Image via Complex Original
Nail art is not just your little sister's hobby anymore. Everyday it's becoming more and more clear that nail art is a valid form of art, despite it having firm roots in the world of beauty and fashion. Women with fine art backgrounds, and some with just natural born gifts, are creating nail designs so incredible that they're collaborating with big name brands and curators to turn nail art into a sustainable career.
If that doesn't persuade you, take a look at Chicago-based artist, Dzine, who didn't let gender get in his way when he published Nailed: The History of Nail Culture and Dzine. He then created numerous subsequent nail art exhibits in museums around the globe.
So let's say you've heard rumblings of nail art before. Your homegirls' Instagram is full of pics of her nails. You've heard of the WAH! Nails girls.* You've overheard the women in your office talk about their manis costing them over $100 every other week. Well, here are 20 nail artists you may have never heard of but certainly should know.
*WAH! Nails is damn near a household name, so although we appreciate their work, they were excluded from this list to give some lesser-known chicas the appropriate shine.
20 Nail Artists You Should Know
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Mei
Mei
Speciality: Interpretive d\Designs
Fresh off her artist visa from Japan, where she owned a nail salon in Harajuku, Mei has done collaborations with bands and worked backstage at Fashion Week. As one of the nail artists featured in MoMA PS1's nail art series, she determines where her art will go based on her favorite food, shrimp, nude paintings, and her dreams, saying," I really love translating these things into detailed illustrations." Highlights of her career include working with jewelry designer, Monique Pean, and artist, David Cook. "I haven't done his nails, but there are some fun things to come. I'd like to eventually do Madonna and Rihanna's nails." At the rate she's going, that's not too far off.
nytokyonail.blogspot.com / @ciaomanhattan2012
Lili Nguyen aka This is Venice
Lili Nguyen
Specialities: Patterns and Stud Work
From Paris to Venice, Lili is on a mission to pimp your nails. Hip-hop and California are her main muses, but part of her love for nail art comes from meeting so many women. "I really like every one of the ladies I meet, some even become friends of mine, but once I can do Katy Perry's nails, I'll have a favorite client."
Nancy Mc
Nancy Mc
Specialities: Illustrations and Cartooning
If Nancy travels, watches a film, reads a book, or buys a new outfit, you better believe some nail art will come of it. The British nail artist collaborates with her best friend, Leanne C., and a London-based jewelry brand called Tatty Devine. Having only one professional year of work (four years altogether), her art is neat and always fun.
Ran Kowatari
Ran Kowatari
Specialities: Hand-detailed Nail Art and Swarovski Crystal Designs
Born in Kyoto, Japan, Ran launched her career in 2002 and made her way onto the New York fashion scene in 2008. As one of the most sought after nail artists, she's done work for New York Magazine, Vogue, Elle, and MTV. Her personal favorite nail design was for the Kithe Brewster fall/winter 2013 collection. She says, "It was really unique in that each of the models' fingers featured a different kind of art. The art was also interchangeable depending on the outfit, making it truly versatile-just like many of the looks in Kithe's collection. I think the industry in the U.S. is finally coming to recognize nail art as an essential fashion accessory in its own right, and it's very exciting."
Nail Gurl
Nail Gurl
Speciality: "I'm still working on that!"
Nailgurl is popular for taking a bullshit plastic nail tip that you can find at any cheap beauty supply store and turning it into nothing less than a masterpiece. From portraits to patterns to cartoons, she can't be narrowed down to any one specialty. Follow her on Instagram, and you'll see that she literally can, and will, turn every aspect of life and pop culture into nail art, from a painful wisdom tooth to Wonder Woman and Terry Richardson.
nailgurl.com / @nailgurlnyc
Ashley Crowe aka Astrowifey
Ashley Crowe aka Astrowifey
Speciality: Replicating Fashion Prints
You would think Astrowifey is a rap name, but since 2008 her name has been synonymous with nail art. As with a lot of nail artists, she challenges herself by duplicating her favorite artwork on nails, and she's particularly fond of street art and graffiti. Besides being a nail artist, Astrowifey started a brand new nail art magazine called TipsyZine, showcasing not only her work but the work of her peers." You can always channel ideas onto fingernails for an affordable price. It's not permanent like a tattoo, but it allows you to have art attached to your fingertips for two weeks at a time."
Christina Rinaldi aka This is Prima
Christina Rinaldi aka This is Prima
Specialities: Clean Lines, Working with Illusions, and Finding the Perfect Aesthetic for Each Client
Painting custom nail designs since the 7th grade, Christina is one of the few nail artists that includes photography as one of her inspirations. She recently started collaborating with adidas, but loves the one-on-one interactions she gets to have with her clients.
primacreative.com / @thisisprima
Ria Lopez
Ria Lopez
Specialities: Tribal Designs and Replicating Pictures
Hailing from Brooklyn, Ria's been in the nail art game for five years now. She finds a way to express music, clothing patterns, paintings, and jewelry in virtually all of her nail art. "My girl Alexis Krauss from Sleigh Bells is one of my favorite clients, but every one of my clients is my favorite. They give me the opportunity to create art on their tiny canvases and be as creative as I possibly can."
