short hair, beard, and chest hair, looking into a mirror. The mirror is attached to a dresser with various objects including a bottle labeled 'Yardley,' a tray with jewelry, and some papers or receipts.

FAT UNCLE
An illustrated novella.


Fat Uncle hasn’t left his apartment all summer. He refuses to participate in neighbourly affairs, hasn’t gone to the office in ages and his wife appears to have left him. As he becomes the subject of neighbourhood gossip, with hushed rumours of curses and visits from mysterious Godmen, he only seems to withdraw further within himself.

The story is based in Bombay, India, and deals with themes of human relationships and the isolation of urban life.

Learn more
Illustration of various school supplies including a pink ink bottle, green and white glue tube, blue pen, green pencil sharpener, pink and beige erasers, and a pink and blue crayon.

HAVE A PROJECT IN MIND?

GET IN TOUCH hello@taarikajohn.com

let's work together!
Logo for 'Sketchbook' featuring a red illustrated face with curly hair and glasses, alongside hand-drawn black text spelling 'Sketchbook'.
A sketch of people at a holiday party, some holding drinks, in a festive setting with decorations like pine and ornaments. The lower right corner includes the text 'Bright Holiday Party 2024' and the name 'Taarika John'.

i take my sketchbook everywhere!

I love drawing outside (or inside) and use my sketchbook as a way to document and remember the things I see, do, (over)hear and experience.

People sitting at a bar with a sign that says 'Happy Hour 20% Off' and a duck shaped beer tap.
Drawing of a person sitting with back to the viewer, wearing a patterned jacket with orange sleeves, in a room with a bicycle, a person holding a phone, a washing machine, and handwritten notes on the wall. The notes mention a Saturday spent hanging out with friends, watching horror movies, and refer to nerd culture, with a count of over 1000 PIECE puzzle pieces.
Black and white sketch of a person standing under a small pavilion with pillars, labeled "Hope," in Tompkins Square Park. The person appears to be looking at their phone. The scene is surrounded by trees and a paved walkway. The sketch is signed by Tarika John and notes Eric's Wife.
Sketch of a man sitting on a bench, looking out the window, with a message indicating a train to Coney Island in July 2021.
SEE MORE FROM MY SKETCHBOOK
Illustration of a red book and a yellow pencil next to the text 'Writing' in hand-drawn style. 
I had always appreciated our bedtime bonding ritual, but I never realized as a child the extent of stress she was under at work or how hard it must have been to turn off work mode and into mom mode when she got back home to us every day. 
When I think back on my childhood, I remember having a mother who always let me check out as many books as I wanted at the library. I remember doing science experiments on the weekends and working on papier-mâché and crafts on rainy days.

MOTHERS WHO WORK

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They squabbled over that tiny orange chair for a week - hiding it, trying to sit on it at the same time, pinching, crying, tantrums galore. Baby Mohit soon joined in, though I highly doubt he had any idea what the fight was about.

the chair

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It’s beginning to dawn on me that these are my grandfather’s things. The last of his things. The things he left behind when we took him to the hospital for the last time. I rifle further through the drawer’s contents, mildly appalled at the mundanity of the objects my grandmother had chosen to keep.

OBJECTS & THINGS

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READ MY SUBSTACK