The 100 Most Influential Artists Of The Complex Decade

100 extraordinary artists that changed visual art and culture forever.

Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

If one thing is certain about the past 10 years, it is that the intersection of arts and products has become more transparent. We're a generation spurred by collaboration and charged up by the potential of visual arts to better almost every idea. Remember the Bird's Nest, Beijing's Olympic Stadium? Even that famous building was a collaborative effort between architect and conceptual artist.

Influence is a tough thing to pinpoint. However, we can easily celebrate the people that enriched our aesthetic options and made us think. Some of these folks created new products, others challenged gallery installations. We don't one type of art making over any other. Instead, we tip our hats to all who brought distinct and exciting visions to our daily lives.

In short, these are the artists who have shaped our vision of world over the past 10 years.

The 100 Most Influential Artists Of The Complex Decade.

13th Witness

13thWitness has rocked with the Deftones. He's filmed some of our culture's rising stars. And currently, he might just be the king of Instagram photography. Simply put, few folks are as connected to the pulse of what Complex is all about.

Rovio

We couldn't overlook Rovio, the creators of Angry Birds, in our 100 artists. Not only do they deserve eternal props for their work on this well-designed, user-friendly game, but we want more.

Motion Family

Since 2007, this Atlanta-based trio has been crafting gritty visuals for the City's always bubbling music scene. Whether in still or video format, their direct documentary style has kept our attention and given the South a whole new, distinct look. Their video for Yealwolf's "Pop The Trunk" remains firm favorite.

Rosson Crow

Rosson Crow's large-scale history painting is flat out awesome. In 2006, the Wall Street Journal picked her as one of several "23-year old masters." As the decade progressed she had major gallery shows in LA, NY, and Paris, including "Bowery Boys" at Deitch Projects. She also hit museums, mounting the impressive "Myth of the American Motorcycle," a show that was all about cross country runs, punk clubs, tough guys, and most importantly Crow's effortless style, at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati.

Eric Elms

Eric Elms is a designer respected among designers, who got his start screen printing posters for Shepard Fairey as a high school summer job. Between collabs with Stussy, Nike, and Vans OTW, his work spans skateboards, clothes, magazines, books, and really any object he sees and decides to make better.

Anthony Lister

Anthony Lister is an Australian street artist who made our 10 Street Artists to Watch in 2012 and did a sweet portfolio review with us recently. He's done work for the Standard Hotel and others, but most notably goes out of his way to help contemporary Australian artists on the come-up, and for that we appreciate him even more than we did before.

Phlegm

Phlegm is a somewhat mysterious artist from Sheffield, UK, who over the past few years has wowed with finely detailed, figure-driven murals. He mixes comic and steam punk, turning mundane spaces into magical worlds. Also, few others have managed to paint both a plane and a boat, which is a cool distinction.

Philippe Starck

Philippe Stark

Philippe Starck is a superstar designer, known for interior designing Ian Schrager's hotels and transforming consumer goods like toothbrushes and chairs into art.

Shigeru Miyamoto

You don't know Miyamoto? He's the video game designer and producer behind Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, and the Wii series. His work has been seen on every Nintendo video game console. Enough said.

Tomokazu Matsuyama

Matsuyama's dope acrylics and sculptures are all about how interconnected the world is now, with less cultural boundaries than ever before. We agree. We also want his Japanese-influenced pop paintings in our possession immediately.

Patrick Martinez

LA's Patrick Martinez gained notoriety for his "Less Drake, More Tupac" neon sign. But, he's no one trick pony. Exhibitions at home town Known Gallery and Honolulu's Loft In Space proved his range as a painter and his knack for direct social commentary. Martinez finished up the Complex Decade providing the art for MMG artist Stalley's "Savage Journey To The American Dream."

AJ Fosik

AJ Fosik's art draws from folk influences, but we think they look like modern day masterpieces. His recent show at Jonathan Levine was super impressive, and let's not forget that he was the genius behind Mastodon's The Hunter album cover.

