Nicole Xu is an artist who was born in Shanghai, grew up in Vancouver, Canada, and is now based in Portland, Oregon. She graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in illustration and has worked with numerous magazine and publishing clients. Her work often explores themes of loss, healing, and empathy. Her debut picture book, All of a Sudden and Forever, Help and Healing after the Oklahoma City Bombing, written by Chris Barton, received two starred reviews and was an Orbis Pictus Recommended Book.