10 Rising NYC Street Artists You Should Know

Aaron Li-Hill is a Canadian visual artist who lives and works in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He uses his background in fine art and talents in illustration, painting, sculpting, and design to create complex murals and installations that convey movement and life and often deal with man’s relationship to nature. Over the past couple of years, Li-Hill has spent very little time at home because he has been busy traveling the world, showing in exhibitions, creating pieces for festivals, and painting murals overseas. He has also done several interviews recently with LiveFAST Magazine, Arrested Motion, and other publications, so those who don’t know his name soon will. Li-Hill says that he plans to do less traveling this year and contribute more to the street art scene in New York, so we can’t wait to see what he produces.

A lot of people learned GILF!’s name when she wrapped 5Pointz in a banner that read “Gentrification in Progress.” In an interview with 12oz Prophet, the self-identified “emerging artist” described her perfect New York City as “unsterilized” with “evolved grit, character, and hustle.” Her work both on the streets and in gallery shows deal with social issues and politics, as she also self-identifies as an activist artist. She acknowledges her white privilege and the double-edged sword of being a female street artist, and all of her life experiences can be felt in what she creates.

On a list full of painters, Aakash stands out with his incredible use of brightly colored tape to create optical illusions. He also moved into the digital realm with interactive pieces that are just as cool and tricky.

2014 was a big year for Elle, as she began to diversify her skill set, participated in more exhibitions and festivals, and became a bigger name in the art world. From a Liquitex sponsorship to a collaboration with Mishka, a collaborative exhibition with photographer Martha Cooper, and an upcoming collaboration with IKEA, the Brooklyn-based female artist has been making moves and her art and career have grown significantly over the past five years.

In an interview with The Guardian, she spoke about the drive as a female street artist to be better and go harder than her male counterparts: “I believe the reason more women aren’t street artists is because society implies that certain things are just for men. As I became more aware of this, it became a motive for me to be a role model for younger women.”

Jerkface is a Queens native who got his start in graffiti and made the transition into murals in the late 2000s. He incorporates cartoon imagery from his childhood into his big, colorful piecesthat also rely heavily on repetition and altered appearances (like missing eyes) to create awesome and unique collages. From Pink Panther and Peanuts, to Richie Rich and Calvin and Hobbes, all of Jerkface’s murals are fun, full of nostalgia, and executed flawlessly.

Mender was particularly active in the past year, creating works that comment on the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Trayvon Martin. The artist works with sculpture, collage, and other print techniques to get his messages out to the world. We think that he will have a lot more to say, and you should start paying attention.

Sheryo’s star has been rising in the street art world for a few years now, so there is no reason why you don’t know her already. From collaborations with fellow artist The Yok, to her solo shows and contributions to festivals and projects around the world, Sheryo has been converting the non-believers one sketch and mural at a time. Not only is she changing the game for female artists, but she is changing things for the culture in general.

Iranian artists Icy and Sot can’t practice street art in their home country, but their careers have been flourishing in New York City and in other parts of the world. The young artists’ work shifts from deeply political to light-hearted and fun, though these days they lean more toward the former, and with each new project we get to see them grow and learn new techniques. We also learn more about their beliefs and views through their work. “Most of our work is about the experiences we've had,” they once told us in an interview. ”But our work is not just about Iran; it's global.”

Dasic does things with color on walls that look like they could never be done with spray paint. Each of his murals looks like a painting that has been magically pulled from a canvas and glued to the side of a building. His only formal art education came in the form of architectural studies back in Chile, but he paints like a master with an incredible eye for detail. Seeing his works on a computer screen is amazing, but seeing it in person is a mind-boggling experience that we highly recommend.

Jennifer Caviola, a.k.a. Cake, is another artist who has been rising in the ranks over the past five years for her work with wheatpastes. She successfully transitioned from the world of abstract painting into focusing on figurative and street work. She has had solo shows on both coasts, has participated in a very long list of group shows, and recently went to Berlin for PERSONS OF INTEREST at Urban Nations Project M/7, curated by Brooklyn Street Art and featuring other great artists including Icy & Sot, Gaia, and Swoon.