Aurel Schmidt

Aurel Schmidt makes a lot of art, but we kinda think her self-portraits are works of art, too. But back to her drawings -- they're detailed cobwebby masterpieces, and no one does it better.

B+

B+ (Brian Cross) is one of the founders of Mochilla production company. Beyond his iconic album covers for Mos Def, Rza, Q-tip, and Easy-E, he's directed videos for DJ Shadow and Nitro Microphone Underground. We've heard about his photo book and documentaries in the works, and naturally, we can't wait to see what's next.

Rik Cordero

Rik Cordero is a master of film and music video directing. In 2009, he was awarded Video Director of the Year at the BET Awards, and one of his latest documentaries, "The World Is Watching," was produced by Nike and narrated by Spike Lee. He now executive produces Channel Three/21 on YouTube.

Cody Hudson

Cody Hudson's paintings, drawings, sculptures, and art direction put him in a league of his own, both commercially and in his fine art. Peep his clean aesthetic in The Cool Kids logo and A-Trak's "Sunglasses is a Must," in addition to his multiple street installations from Lyon, France, to Chicago.

Harry Allen

Harry Allen's industrial design has made him an innovator in the field, by transforming typically plain household items into coveted works of art. If you're not drinking from a Harry Allen wineglass, you better get it together.

Os Gemeos

These Brazilian twins brought traditional pixação art to the global mainstream, with a hip-hop twist. Murals all over the world solidified their stature among the most recognizable street artists around. Their recent exhibition at PRISM LA followed major museum shows in the United States and at home in South America... proving they've got appeal both inside and out.

Benny Gold

From HUF to his own, eponymous line, Benny Gold has crafted logos for some of the most recognizable companies in skate and street culture. A graduate of SCAD, he's living proof that doing what you love in the culture you love can pay off. Hat tip to his work in bikes too, specifically the logos for both Freeman Transport and Mash SF.

Martha Cooper

Photographer Martha Cooper has been documenting the graffiti scene since the 70s, but since 2006, she's been documenting the streets of Southwest Baltimore with street artist, Gaia. She continues to create and document constantly, with her latest books Subway Art and New York State of Mind being some of our favorites of all time.

Sam Flores

Adding signature graphics to 12 Grain garments and other goods from Upper Playground, Sam Flores was one of the first street artists to titillate the blog world. He's also responsible for some pretty amazing vinyl toys, like the "Kid Dragon" and "Blue Wyger" figures. Few artists hit as many of the last decades key product categories as hard as Flores.

Gabriel Orozco

Gabriel Orozco's 2009 show at MOMA is one of our favorites of the decade, despite making headlines for work at Tate Modern and Centre Pompidou, as well. Orozco constantly travels the world, and so does his work. We can't give him enough props for making us see things differently than we ever did before.

Usugrow

Based in Tokyo, Usugrow has blessed bands and brands with his delicate line drawings for much of the past decade. He's equally comfortable working with hip-hop groups as he is with headbangers, kicking out quality graphics for Travis Braker, Swollen Members, and Consolidated Skateboards.

Kid Zoom

Australian-raised Kid Zoom has been in NYC for the past 3 years, and it's been enough for him to create a nostalgic exhibition titled HOME, reflecting on suburban Australia. The ambitious film piece and installation shows he and iconic Australian cars being blown up. It may be odd, but it's worthy of a ton of respect for doing something so daring and self-reflexive.

Space Invader

Parisian street artist Space Invader's 8-Bit interventions are often hard to find, but immediately recognizable. Even at the landmark Art In The Streets exhibition, Invader chose cheeky placement for his installation. When it came to gallery shows, few street artists canvased as much of the globe—Space Invader was shown in Paris, Osaka, Melbourne, Los Angeles, New York City, London and Rome.

D*FACE

London's D*Face has had success as an artist, selling out shows of his own, but is more influential as a gallery owner. His StolenSpace remains one of London's premier street art venues hosting shows from Kid Acne, Evan Hecox, and Buff Monster. D*Face also did Christina's "Bionic" cover. So, there is that mainstream knock too.

