Art Featured

9 Chicago Artists You Need To Follow on Instagram

Written by:

Evan La Ruffa

Apr 12, 2018

For those of us who curate, Instagram is a lot of fun. We recently took a deep dive to get excited about some of our favorite Chicago-based artists with a solid presence on Instagram, and who are dedicated to their craft. Illustrators, tattooers, designers, and more.

We promise that you’ll enjoy getting to know each of the dope artists on this list, and recommend them to anyone who will listen. Uplifting local artists is easy to do, and you can start today. Give them a follow, check out their work and any events that they may do, and maybe even buy a great book or a new print for your wall.

Enjoy this list, there’s a lot of good stuff you won’t want to miss!

Photo: Courtesy of Chicago Reader – Kevin Coval

Kevin Coval – @kevincoval

Founder of Louder Than A Bomb, a poet, an organizer, and a creative beacon for our city, Kevin is proof that hustle & vision are great assets. His feed gives a glimpse into all the cool stuff happening throughout Chicago.

Michelle Wanhala – @mwanhala

Modern, bold & playfully Picassoesque. Mix that with a street sensibility and a tattooers sense of design. She, in fact, is a tattoo artist as well and works out of Pioneer Tattoo (@pioneertattoo).

Jordan Wesolek – @jordan.wesolek

A black and white design sensibility that yields really clean, composed, self-contained worlds that feel perfectly proportioned.

Zissou Tassef-Elenkoff – @fugscreens

A longtime printer in the Chicago scene creating gig posters & art prints for bands, brands, events, and more, Zissou works relentlessly and is always featuring great in-process pics for his latest releases.

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Photo: Courtesy of Evan La Ruffa

Ruben Aguirre – @likes_1

A solid dude and a prolific muralist, Ruben is constantly posting pics from his latest projects, all of which are on point. He blends an old-school approach with vivid color, applying a designer’s sense of composition and movement into finished murals that feel kinetic.

Justin van Genderen – @2046design

JvG, also known as 2046 Design, is a dude infatuated with science, space, and design, in equal proportions. In addition to a solid Instagram account, he also sells art prints & sweet t-shirts.

Grae Galindo Rosa Photo: Courtesy of Abel Arciniega

Chicagoteria by Grae Galindo Rosa – @chicagoteria

The iconic Mexican bingo card game re-envisioned with Chicago in mind. Grae is a dope designer and this series is their hallmark project to date. Expect a lot from them, but start by giving them a follow and catching up on art prints like “La Pintura” and “La Pizza”.

Chema Skandal – @chemaskandal

From El Maligno to a crazy versatility and proficiency in various printing techniques, Chema has caught fire over recent years and IPaintMyMind was happy to host him at one of our previous gallery openings. His gig posters are awesome and his style is unique.

Photo: Courtesy of Abel Arciniega

Sam Kirk – @iamsamkirk

Sam bounces between Brooklyn and Chicago, but I think its fair to include her on this list. Murals, art prints, and impressive projects nationwide, her style invokes pride, equality, and urban life in all its colorful glory.

Stay tuned for more installments of amazing local artists to follow, because there truly is no shortage.