Billie J is the artist formerly known as Billie Jean.

Billie J is my pen name.

Sam is my real name - which is short for Samantha. My parents were completely unaware that the Sri Lankan boy’s name that they’d proudly given me, was quite the opposite in their newly adopted home of England. Let’s just say that school was interesting.

Drawing was a way to escape, but also make sense of my world. Whilst still at school, my first illustration was printed in The Sunday Times newspaper. I went on to study at the Chelsea School of Art and Central Saint Martins.

I live and work in east London.