Meet Kaleyah Gilbert — One of the Faces Behind UIA’s Graphics

When it comes to bringing visuals to life, every piece has a story behind it. One of the faces behind UIA’s graphics is Kaleyah Gilbert, a digital illustrator and designer whose work carries warmth, character, and meaning.

Kaleyah first connected with UIA founder Odyraw a few years ago at Troy University’s Idea Bank. “Her art stood out immediately,” he shares. “It was clean, full of character, and you could tell she really loved what she was doing. She’s been an extreme amount of help, and I’m excited for the world to finally see what we’ve been working on. She deserves this spotlight.”

Outside of UIA, Kaleyah runs her own brand, Kaley Kartoons & Graphics, which she started while at Troy University. “I knew if I wanted to get my work out there, I had to create a cohesive name for myself,” she says. “My brand uses butterflies to represent joy, hope, and transformation. As a creative, you’re always transforming and evolving. Every step you’ve taken, for better or worse, has brought you to where you are now.”

Over the last few years, she’s learned how much growth comes from stepping outside of her comfort zone. “I didn’t expect it to teach me how important people skills are,” she says. “Creativity is key, but it takes more than that to build something real. Talking to people and building connections was new to me. I grew up shy, but having a business forces you to come out of your shell. If you’re an artist reading this, start practicing your people skills.”

When describing her art, Kaleyah keeps it simple. “I try to capture fantasy, fun, and happiness,” she says. “Even if a viewer doesn’t have a positive reaction, I still wouldn’t want them to have a negative one either. My goal is to give people something nice to look at — something that makes them feel content at the very least.”

Her inspiration goes back to her childhood. “Monster High, Bratz, and Littlest Pet Shop taught me how to give characters personality and stories,” she says. “I even wanted to be a fashion designer at one point, but I fell in love with creating fun characters and giving them backstories.”

Balancing work and rest has been another big part of her journey. “I give myself breaks to relax,” she says. “Wearing so many hats can be overwhelming, and a stressed mind doesn’t create good designs. Don’t let the mindset of ‘grind, grind, grind’ stop you from enjoying life. You need those breaks.”

One of her favorite moments as a designer came from her senior thesis project — a comic book preview. “It was amazing to finally give more attention to something I’d wanted to do for so long,” she says. “I even discovered new things about myself, like realizing I didn’t actually want to be a comic book artist. But it’s an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything.”

And when she’s asked what advice she’d give to other artists, she doesn’t hesitate. “Don’t let imposter syndrome win,” she says. “You’re going to have days where you feel like you’re not good enough, but your work is good. You can always grow and improve, but you’ll always be good enough.”

For now, her focus is simple. “I’ve been out of school for six months,” she says. “I just want to take my skills to the next level and find a full-time design position.”

Looking ahead, Kaleyah is excited to bring that same energy into UIA. “I want to help UIA reach areas that might not have been explored before,” she says. “Eventually, I’d love to become the top graphic designer for UIA, maybe even a company partner one day. It’d be great to help other young artists find their place and build something they’re proud of.”

Every detail in her work reflects who she is — patient, thoughtful, and always evolving. And now, as part of UIA’s growing creative family, that story continues.