5 Chicago Artists You Should Know In 2025
In the past 12 months a handful of Chicago artists have made great strides in their careers, challenging themselves with new ideas, and innovative techniques. Each artist on the list has dived deep into self discovery, unleashing their full creative potential. From immense dedication, they've produced their own voice and translated it visually on canvas, on walls throughout the city, and even on fabric. With such great progression in 2024, we feel that this year, you should definitely pay attention to the names that follow.
Roger J. Carter
Since the start of his Toy Soldier series in 2020, Roger J. Carter has been on the fast track of artistic success. The artist has appeared in numerous documentaries, articles throughout the web, and has steadily commissioned hundreds of works for a growing list of clientele.
In July of 2024, the artist was asked to commission a Rolex watch out of Legos. After experimenting on his approach, he completed the piece, which achieved massive awareness on social media with over 500,000 views on Instagram.
Jc Rivera
If you’re a Chicago resident, you may likely already know this artist due to his omnipresence with a Bear Champ character on the streets of almost every neighborhood in the city.
Just months ago, Jc Rivera teamed up with Barstool Sports for one of his largest murals yet, coinciding with the launch of a new basketball court at Barstool's new location in the West Loop. The artist shows no sign of slowing down with a solo show already in the works for early March in the heart of downtown Chicago. Stay tuned for more on that at a later date.
BernB0t
Bernb0t is an exciting new talent in Chicago’s art scene, known for his vibrant robotic characters that transform emotion into visual storytelling. His murals at Rickshaw bring unique energy to the space, while his captivating artwork displayed at Avec West Loop showcases his ability to blend art into dynamic environments. As a self-represented artist, Bernb0t is actively selling pieces that resonate with collectors and art enthusiasts alike. With a distinctive style and a growing presence in the city, Bernb0t is undoubtedly an artist to keep an eye on.
Ruben Aguirre
Rubén Aguirre is a Chicago based painter whose interest lies in drawing attention to underutilized infrastructure, and changing the way public space is experienced, to build a better connection between people and places. He has produced a number of murals across the U.S. and collaborated with brands like Google, Adidas, Linked IN, Starbucks, and many others.
Trip One
Trip One is arguably one of the most talented stencil artists in the Chicagoland area. Armed with spray paint and an exacto knife, the artist has created dozens of pop art inspired pieces that are now sitting in the homes of prominent art aficionados.
Trip also does all framing himself at his part studio, part woodworking shop. Halfway through 2023, the artist began creating a new series of work, exposing the skeleton structure of cartoon characters. We feel some of best creations are still yet to come.