New York City, NY

The art of Toma Vagner is a unique blend of illustrations from toy packaging in the 1950s, Japanese cartoons, and an alternate universe in which IKEA makes manuals for everything from food to guitar pedalboards to fairy tales. She is adept at threading the needle between realism and the fantastic. Many of her works feature intricately detailed hands and figures, but the art remains approachable due to her use of childlike symbols and explanatory panels. Perhaps most evocative are her color palettes, which are reminiscent of aged cardboard or old movie posters.

Toma Vagner was born on Sakhalin Island, an archipelago off the southeast corner of Russia. Trained and based in New York City, Toma has received numerous scholarships and awards, with three gallery exhibitions in 2017 alone. She's completed commissioned work for big names such as Harry Styles and The New York Times.