Jack Pierson

Jack Pierson's art knows no boundaries, with a 2004 "Self-Portrait" series at the Whitney Biennial and works at all major museums worldwide. His celebrity photography has included unforgettable shots of Naomi Campbell, Snoop Dogg, Brad Pitt, and more.

Hideo Kojima

Hideo Kojima is a super-successful video grame creator, who's now the Vice President of Konami Digital Entertainment. You can count Metal Gear, Snatcher, and Policenauts among his contributions to gaming. What have you done?

Juan Uslé

Juan Usle

Juan Uslé uses color like no one else, and has had huge success in Latin America and beyond. If you can do textures like he can, please let us know.

Adam Wallacavage

Adam Wallacavage's chandeliers are out of this world, turning luxurious chandeliers into timeless works of art. We'd sure like to have some hanging around the office.

Scott Campbell

Campbell's exhibitions at OHWOW made us say, well, "Oh, wow." He deftly mixes traditional tattoo iconography and amusing phrases in his fine art, which includes laser cutting sheets of real money. He also jumps fluidly from vernacular art hi-jinks, for example making prison tattoo machines, to high fashion work for Louis Vuitton and others. In the end, you just can't front on Campbell's resume.

Maxime Buchi

You may not know Maxime Buchi, but the fact you know Zombie Boy is testament to his influence. His creative direction and typography helped form the current iteration of MUGLER and his own "Sang Bleu" has set a strong aesthetic many people have followed.

Curtis Kulig

You can attribute the Love Me graffiti all over NYC to photographer turned graffiti artist, Curtis Kulig. From selling out shows to collaborating with Nike and Vans, Kulig doesn't have an excuse for asking people to "love him" anymore.

FAFI

FAFI's first published book isn't the only item that's gotten her on our radar. Her colorful work has been admired around the world, and found its way to M.A.C. Cosmetics and Adidas stores and the Faubourg St-Honoré institution in Paris.

CLAW MONEY

NYC-based graffiti artist, Claw Money, is also a prolific fashion designer and author, with clientele from M.I.A. to Kanye West, and collaborations with Calvin Klein, Marc Ecko, and Nike. A girl who's designed two styles of custom Claw Money brand sneakers for Nike? Sounds like the baddest chick around.

Boogie (photographer)

Boogie

Boogie's gritty urban photography is perfectly showcased on his website, divided into categories like "Skinheads," "Drugs," Gangs," "Tokyo," "Cuba," and more. His contrasty black and whites are dark and clearly influential to a crop of photographers that wish they could cop his style.

SABER

LA graffiti artist Saber completed the largest graffiti piece ever created in 1997, and has come even farther since. His fine art work has been published and filmed multiple times, with his latest being an acclaimed show inclusion in the MoCa Art in the Streets exhibit and a 2011 solo show in NYC called The American Graffiti Artist.

Craig Wetherby

Self-taught photographer Craig Wetherby has set the tone for NYC analog photography, but also got him doing the iconic Method Man & Red Man Blackout 2 artwork and a special G-shock collab. Having contributed photography to nearly every publication in existence and done commercial work for a tons of brands, his endless portfolio has definitely been a staple of top art in the past 10 years, and we're grateful for it.

Jeff Koons

Jeff Koons has done it all, from giant balloon dog sculptures to BMW designs, but we found his skateboard decks for Supreme and creme de corps for Kiehls the dopest. His cultural impact is massive, and these collabs say it all.

Pushead

Pushead has made artwork for a ton of metal artists, but also for the likes of Dr. Dre and Travis Barker, in addition to a pair of Nike SB Dunks. He designed the shoes, box, tissue paper, soles, and tag on his limited edition SBs.

NOJO (mixtape designer)

Don't know NOJO by name? No matter, you're likely to recognize the Queen's native more for his photoshop skills. He's the mind behind Whoo Kid's Bulletproof: G-Unit Part 5 and other landmark mixtapes of the past decade. As Brendan Fredrick once said, "NoJo's designs are sometimes gritty, sometimes class, but always eye-catching." He set tone for a new generation of street level design hustlers.

