13 Emerging Urban Artists Who Are Making Their Mark Around The World

How do you define an urban artist?

According to Tristan Manco, author and compiler of the Make Your Mark book, "urban art" usually refers to "work that is influenced by street art and graffiti cultures, and artists who use the urban environment as their platform." At least, that's the literal definition he provides. In more abstract terms, he outlines an aesthetic capable of "tapping into the zeitgeist," an eclectic genre that brings artists of various media together -- from graphic designers to craftsmen to fine artists -- inside and outside of typical art world venues, bending the possibilities of textiles, posters, murals, signage, and more, all within the confines of the so-called urban space.

"The urban art movement has been a catalyst for experimentation and innovation," he continues. "It is a place where graffiti artists are inspired to become sculptors, designers to become painters or all of these things in one go."

Within the pages of Make Your Mark, Manco attempts to illustrate the breadth and beauty of urban art through a survey of artists around the world who loosely identify -- in one way or another -- with the traditions of the art form. Inspired by DIY mentalities, the artists highlighted in his book take advantage of "alternative and independent channels to connect with an audience," displaying their work on everything from the side of a building to the pages of Instagram to the halls of a museum.

While Manco's contemporary history of urban art is worth poring over for its diversity of media and heritage (he spotlights artists working or born in Japan, Lithuania, Mexico and many places in between), it's difficult to ignore the lack of women included in his survey. The graffiti and street art worlds have long been dominated by male perspectives, despite the emergence of powerful artists like Shamsia Hassani in Afghanistan and Tatyana Fazlalizadeh in the U.S. It's high time collections like Manco's effectively convey just how many women are destroying the glass ceilings of creativity and have contributed to the progress of DIY art in particular.

You can check out a preview of Manco's list of rising urban artists -- all of whom are talented in their own right. But if you're itching for a more representative glimpse into the urban art movement, let us know who your favorite women artists of the urban aesthetic are in the comments.