Khama Lwanda

Khama Lwanda is a Malawian visual storyteller, illustrator, and animator specializing in children’s publishing.

With a background in multimedia and animation, he has worked across book illustration, educational publishing, and creative storytelling, blending strong visual design with influences drawn from African culture, symbolism, and narrative traditions. In addition to commissioned work, he continues developing original creative projects in illustration and animation.

1. What genres do you illustrate for, and do you have individual projects you’re working on?

I mainly work on children’s books, especially educational and story based titles. I also have broad creative interests, including animation, character design, and visual storytelling, much of it inspired by African symbolism and folklore. Alongside commissioned work, I am also developing personal projects. This year I would really like to put out a comic book series, which is exciting because it leans into African inspired fantasy and mythology.

2. Do you have newly released work? What’s the title, and where can we find it?

I recently worked on a book series, and one of my recent projects is Black Visionaries Cards, a deck featuring African historical figures with short biographies for each person. That project was especially exciting because it combined illustration with history in a very direct way.

3. Are there any social media links, websites, or other places to learn about you?

You can learn more about my work through my Instagram and portfolio links (in the show notes of the episode). I also post selected projects there regularly. My website is currently down, but I still post recent work online.

4. Do you have a publisher or agent? And who are they?

Yes, I am represented by Beehive Illustration Agency.

5. What inspired you to start drawing? Did you always want to illustrate novels?

Drawing started as a natural interest for me. Growing up, I was very interested in cartoons, and during high school I used to draw comic strips. After high school I started taking drawing more seriously because I wanted to improve. I explored different directions, including 3D art and animation, before slowly finding my place in children’s publishing, where storytelling and illustration connect in a very direct way.

6. What is the most fun and most difficult part of the illustrating process for you?

The most enjoyable part is bringing a story to life, putting your own vision into it, deciding how characters feel, how a scene looks, and how everything supports the story. The most difficult part is maintaining consistency across many pages while still meeting deadlines.

7. What’s your favorite hobby outside of drawing, and how does it influence your creative process?

Outside drawing, I enjoy exploring story ideas, listening to music, and playing games, including chess and online games like Fortnite. I think these things help build visual memory and sometimes influence how I think about pacing, atmosphere, and ideas.

8. If you could give any advice to someone who wants to be an illustrator, what would it be?

My advice would be to develop strong fundamentals and stay adaptable because the illustration field is always changing. Strong art skills matter, but professional discipline matters too. Talent is important, but consistency, communication, and reliability can matter just as much.