Estelle Spinner
Somerset-based artist Estelle delves into the human psyche and the enigmatic depths of the subconscious through painting, illustration, digital art, and installations. Her work, featured in the upcoming Spirit World exhibition, fuses darkness and surrealism, from ethereal landscapes shrouded in mist to haunting figures that seem to gaze into the soul. Each piece invites viewers to explore their innermost fears and desires while experiencing a hauntingly beautiful vision of reality intertwined with the fantastical.
Jessica "JB" Burke
Jessica Burke, who goes by J.B., is an award-winning artist and Associate Professor of Art based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her labor-intensive colored-pencil drawings use magical realism to explore memory, personal narratives, and the darker sides of human nature. JB’s work has been exhibited internationally, published in top art journals, and is held in private, public, and corporate collections. In this feature, learn more about her approach, inspirations, and the meticulous process behind her vibrant, thought-provoking art.
Kuang Chu
Explore the haunting, meticulous world of artist Kuang Chu, whose Red Balloon digital drawing series is included in “The Spirit World” exhibition. His work blends European engraving traditions with contemporary meditations on solitude, resilience, and the mystical. In this feature, learn more about the artist’s influences, symbolism, and the powerful imagery behind his signature red balloon.
Carolyn Hampton
Carolyn Hampton, artist, psychic medium, and entertainment attorney from Los Angeles, channels her spiritual gifts into deeply personal fine art. Her “Childhood Dreams & Memories” series, created in collaboration with her daughter, draws on visions, memories, and spirit encounters to explore trauma, intimacy, and symbolic meaning. Carolyn’s work has been exhibited worldwide, published in books, magazines, and album covers, and continues to expand into painting and her “Constructed Fairytales” photo series inspired by myth and folklore.
Amelia Carley
Amelia Carley transforms found materials into vivid dioramas that become the foundation for her surreal landscapes. Her work examines ecological anxiety, memory, and the overlap of the natural and artificial, inviting viewers to consider humanity’s impact on the environment through imaginative, layered compositions
Caroline Heffron
In Issue 53 of Create! Magazine, Brooklyn-based artist Caroline Otis Heffron shares her transhistorical approach to painting, where women from art history meet contemporary street imagery. Through magical vignettes and saturated colors, her work examines dualities of belonging and isolation, vulnerability and strength, offering a theatrical yet intimate exploration of memory, myth, and feminine identity.
Lucine Kaplan
Lucine Kaplan transforms nylon pantyhose into evocative 2D fiber art, tracing the history of hosiery through a feminist lens. Her series Ripping the Seams combines historical narratives, contemporary commentary, and poetic context, revealing how women navigated innovation, labor, and visibility in the 20th century.
Taylor Keister
Taylor Keister creates layered assemblage paintings that explore nostalgia, femininity, and the tension between outward appearances and inner reality. Her work merges saturated color, decorative motifs, and altar-like structures to confront suburban rituals, childhood experiences, and the emotional cost of perfection.
Paige DeVries
Paige DeVries turns everyday walks through her New Orleans neighborhood into vibrant paintings that highlight the relationship between humans and their environment. Her work observes how choices shape landscapes, blending humor, quiet beauty, and reflection on suburban life
Jada and David Parrish
Jada + David Parrish are a Richmond-based artist duo whose mixed media practice merges painting, sculpture, motion, and photography into dreamlike illusions. Known for their 100 Set Project—where they built and photographed 100 sets from repurposed materials in a single year—their work explores perspective, uncertainty, and the human condition.
Cindy Phenix
Cindy Phenix creates dense, collage-like paintings and installations where humans, animals, and natural elements intertwine in vivid, layered compositions. Her work examines ecological crises, societal tensions, and the delicate balance between humanity and the natural world, offering viewers a glimpse into a poetic, interconnected universe
Teresa Ducamin
Teresa Ducamin’s illustrations balance geometric precision with soft, organic forms, inviting viewers to pause and notice the subtleties of daily life. Her series L'Hiver – Loin du Froid transforms personal experiences of winter into universal reflections on stillness, observation, and mindfulness
Sophia van der Bank aka MRS. HELICHRYSUM.
Meet Sophia, the creative force behind Mrs. H, whose paintings and illustrations blend whimsy, storytelling, and quiet rebellion. From her South African farm roots to Dubai’s vibrant inspiration, her work evokes emotion through recurring figures, text, and symbolic motifs. Explore her series There Should Be Room for Us Too and witness art that celebrates freedom, choice, and reflection.
Guesswho : Chenxin Luo and Chenyi Luo
New York City twin duo Guess Who blends individuality and collaboration in narrative-driven illustration and graphic design. Their work examines human relationships, emotional nuance, and heterotopian spaces, inviting reflection on connection, curiosity, and imagined worlds.
Lou Haney
Lou Haney’s work transports viewers into imagined domestic interiors where charm meets excess, and memory intertwines with fantasy. Using layered oil, acrylic, and fiber art, her paintings explore nostalgia, femininity, and the tension between reality and escape. Inspired by Pattern & Decoration and Pop Art, Haney transforms familiar spaces into surreal compositions filled with quiet traces of human presence.
Fern Apfel
Fern Apfel transforms letters, stamps, and keepsakes into richly layered paintings that blur the line between text and abstraction. Her work evokes nostalgia, memory, and the passage of time, inviting viewers to reflect on personal and collective histories. Explore her contemplative practice in Issue 53 of Create! Magazine.
Lilian Day Thorpe
Lilian Day Thorpe’s photomontage work blends film photography with digital collage to create serene, textural landscapes that hover between memory and imagination. Her compositions prioritize mood over realism, offering a pause from the everyday and a space to reflect on beauty, quiet, and stillness.
Corinne Ann Bowen
Corinne Ann Bowen’s analog photography transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. Through shadow, light, and subtle gestures, her work invites viewers to pause, reflect, and honor the small, sacred moments often overlooked in daily life
Xi Zhang
Xi Zhang’s paintings blend Eastern philosophy with Western expressionist traditions, creating emotionally charged compositions that examine memory, empathy, and the immigrant experience. From expansive dreamlike landscapes to intimate portraits, his work invites viewers into spaces of psychological tension and reflection.