Ilya Milstein

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Red Bull Music
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"A Couple on the Floor of a Forgotten Church"
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PayPal x Shopware
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"A Building in Mexico"

Bio

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Current Location
New York, USA 🇺🇸
Country of Origin
Italy 🇮🇹

Ilya Milstein, a Melbourne-raised illustrator now thriving in New York, infuses his traditionally drawn creations with detailed warmth, aiming to evoke earnest connections and vividly describe life's nuances. Guided by interwar comics, pictographic writing, and music, Ilya employs a meticulous process of hand-drawn lines on paper before digital coloring, crafting pieces with unique human warmth. Notable collaborations include campaigns for Paypal and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, while his work for Crisis charity demonstrates his impactful storytelling prowess. Among awards and achievements, Ilya's illustrations for The New York Times Style Magazine's playing card deck stand out as a testament to his diverse and intricate creativity.

Once you get me started, I won’t shut up about…
Early 20th century newspaper comics (unsurprisingly it's hard to find a captive audience whenever I do this).
I’d describe my style as…
Detailed, eclectic, warm, nostalgic.
My project I’m proudest of to-date is…
While I don't like to play favourites, I'm really proud of the varied work I've done for The New York Times Style Magazine, which has included double-page illustrated spreads, animations, a jigsaw puzzle, a full deck of cards, and a decorative plate. I love seeing my work in unconventional formats, and they've entrusted me with a lot of creative freedom.
My solution to creative block is…
Stepping away from the desk and going for a bike ride, ideally to a part of New York I haven't visited before or to a store or gallery I've never been in. Doing so always helps clear my head and helps improve my thinking.
My current tool of choice is…
As always, a 0.2 Uni Pin fine-liner (the version made in Vietnam). Despite it being a seemingly-ordinary $2 pen, I think it's an incredible tool and it's been my preferred drawing pen for around 20 years. Every one of my drawings was done with one!

Welcome to Jacky Winter Spring/Summer ‘24. Each season a new artist creates original imagery using our site as their playground. The current artwork (above) comes from Georgia Perry. Learn more about our seasonal model of representation and other FAQ.

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The Jacky Winter Group Acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands we are on and pays respect to their Elders past and present.

The Jacky Winter Group is a member of the AOI and AMA and abides by the relevant code of practice for artist agents.

© The Jacky Winter Group and its respective artists and/or client 2024