The illustrator whose work perfectly sums up what it is really like to be a woman

'If someone can look at something I draw and smile or say 'that's me', I think I've done something right,' says Nina Cosford

Illustrator Nina Cosford's honest take on being a woman (Nina Cosford)

From running with boobs and dealing with an unexpected periods to taking inspiration from Cleopatra and artist Frida Kahlo, illustrator Nina Cosford has captured the paradoxes that make being a young woman in the 21st century a nightmare but fun nonetheless.

Cosford, who is based in the south eastern UK town of Hastings, grew up doodling and drawing: whether copying cartoons or sketching “dodgy self-portraits”, she told The Independent.

Now 28, she has caught the eye of writer Lena Dunahm with her depictions of her HBO series Girls recently published her first book: My Name is Girl: An Illustrated Guide to the Female Mind.

Her honest and humorous work is semi-autobiographical, but will resonate on a certain level with women everywhere.

“I wouldn't be so arrogant as to call myself a 'voice' to represent young women or a generation, but I do think I can offer some comfort in revealing how I sometimes feel as a young person and the thoughts and insecurities that drift in and out of my own head,” she said.

“A lot of people can relate to that and realise that they are not alone in how they feel about themselves and the world.”

Cosford added: “If someone can look at something I draw and smile or say 'that's me', I think I've done something right."

My Name is Girl: An Illustrated Guide to the Female Mind is out now.