Spifster
Tacarra Bianca Sutton aka Spifster
Speciality: Precise Freestyle Lines
It's been almost five years that Ms. Sutton, one of Chi-town's finest, has had clients laughing at her jokes and admiring the art she's laced their nails with. She's had clients ranging from Adrienne Bailon to Chrisette Michele and even Derrick Rose Jr-her first time clipping a baby's toe nails. "The basics of formal art can take you so many places, so I draw energy from the natural geometry of the world, and colors too. I like to give a person a certain feel when doing nail art. Colors are a definite way to get a person from feeling sad to Mountain- Dew hyped."
Britney TOKYO
Britney Tokyo
Speciality: Working with Sequins, Studs, and Rhinestones
Starting in Japan, Britney Tokyo is now a notable nail artist in L.A. She considers nail art to be a mix between the worlds of beauty, fashion, and art. As a fan of pop culture, she has a love-hate relationship with Barbie, but what girl doesn't?
Naomi Yasuda
Naomi Yasuda
Specialities: Painting and Stud Work
Naomi started painting her nails at the tender age of nine, and it certainly paid off. With 11 years of professional experience, she's a favorite among many celebrities, including Lala Anthony and Madonna. After flipping nail art for so many years, she makes a special effort to stay original. "I always carry a small sketch book to write down my ideas. I never check any other nail blogs or nail art website."
Ami Vega aka El Salonsito
Ami Vega aka El Salonsito
Specialities: Color Theory, Detailing, Famous Art Replicas
From way up in New York's Washington Heights, Ami has had a nail art brush in her hand for the past six years. She's most known for her Basquiat replicas and is inspired by textiles and patterns. Of her clients she says, "I really enjoy the new clients who are not familiar with nail art. Being able to make them cross over into the nail art world is quite satisfying. I always tell folks that I feel like a nail art pusher. I give them a taste, and they're hooked-always coming back for more."
Nagi Coco of Disco Nail
Nagi Coco of Disco Nail
Specialities: Out of the Ordinary Designs and Pattern-Mixing
Yes, this nail artist is also from Tokyo, but don't profile her so quickly. She is known for very unique, sometimes even creepy nail designs, and is actually a source of inspiration for many artists on this list. Somewhat elusive, you'd be hardpressed to find just about any info on her through a quick Google search, but when she drops a new manicure on Tumblr, the Internet goes nuts.
Emma Zentner aka BOOM Nails
Emma Zentner aka BOOM Nails
Speciality: Detailed, Precise Patterns
Another London lady, Emma Zentner is, plain and simple, sick with it. Her designs are clean, colorful, and precise, and after a couple of years working in the UK, her work is finally starting to get the recognition it deserves here in the States.
The Illustrated Nail
Illustrated Nail
Speciality: Elaborate Patterns and Prints
As a graduate of Kingston University in the field of illustration and animation, nail art was not a stretch for the lady behind Illustrated Nail, by any means. She was encouraged to get into nail art by her mother and is now one of the most illustrious nail artists out there. In a beautylish.com interview she says, "Nail art hasn't always been taken seriously, and I think that's such a shame. I am first and foremost an artist."
Fleury Rose
Fleury Rose
Speciality: Hand-Painted Details
Time Out NY named Fluery Rose one of the top 10 nail artists in the city, but she's an international favorite, too. Working out of the Tomahawk Salon in Brooklyn, she's done the nails of Chanel Iman, Kate Upton, Rooney Mara, and Florence Welch, and her designs can be spotted in Vogue, Paper, Interview, and Nylon. Like many of the ladies on this list, Rose has a formal art background, particularly in watercolor, oil painting, and ink drawing.
Sophy Robson
Sophy Robson
Speciality: Fashion-forward Nail Designs
Don't get it fucked up. Sophy Robson is the queen of nail art. She's not a blogger or a simple manicurist; she's an artist. The single mother and British native is responsible for putting nail art at the forefront of fashion saying, "In the beginning, I wanted to be known for making nails credible as a high-end career and to make my name into a brand that stood for something." Her work has been published everywhere from Interview magazine to various international versions of Vogue, and she's known for several designs including the v-gap.
Madeline Poole
Madeline Poole
Specialities: Color Choice, Straight Lines, Simple Designs
In only a year and half, Madeline Poole has become nothing short of famous for her simple, clean, and colorful designs. Her favorite people to work with? The Nordstrom crew, shooting catalogues. "I'm inspired by a very wide variety of things, from the packaging on cleaning products to 16th century portraits. The list is long and weird!"
Jessica Washick
Jessica Washick
Speciality: Themed Manicures
You can thank Jessica's bad break up in 2007 for the nail art she whips up today. "Nail art helped me get over the breakup, so my motto became 'You don't need a man, you need a manicure,' which is now the trademarked slogan of my website. I find humor and beauty in things pretty easily, and I think that always shows through in my nail art." About the themes that Washick is most famous for, "I get inspired by something, and I want the inspiration to come across strongly on the nails. I don't usually do the small drawings, even though I greatly admire nail artists who do that, but we're all different. I usually look at the 10 nails as a whole. I think of the nails as a unit."
Clara H.
Clara H.
Specialities: Nail Enhancements and Blinged-Out Nail Art
For 12 years, Clara H., has been drawing upon Japanese pop culture, her clients, and fashion for inspiration, in that order. The Melbourne, Australia resident says, "I recently did Serena and Venus Williams' nails, and they were awesome! But I'm lucky enough to say that 98% of my clients are fantabulous. And that's not even an exaggeration. I love them to bits. I don't want to be addressed as a celebrity nail artist though. I shun from labels like that. Just keeping it real."