Maya Hutagalung

My time as an artist began when I doodled my first children’s book about chickens in kindergarten, the start of what I hope will be a lifetime of art. As an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, I pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration with a minor in Earth and Environmental Sciences. I aimed to find where these fields intersect and work there. In my final year, I did an independent research project on geological illustrations which informed my thesis project: “What is Geoecology?” The project is a museum-inspired exhibition with 2 interpretive panels that teaches audiences about geology’s influence on ecosystems, acquired in McEniry Hall, Charlotte. The combination of science research and art brings not only joy but value in sharing information. These projects inspire my current practice that I am excited to grow under CSUMB’s Science Illustration Program.

I’ve exhibited artwork in exhibitions in Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina as well as  illustrated a children’s book, “When Will Santa Be Here? The Magic of the Reindeer Bells” in 2025. I’ve previously created published science illustrations for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and the Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences at UNC Charlotte. I am eager to create more impactful illustrations.