A blue, spiky, star-like shape on a white background.

Hi! I’m Cris

SURFACE PATTERN DESIGNER & ILLUSTRATOR 

I help brands turn ideas into distinctive artwork that feels cohesive, fits the brief, and moves from concept to production with ease.

Illustration of multiple orange flowers with white centers and green leaves on a black background.

Trusted by

Watercolor illustration of a sleeping fox with closed eyes, curled up with a bushy tail.

How I Can Help ♥

  • Hand painted surface pattern design

    License existing artwork for your products.

  • Commission artwork for a jigsaw puzzle

    Custom artwork & brand collaborations. I'll work with you from brief to ready to manufacture artwork.

  • Living room decorated with colourful artwork painted by Cris Pliego

    For your walls. A curated selection of original paintings & art prints.

Cris Pliego


The CREATIVE MIND behind Cris Banana Studio

A woman sitting on a couch looking at a colorful scrapbook or photo album inside a cozy, decorated living room.
Blue background with a yellow banana graphic in the center.

I’m Cris, a Mexi-Kiwi surface pattern designer & illustrator based in Christchurch, New Zealand. I create colourful, hand-painted mixed-media art for stationery, homeware, puzzles, and lifestyle products.

I’ve worked with brands like Frankie Magazine, Kula Cloth, and PieceHouse, whose puzzle featuring my design won Best Design Puzzle of the Year.

With over 15 years of experience, I get the brief, keep you in the loop, take feedback on board and deliver on time. You focus on the big picture, I’ll handle the art.

Available for art licensing, custom artwork and brand collaborations.

Let’s make the world a little brighter. Shall we? ♥

Illustration of a woman with dark brown hair and rosy cheeks, wearing a mustard-colored jacket with floral embroidery over a red shirt, on a bright green background.

Shop for your walls

A collection of art prints for colourful homes, thoughtful gifts and art-filled spaces.

A teal chat bubble with white quotation marks inside.

What they’re saying

“Cris' curiosity and attentiveness as a designer are incredible. Her skill as an illustrator is phenomenal. I'd recommend working with Cris to anyone and everyone.”

BARRY G.

Custom Illustration work for Barry G. Album cover for "Change for a Fiver"

“Cris is such talented designer. She is a joy to work with and kept me involved throughout the whole process. The finished products were even better than I had envisioned!”

RUTH KELLY

Custom artwork for Merch "SLOW DOWN TODAY" on a tote bag

“Absolutely beautiful art!! Really great quality, and I love the style. Delivery was super speedy too! Thank you!!”

CAITLIN

A watercolour painting of nugget Point
Illustration of purple virus particles at different sizes.
Folk bird

Stay in the Loop

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