Christmas might be over, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t treat yourself to some amazing art this month! Whether you’re looking for funky and colorful prints for your apartment, oil paintings or ceramics for your significant other (because it’s never too early to start shopping for Valentines Day) here are five incredible independent artists you can support.
- Chidinma Azinge
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Chidinma Azinge is a young artist and creator of the vibrant clothing and art brand “The Groovy Crew”. What’s so great about Azinge’s art work is that not only is it incredibly creative, but the characters are so expressive that they pull you into another world. Azinge focuses on depicting women of color in extremely animated and abstracted ways, appearing as what can only be described as beautiful, other-worldly creatures. “The Groovy Crew” sells art in various mediums, ranging from traditional prints to clothing and phone accessories. If you’re looking for a captivating print to add a pop of color to your apartment, or even a funky sweatshirt that all your friends will want to “borrow” from your closet, be sure to check out “The Groovy Crew”.
- Tatiana Cardona
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The incredible handmade ceramics brand Female Alchemy is the brainchild of the beautiful Tatiana Cardona. Cardona creates cauldrons, cups, incense burners, mugs, trays, and vases – but if you’re thinking of a glossy vase with delicately painted flowers or patterns, think again! Female Alchemy’s products are, in a word, sexy. Cardona is so so skilled in her craft, that each handmade and hand painted mug has a life and personality of its own – and a great one, at that! Her bold work features mugs with pouting lips, stuck out tongues with acid tabs laying on them, fangs, and devil horns. Full, glossy lips have become a trademark of Tatiana Cardona’s work, celebrating the power in women claiming their sexuality. You can check out the entire collection of Female Alchemy on Tatiana’s instagram, or on their website.
- Ruth Mora
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The incredibly talented illustrator Ruth Mora is a comic artist and self proclaimed hellraiser. Their comic styled art, sold in the form of prints and clothing, is edgy, badass, and insanely cool. Mora draws a variety of characters, including rockers with spiked hair, leather jackets, and dangly earrings, women in mullets and dressed in nothing but knee high leather boots, and dogs in rhinestone covered lingerie. What makes Mora’s work so captivating is the effortlessness of the character’s cool. Most of Mora’s work features explicit captions that are very fitting to the character’s they flow from. Some are laughable, like “Does my bad bitch status mean nothing to these fucking people?”, while others are feminist mantras, including “Who do I belong too? No one other than myself” and “No gods, no razors, I love bush!” You can support Ruth Mora (who goes by meanmachine on Instagram) through her website!
- Arch Valentino
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Arch Valentino, who goes by taurusqueer on Instagram, is a trans artist who creates clothing and prints with sketchy, cartoon like characters and featuring shockingly deep text. Although the style of their work might seem simple, the true beauty in Arch Valentino’s work lies in the words. This text-based style of art is perfect for prints to hang above your bed. Some of the work Valentino creates includes demonic creatures, three headed dogs, and artwork advocating for the rights of the LGBTQ community. While some of Valentino’s work features messages of hope and resilience, most of the work places an emphasis on the dark, but truthful plights of humans, including phrases such as “Empathy without boundaries is self-destruction” and “Some old wounds become so drastic we amputate parts of ourselves for them”. You can buy Valentino’s clothing or prints on their website!
- Melanie Medina
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Melanie Medina creates paintings that are just as beautiful as she is, which is saying something because she is truly stunning. Specializing in fine art using the mediums of oil and acrylic on canvas, Medina creates paintings celebrating femininity and the female body. The craftsmanship of Medina’s work is truly admirable, as capturing the female form in all its glory is nothing that is easy to do. Medina sells her work as phone accessories, original paintings, prints, and even grinders! If anyone in your life (or yourself) has ever wanted a grinder with beautifully painted breasts, make sure to check out Medinas website!