REVOK

LA-based REVOK's graffiti work is rebellious, classic, and forward-thinking at the same time, usually at a large-scale that stuns anyone who sees it. He's had a massive influence on other street artists, such as Shepard Fairey, who created a Tyrant Boot when REVOK was jailed and fined for vandalism charges.

Mike Giant

Tattoo and graffiti artist Mike Giant tags bodies, streets, zines, and clothing, most notably for his REBEL8 line, which has a dope blog, as well. His work with other artists like Derick Montez and Apez has yielded results that we can't help but wish we could commission ourselves.

David Choe

David Choe ended the Complex decade with a whole bunch of Facebook stock money. He also did artwork for Jay-Z, Lincoln Park, and the film "Juno." Big time stuff like that made his dirty style globally recognizable. The documentary film, "Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe" (2008) is well work watching. Did we mention he was once imprisoned in Japan… yeah, his decade has been a little wild.

Jake and Dinos Chapman

These London-born brothers have been working together since 2001. In 2003, they were nominated for the prestigious Turner Prize. They lost. However, it was the kick-off to a decade of causing art world havoc and push notions of creativity forward with every step.

Sanford Biggers

Sanford Biggers' interdisciplinary work has reached huge success everywhere from the Tate Modern to the Whitney Biennial and Brooklyn Museum. His work references hip-hop, Afrofuturism, and urban culture to talk about American history in a new way.

Blek le Rat

Blek le Rat started painting stencils of rats on the street walls of Paris to make the point that street art is free and uncontrollably spreads. He's undoubtedly an icon in the guerilla art movement, using his work to represent the homeless and bring awareness to greater global issues. While he's had commercial success, he says that he still prefers to paint in the streets, and we find that amazing.

Glen E. Friedman

Glen Friedman's iconic photos have promoted Ice-T, Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, Beastie Boys, and Run-D.M.C., but he's not doing too bad himself. With work at the Met and Smithsonian and a limited print collaboration with Shepard Fairey, Friedman hasn't wasted any time showing other photographers how its done.

Dan Colen

Dan Colen is one of those impossibly cool downtown NYC artists who has shown at the Whitney Biennial, The Royal Academy in London, and Gagosian, making his large-scale graffiti-inspired paintings and installations seem easy. If you've ever seen Bird Shit, then you know he takes it to a place that most artists won't.

Dennis McNett

Dennis McNett's block prints exhibit a high-energy rawness that inspired collaborations with Anti-Hero Skateboards, Adidas, Vans, and Barneys. His Viking ship parades in Philly, NYC, and elsewhere have memorably brought his work to life.

Don Pendleton

Don Pendleton's expressionist skateboard graphics have caught our attention throughout the years, in addition to Element Skateboards, Etnies, Burton, Nike, Gatorade, and Oakley.

Kevin Lyons

Kevin Lyons is a superstar art director, who recently collabed with Colette and DC Shoes to paint a skate ramp in Paris. In the past 10 years, he's also worked with Nike and Converse, and was the former global Creative Director at Urban Outfitters. In 2010, he won a Cannes Golden Lion for his Diesel campaign and an Emmy for title design of Eric Ripert's PBS series, Avec Eric.

Conor Harrington

Connor Harrington

Conor Harrington's paintings stun in and out of the gallery, where he uses mostly masculine forms and icons of urban culture. He's had amazing exhibitions at Lazarides and on a street near you.

Tord Boontje

Tord Boontje's product design is unmatched, creating the dopest lamps and textiles we've ever seen. He has work at MoMa and the Victoria and Albert Museum, and was also named the Dutch Designer of the year in 2005.

George Condo

George Condo's been painting amazing, "artificially realistic" subjects for a while now, but it was his collaboration with Kanye on the My Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy artwork and another for Supreme skateboard decks that really caught our attention. Having also recently done the topless girl artwork for Ye's "Theraflu," it's hard to imagine not including him on the list.

Tom Dixon

Tom Dixon is the man! His design and manufacturing company was established in 2002 bringing an innovative commitment to furniture and lighting that has shaped our decade. Dixon's products fill the coolest stores and restaurants around the world. Next time you are in a dope bar, remember to look closely.

