Born in London, England, in 1980, Ayano Imai spent much of her youth traveling the globe with her family. After returning to Japan in 1994, she studied Japanese painting, specifically mineral pigment painting, at Musashino Art University in Tokyo. While there, she developed an interest in illustration. She has participated in the prestigious Illustrators Exhibition at the Bologna Book Fair since 2003. She now lives in Chiba, Japan. Her first picture book for minedition, CHESTER, was published in 2007 and found international acclaim and recognition.