Photo: Rita Ansone

I’m Nayeli, a motion designer, and illustrator.

I grew up in Mexico City, surrounded by lush gardens, colorful birds, and a vibrant visual culture — a sensibility that continues to shape how I approach color, texture, and movement today.

Over the years, I’ve lived between Mexico City, New York, and Lisbon. Each place has influenced my way of seeing: from the energy and density of the city, to the slower, more spacious rhythm I now enjoy working remotely from Lisbon.

I’m drawn to creating work that feels alive, bold, and expressive — blending hand-drawn elements, mixed-media visuals, layered textures, and animation with a strong sense of movement and emotion.

Outside of commissioned projects, I maintain an artistic practice focused on shamanic art and Power Animals. This work lives in a separate space and fuels my creative curiosity in a different, more intuitive way.

Nature and animals are an important part of my life, alongside morning runs, dark chocolate, vegan food, and dancing — all of which help me stay grounded, present, and creatively open.

If you’re curious about my Power Animal illustrations and shamanic work, you can explore that project here.

✦ Currently

-Based in Lisbon

-Available to work with U.S. based companies

-English & Spanish (fluent) · Portuguese (basic)

CV

Exhibits, talks & publications

-Greenpoint Studios Exhibit, NY

-Pancakes and Booze Art Exhibit, NY

-Art & Hustle Exhibit, NY

-Panelist at Anny Animation Nights, NY

-"Next Stop" Animation Showcase, Washington DC.

-Bento Magazine, edition 2019

-Red Envelope Art Exhibit, Brooklyn

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  • Nayeli is a pleasure to work with in every way. 

    “She’s punctual, detail-oriented, communicative, and professional.  Nayeli brings a unique design aesthetic to every project- her use of vibrant colors, layering, and animation skills make any project stand out and attract attention.”

    — Kate Allen | Producer at Warnermedia

  • Nayeli is a very creative designer and animator I go to when I want to execute an original vision.

    She absorbs references, influences, and direction seamlessly to create unique work that always nails the goal of the project. She has all the expected professional ingredients like great communication, a mature approach to collaboration, and respect for schedules and deadlines. But it's her ability to distill ideas at a high level and create captivating work that makes her stand out.”

    — Eric Brown | Producer at Kornhaber Brown

  • Nayeli is an absolute pleasure to work with!

    “She certainly goes above and beyond in her work. Her creativity shines in both pre and post-production and she delivers beautiful, thoughtful work ahead of deadlines.”

    — Bethany O’Grady | Producer at Atlantic Re: Think

  • Nayeli is one of those people you look forward to working with each day.

    She is an extremely talented and gifted artist and motion designer. She brings passion, dedication, and imagination to every project. I look forward to our next collaboration!

    — Martha Caust | Post-Producer

  • For things that matter most, I don’t use anyone but Nayeli.

    Her talent is obvious, but even more valuable is her ability to interpret the project vision and consistently exceed expectations. I often find myself saying, “that’s exactly what I had in mind, but way way better.”

    — D.S. Moss | Producer at Jones Co.

  • Nayeli is an absolute professional and a great freelancer to work with.

    She understood the tasks given quickly, created great work which often exceeded my expectations. Aside from her creative work, her time management and problem-solving skills really came to shine when challenges came through production. Highly recommend her.

    — Barak Ziv | Motion Director at Cornerstone

  • I've had the pleasure of working with Nayeli and each time she was creative, professional, and reliable.

    On the first occasion, we worked together on a challenging documentary that was lacking in direction, but she was able to bring clarity and variety to the animation needs. On the second occasion, she was part of a team of animators working on a huge DOOH campaign for Google. She was able to execute the client requests efficiently, while also bringing a bit more which made the project a success. Nayeli is passionate and truly dedicated to her work on every project, I always feel confident working beside her. She is an amazing designer/animator and an amazing person to get to know!

    — Sari Resnick | Head Production at Cabin Edit

  • Nayeli did a tremendous job on my company's logo and letterhead.

    She was professional, responsible, had great communication skills, was easy to work with, and extremely talented with design. She tapped into the color theme and feel of my company immediately. I love her work and have never once regretted this investment! She is the real deal. A true artist and stellar professional.

    — Taryn Hughes | CEO and Therapist at Forest Hills

  • Working with Nayeli was nothing but fabulous!

    “She is so talented, so fast and efficient with what she does. She really brought my vision to life and totally understand my vibe. I highly recommend her!"

    —Dani Felt | Founder of Music Industry Mastery

  • It was great working with Nayeli!

    She's professional, communicative, and keeps to deadlines -- but most importantly, her work is creative, thoughtful, and overall just beautiful. Would definitely work with her again!

    —Samantha Lee | Producer at Mongabay

Client list