Patricia Urquiola

Patricia Urqioula

Spanish born designer Patricia Urquiola is one of our favorite furniture designers. Work for Cassina, Kartell, and others is high on our "must have" lists. You know… must have when we finally have that dream home. Even when the designs weren't strictly from the Complex Decade, they informed our taste and provided regular inspiration.

Shigeru Ban

Pioneering architect Shirgeru Ban transformed our notions of proper building material with his inventive use of cardboard. He's done pavilions for Puma, which follow the Volvo Ocean Race, and designed stores for Camper. Bigger still are plans for a new home for the Aspen Art Museum.

Campana Brothers

Brothers Fernando and Humberto Campana do amazing stuff with furniture and other household goods. Fashionable readers will surely remember their stunning collaboration with Lacoste. Over the last few years they helped stretch our expectations of objects and amused us every step of the way.

Alex Pardee

Another killer all-purpose artist, Alex Pardee has done awesome stuff for Hurley, Twenty Twenty Skateboards, and Kid Robot. His Walrus Rider is one of the coolest toys of all time. What else? Oh, he also did the Sucker Punch movie artwork.

Jeremy Fish

Jeremy Fish has had killer exhibitions featuring his paintings, drawings, screen-prints, and woodcuts. Notable collaborations include a 2006 Nike SB and a book titled The Next Best Thing with Aesop Rock.

Evan Hecox

Evan Hecox's work examines urban landscapes, pointing out things we normally overlook in our day-to-day lives. He recently did work with inCase for Arkitip.

Dave Kinsey

David Kinsey uses multiple mediums to convey the human condition and dually founded Kinsey/DesForges Gallery to support the work of emerging artists. Notable exhibitions include Art Brussels in Belgium and the URBIS Museum in Manchester, UK.

Ari Marcopoulos

Beginning his career as an assistant to Andy Warhol, Ari Marcopoulos has since made a name for himself documenting artists, musicians, skateboarders, and pretty much everyone living life on the edge. Notable collaboration with Nike.

Michael Lau

Michael Lau has come a long way from being a window display designer, as he's now one of the most influential illustrators and toy designers, in addition to a pioneer of a graffiti style uniquely his own. He opened his own gallery in Hong Kong, michael, in 2004.

Estevan Oriol

Estevan Oriol has famously photographed a ton of celebrities, in addition to directing music videos for Travis Barker, Xzibit, Blink 182, and more. With the rest of the Soul Assassins crew, Oriol has made the LA aesthetic a global one.

Frank Gehry

Frank Gehry is an icon who almost needs no introduction. Named “the most important architect of our age” by Vanity Fair, as well as a celebrity architect or “Starchitect,” Gehry has gone from designing major buildings and winning awards for them to creating furniture, jewelry, and even software.

Jamil GS

Jamil's work is a dope mix of art and branding, photographing hot women and musicians for Supreme, Made, Premium Goods, and more.

Ellen Stagg

Photographer Ellen Stagg had an agent before she graduated college, which says a lot about her quick rise to the top. Influenced by erotic art, Stagg's style over the past decade has earned her a dedicated following, who appreciate the way she tastefully combines art and sex. Her collaboration with Mishka solidified connection to our interests, a perfect fusion of streetwear and one of our favorite photographers.

STASH

New York graffiti legend, Stash, came up with Keith Haring and Basquiat at the young age of 17, resisting pop art and staying true to the subways. His 2009 Painting Trains piece says it all – “When I started painting trains, no one thought it would last.” We, of course, salute STASH for creating some of the greatest Nike colorways of the past 10 years... and even lending a hand to a few other brands.

Herzog and de Meuron

Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron have been creating innovative architecture since 1978, from the Tate Modern in London to the Beijing National Stadium in Beijing and Prada Store in Tokyo. They've won the Pritzker Prize, the Lubetkin Prize, and the Royal Gold Medal, while managing to change the medium forever.

Jonathan Mannion

Jonathan Mannion calls himself, “THE Hip-Hop Photographer,” and we have no disputes. His first major commission was Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt album, and since then, he's gone on to document anyone and everyone who matters in the genre.

