ILDIKO HANKOSZKY - Illustrator and Storyteller
I’m Ildiko Hankoszky - illustrator and storyteller, living in the UK, a quiet observer of how colour, memory, and emotion weave our human stories together.
My work has long explored how art can help us make sense of what we feel - from childhood’s first encounters with loss to the reflections of adulthood.
As I move forward, my focus is blooming into a new chapter: illustrated storybooks and colouring books for young adults and adults, created under the name Blooming Lantern - where art becomes a space for light, warmth, and understanding.
Illustration that listens to the heart
From gentle tales for children...
My creative path began with Beyond the Blue Forest - a picture book that helps children understand grief and emotion through imaginative storytelling. It was warmly recommended by a psychologist and is now accompanied by a free teacher resource to support emotional learning in schools.
That same compassion and depth now guide my new work. Blooming Lantern grows from those roots - transforming the emotional wisdom of children’s literature into art and stories that speak to adults as well: about memory, renewal, and the quiet strength of feeling.
... to reflective art for grown hearts
A creative light for the reflective soul
Blooming Lantern is my new creative home - where illustration, gentle humour, and emotional depth meet.
Here I’m developing storybooks, illustrated cards, and adult colouring books designed to bring comfort, curiosity, and a touch of whimsy to everyday life.
Each project is an invitation to slow down, reconnect with feeling, and see beauty in imperfection - a lantern glow in life’s quieter corners.
Emotional learning takes root in education
The UK government has recently decided to include bereavement within the national Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) framework - recognising how deeply grief shapes children’s wellbeing.
This marks an important step forward for emotional education - a cause close to my heart, and one reflected in Beyond the Blue Forest, a story that helps open gentle conversations about loss, resilience, and hope.
Follow the journey as it blooms
Daily glimpses from my sketchbook and the world that inspires it - colours, textures, small wonders, and works in progress.
Thank you for visiting - may something here brighten your day.✨