Much like its sister city {Manhattan} across the Hudson River, Jersey City is a mecca to unique artists and creators. From graphic designers to mixed media artists to painters, apparel designers, and illustrators, below is a list of incredibly talented creators to follow on Instagram who live, work, or were born and raised in Jersey City.
Many of them have studios at Mana Contemporary {near Journal Square} or partake in local markets in Hoboken and Jersey City {like the Jersey City Artist and Maker Market}, so keep an eye out for these names in your neighborhood. In the meantime, make sure to support these local artisans by following them on social media and consider shopping through their websites, Etsy shops, emails, or DMs. Shop small!
Shantell Martin {@shantell_martin}
Originally from London, Shantell Martin is a visual artist recognized for her black and white drawings. Shantell now lives and works out of Jersey City. Check out her website to see some of her incredible past work and partnerships.
Ann Tirado {@atirarte}
Ann is a Puerto Rican artist who primarily works in paint. She specializes in Latina art. Check out her shop here.
Anthony Boone {@booneartlife}
Anthony is a freight train conductor, sculptor, and designer who works with all kinds of materials ranging from paint, wood, dirt, or “whatever feels right”, according to his website. He has a residency at Mana Contemporary and recently held an event in partnership with Coolvines!
Cayla Morton {@bycayla}
Cayla is a born and bred Jersey Girl who currently calls JC home {and used to live in Hoboken}. She’s known for her custom, hand-painted jean jackets, jean shorts, sneakers, murals, and more. Cayla has partnered with brands like Free People on custom denim, Teva on custom, celeb sandals, Hazel Boutique in LBI on a custom mural, and more! Her Instagram is full of her musings and custom pieces.
Debbie Magual-Condi {@veravixeness}
If hand-painted leather goods and homemade jewelry is your thing, look no further than Vera Vixeness by Debbie Magual-Condi. Debbie is also the founder of the outdoor festival Artist & Maker Market in Downtown JC!
Read More: 11 Stylish Hoboken, Jersey City + Beyond Instagram Accounts to Follow This Fall
DISTORT {@distoart}
This unnamed artist isn’t just any local graffiti genius. DISTORT, who lives in Jersey City, earned a BFA from the University of Pennsylvania and a Certificate in Painting from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. His impressive mural art {some of which is in Jersey City and Hoboken} has impacted both the “streets and galleries alike,” as his site states. For a more comprehensive array of his work than what you see on Instagram, visit DISTORT’s website.
Doors of Jersey City {@doorsofjerseycity}
This local account is a fan favorite in JC and a great place to get a dose of artistic architecture. Follow @doorsofjerseycity to see the prettiest, most unique, antique, and old school doors around town.
Erin Fox {@moxiefox}
Erin may be a familiar face for those who frequent Kanibal & Co. to find the perfect gift or goodie, but did you know that some of the shop’s hand-crafted items are made by Erin herself? She is a JC-based illustrator who creates custom portraits, pins and stickers for her Etsy shop, postcards through Punk Post, and even more types of unique crafts on her website.
Gary Lichenstein {@garylichtensteineditions}
Gary Lichenstein has had a remarkable 45-year career and has produced a wide range of fine art silkscreen and exhibitions, collaborating with many other great artists in his line of work. His studio is located at Mana Contemporary. Read more about Gary’s impressive career and accomplishments on his website.
Jennifer Krause Chapeau {@jkrausechapeau}
Jennifer is a seasoned painter who shows her work at Mana Contemporary in Jersey City. She often highlights local landscapes and architecture in beautiful watercolor. See some of her impressive art on her website.
Justine Trocchia {@needleandstitchco}
If you’re looking to follow a local artist who specializes in embroidery, Justine is your girl. She calls her specialty “fiber art” and is known for her custom-crafted embroidery for baby apparel and specialty items. Justine’s embroidered goods are available for sale on her Etsy shop.
