HELLO !

Kamala Nair is an architect and illustrator from Kerala, India. She is a NewYork Times best-selling illustrator for Gorgeously Me (Flamingo, 2024), written by Jonathan Van Ness, star of Queer Eye, and the illustrator behind The Way Champs Play (HarperCollins, 2022), authored by Grand Slam Tennis Champion, Naomi Osaka.

Her picture book The Light Within You has earned the Crystal Kite Award by SCBWI and was named one of the SLJ Best Illustrated Books of 2023.

When she’s not illustrating, Kamala enjoys sewing and upcycling clothes, blending her Indian heritage with a love for pop culture. She also crafts tiny clay trinkets, restores and repaints furniture, and secretly (and obsessively) wishes for magical superpowers to create and make everything around her colourful.

Kamala Nair is currently seeking representation.

Clients include:

Harper Collins
Penguin Random House
Walker Books
Scholastic
Simon & Schuster
Two Lions/Amazon Publishing House
Bloomsbury
Oxford University Press

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Testimonials

“Nair’s jewel-toned illustrations, sprinkled with dots of light, reinforce the text’s essential themes and its core bond between two family members who share a special connection and light each other up.”
Publishers WeeklyStarred Review for The Light Within You

“Van Ness’ uplifting, encouraging text is paired with Nair’s exuberant illustrations. An animated look at celebrating who you are and never letting others dim your light.”
Kirkus ReviewsGorgeously Me!

“Nair’s adorable illustrations shine, and overall, the packaging for the message is as sweet as the underlying sentiment.”
Kirkus ReviewsThe Way Champs Play

“A gorgeously illustrated book. . . .The color palette is warm and bright communicating Diya’s emotions and making everything feel stronger.”
YA Books CentralThe Light Within You

“In step with Nair’s sunny slice-of-life imagery, jubilant text further reinforces the power of friendship and community in supporting a strong sense of self”
Publishers WeeklyGorgeously Me!

“Told from the perspective of a little girl learning about this aspect of her culture, the straightforward narrative with complementary illustrations educates readers about the making and wearing of the bindi.”
Booklist ReviewsA Bindi Can Be..