David Ellis

David Ellis' motion paintings and installations are as much a part of art as they are music, defining his legacy by an ability to embrace improvisation and spontaneity.

Zaha Hadid

Architect Zaha Hadid has designed some of the most groundbreaking buildings in the last decade, from The Peak Club in Hong Kong to the BMW Central Building in Leipzig, Germany. The winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize (equivalent of the Nobel Prize) and one of Forbes' “The World's 100 Most Powerful Women,” in 2008, Hadid's influence is felt beyond architecture.

Kara Walker

Before Kara Walker was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2007, she was already on the map for her symbolic silhouettes, referencing slavery, struggle, and corporeality.

Ryan McGinness

Ryan McGinness has followed in Warhol's footsteps in his acclaimed use of contemporary iconography in painting and silk-screening. He's been fondly called, “A Warhol for the information age…” (Afterimage)

SWOON

SWOON started as a street artist when she was 19, and has done everything from creating the Miss Rockaway Armada collective of 30+ artists and musicians to large-scale installations worldwide. Often depicting her friends and family, her work has notable wood block and folk influences that distinguish her from other street artists of the decade.

Geoff McFetridge

Geoff McFetridge has dedicated his art career to bridging the gap between images and products, and has done so since he was a student winning awards for his thesis project, “Chinatown.” His design studio Champion Graphics has done projects for Stussy, Pepsi, Patagonia, and Burton.

Ryan Trecartin

Ryan Trecartin's film-making prowess from a young age landed him in the Saatchi Gallery collection, The New Museum, and MOCA. Represented by Paris' New Galerie, he was also awarded a 2009 Pew Fellowship in the Arts.

Riccardo Tisci

Riccardo Tisci is not only the Creative Director at Givenchy, he's also the designer behind the Watch the Throne album cover and “H.A.M.” and “Otis” single covers, with additional stints curating A Magazine and Visionaire Magazine.

Kehinde Wiley

Painter Kehind Wiley's work combines traditional portraiture and contemporary African motifs to create bold, masterful, era-defining work. Wiley's work pits the past and present against one another, making him a modern day master in his own right.

Dash Snow

The late Dash Snow is known for his photography, collage, and installation work depicting sex, drugs, and violence in the art world, and in his words, as a way to record “places he might not remember the next day.” In 2006 he was featured in the famous “23-Year Old Masters” Wall Street Journal article, and he sadly died three years later.

Ryan McGinley

The prolific Ryan McGinley has made history as a young photographer, from being the youngest artist to have a solo show at the Whitney to receiving the Young Photographer Infinity Award by the ICP. His first show “The Kids Are Alright” displayed the skate, music, and graffiti subculture that catapulted his dually commercial and fine art career.

Brent Rollins

Artist, art director, designer, author and TV producer Brent Rollins has created some of the most stunning logos, album covers, murals, billboards, and prints of our generation. Whether doing work for Nike, UNDFTD, or his personal endeavors, he maintains an unmatched standard of excellence.

For those who didn't know, Rollins' standard of excellence is also helps us... he serves brilliantly as our Art Director.

Frank Kozik

Frank Kozik has worked with the most important rock artists of the past decade, including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Offspring, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, creating memorable poster art, publishing several books, and running a record label called Man's Ruin Records.

JR

JR started on the streets of Paris but took his work to the overlooked parts and people of the world, which led him to win the distinguished TED Prize for 2011. Calling himself an “urban artivist,” he's ambitiously brought large-scale art to buildings and homes that most people would never expect it to exist.

Barry McGee

Barry McGee has operated under many different names, from Twist to Ray Fong and Bernon Vernon, but his large-scale graffiti work remains so coveted that it's been stolen and scavenged for years. Taking on the subject of the urban experience, McGee has shown work worldwide and created a legacy for paint drips in graphic design.