Katie Cadamatre {@katiecadamatre}
Katie’s bio says it all; she’s an illustrator, designer, mom, and popcorn aficionado. Katie’s designs often feature Jersey City brownstones, beauty or fashion-focused items, or kids’ art. In fact, Katie recently launched Tiger Boom Creative {@tigerboomcreative on Instagram}, a Korean children’s line of illustrated stickers, books, and more.
Katie Duffy {@kduffym}
Katie is a watercolor artist who creates beautiful, feminine work for purchase on her Instagram. She frequents arts festivals and markets in Jersey City and Hoboken, as well.
Katie Niewodowski {@petitraits}
Katie is an illustrator who created a side hustle she calls “Petitraits.” She hand draws personalized portraits of pets and people. Katie is also an artist of the fine arts, capturing photos and drawing unique scientific objects. Visit Katie’s website to see some of her extraordinary work, shop a few of her paintings, or check out the Petitraits site.
Katie Perez Cavallaro {@katiepeastudio}
Katie is a Jersey City-based illustrator who specializes in adorable, handmade stationery. Her work is often in light, bright pastel shades and features everyday objects like food, puppies, and florals.
Kayt Hester {@kayt_tape}
It’s not often that you come by artists who use hand-torn masking tape as their creative medium. Meet Jersey City artist, Kayt! She creates beautiful work in primarily black and white using primarily tape.
See More: A List of Hoboken, Jersey City, + NYC Photographers for All Your Photoshoot Needs
Konus Design {@konusdesign}
The artist behind the Konus Design is Jersey City resident Raphael Pangilinan. He has an extensive background in architecture, design, and interior finishing, which he uses to create unique modern art.
Ling Chen {@lingchen.art}
Striving to capture the beautiful moments in life, Ling is a painter specializing in rich, custom portraits of Jersey City and the greater Hudson County area. To purchase her artwork, visit her website.
Norman Kirby {@normkirby}
Norm is a regular around Jersey City. Keep an eye out, and you might even spy some of his work in the wild. Norm is a visual artist who uses string, pen, and long exposure photography to create unique art pieces.
ONHEL {@onhel}
Brooklyn born but Jersey City raised, ONHEL started as an audio engineer with artists like Swizz Beatz, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, and went on to become a music producer for Lil Wayne. During his time in music, he was nominated for three Grammys. Now, ONHEL has ventured off into another creative form. He started painting in September of 2019 and has been going strong ever since. Check out his website for more of his unique background and culturally-driven art.
Rebecca Ferreira {@rivingtonrose}
Rebecca’s hand-crafted felt flowers are so sweet. She specializes in floral collars for people’s pets but also crafts arrangements for vases, lapel pins, wedding bouquets, individual stems, and more. Give her website a peek, too.
Taylor Bellow Adams {@taybelladamsart}
Taylor is a graphite artist that recently joined the Jersey City community. The Louisiana transplant worked as a flight attendant, but after years in the airline industry, she was “drawn” back to her love of drawing. She was an art major and studied multiple art mediums, charcoal being one of them. Her work ranges in feature, but she specializes in custom children’s portraits. Taylor is in high demand – she is booked until 2021.
Will Power {@theartofwillpower}
Will is an artist with strong urban roots and influence from Hip Hop culture. He also has a passion for the arts of The Great Renaissance Masters that you can see in his work. He was born and raised in Jersey City. Learn more about him and see some of his work on his website, as well.
Tara Kothari {@tarakotharistudio)
Tara is a Jersey City-based ceramicist that draws her inspiration from beautiful botanicals. After picking up pottery as a hobby in 2012, she decided to pursue art full time and clay became her go-to medium. Check out Tara’s website or her Etsy Shop for more of her beautiful designs.
Zack Perl and The Bacyard {@thebacyard}
Zack is a filmmaker and photographer based in Jersey City, who works with quite a few Jersey City-based brands and restaurants. His feed is full of creative work and lots of Misunderstood Whiskey, a brand he is proudly behind. Check out his website for more of Zack’s work.