Terry Richardson

Terry Richardson is the celebrity photographer responsible for the near pornographic, yet undeniably iconic snapshots of everyone from Lindsay Lohan to Obama. He's photographed everybody, with most recent works including a photo book with Lady Gaga, a photoshoot-turned-music video with Odd Future for “Oldie,” and a solo show called “TERRYWOOD” at OHWOW Gallery. In the words of Terry, “It's not who you know, it's who you blow.”

KR (KRINK)

Priding himself on being a terrible art student and a semi-successful vandal, KR is a key figure in the graffiti art movement that started on trains and moved to the streets. Krink is his successful art supply line that grew from the inks he developed himself.

Mister Cartoon

Tattoo and graffiti artist Mister Cartoon has been an artist since he was 12, and has come a long way from airbrushing shirts and lowriders. He's tattooed everyone from Dr. Dre to Beyoncé, in addition to owning Joker Brand clothing and appearing in the Scarface: Origins of a Hip Hop Classic documentary.

Ron English

Using superhero mythology and art historical references, Ron English's hijacking of billboards and public space has made him notoriously iconic. Whether referencing McDonalds and Micky Mouse, or appearing on the Simpsons, English's mark on our culture is undeniable.

Todd James

Todd James did the classic illustration for the Complex Aug/Sept 2008 Lupe Fiasco cover, and is known by the moniker, REAS. Known for ironic paintings that he's shown worldwide, he also designed the logos for The Source, Mobb Deep, Eminem, and Red Man.

FUTURA

From painting graffiti on the New York subway in the 70s to showing work alongside Haring, Basquiat, and Scharf, Futura's abstract work has gotten him collaborations with Nike, The North Face, Supreme, BAPE, and more. His clothing line Futura Laboratories in Japan is equally impressive.

Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei has made headlines for more reasons than one – being unfairly jailed and censored by the Chinese government, a lead architect for the Beijing Olympics National Stadium (Bird's Nest), sunflower seed installations worldwide, and an author of multiple art historical books. He's a leading figure in promoting the free speech of contemporary Chinese artists online and offline, even being named the most powerful person in the art world by ArtReview Magazine. He famously said, “We're actually a part of reality, and if we don't realize that we are totally irresponsible.”

Takashi Murakami

Takashi Murakami's work is the greatest contemporary articulation of pop art and a blend of high and low, using painting, sculpture, and commercial media. You may recognize his work from the Louis Vuitton bag collaboration for Marc Jacobs, the cover of Kanye's Graduation album, or the $2m sculpture created with Pharrell.

Stephen "ESPO" Powers

Spanning both graffiti and studio art, Stephen Powers is a staple in contemporary art. As an editor of On the Go magazine in the 90s, and as an author of graffiti history book The Art of Getting Over, Powers is just as much a part of the street art movement as he is a historian of it. He eased his way into mass culture through designing for Nike and painting his love letter mural series that spanned cities across the U.S.

Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey's roots in skateboarding, illustration, and screen-printing have been the basis for his successful career as a street artist, printmaker, publisher, and creator of the Obey clothing line. Best known for his Barack Obama “Hope” poster, Fairey is one of the most important contemporary artists to date.

Damien Hirst

From formaldehyde sharks to diamond-encrusted skulls, Damien Hirst is infamously the richest living artist to date. Collaborations with the likes of Levi's and Supreme brought Hirst into our lives. Over the past 10 years he made the business of making money an art form in and of itself.

BANKSY

Banksy

Banksy is one of the most important and enigmatic artists of our time, not least for his 2010 Academy Award-nominated documentary, Exit Through the Gift Shop. Transforming graffiti and street art into social commentary against consumerism and the perfusion of advertising, Banksy's influence is firmly planted in our culture. His ubiquity over the past 10 years helped turn street art into a house hold term.

KAWS

Kaws

NYC-based KAWS tops the list as an artist and designer who's grown from mounting street interventions and designing sneakers to having sold-out gallery shows and major museum exhibitions. He's designed 3 iconic covers for Complex: N.E.R.D. (Aug/Sept 2008), Lindsay Lohan (Aug/Sept 2010), and Clipse (Oct/Nov 2009). Collaborative product keeps him in the public eye, while his stature in the art world grows year by year.