Emmy Star Brown

Emmy has stamped her mark across the Windy City with a colorful CV that includes mural work, canvases, illustration, branding, lettering, digital art, packaging, and apparel. A hometown girl at heart, she credits the city itself as one of her primary inspirations, its rich and layered history the perfect canvas for her own multifaceted and evolving career.

Emmy kickstarted her career with a BFA in visual communications from the Illinois Institute of Art. She later parlayed it into a creative position at prestigious ad agency Leo Burnett in Chicago. During her time there, Emmy earned her commercial stripes, gaining a working knowledge of both packaging and brand standards across a portfolio of marquee clients. This corporate experience proved to be the perfect stepping stone to working as an independent artist, helping Emmy hone her personal aesthetic as she leaned further into the polished and emotive line work that would become her signature style.

Things came full circle when Sharpie took notice and featured Emmy in their national ad campaign which included a year-long partnership, tv commercial and a billboard in iconic Times Square. Over the next 12 years, Emmy has continued to partner with other vanguard brands, including Yeti, The Chicago Bulls, Lululemon, Delta, Perrier, Cisco Meraki, and RedBull.

Emmy’s use of clean lines, thoughtfully structured shapes, unique layering techniques, and vibrant colors gives her universal appeal and has firmly established her as a leading force in the art scene. Her large-scale lettering can range from uplifting messages that breed inclusivity and positivity, to branding projects that are playful and personalized. Alternatively, her abstract work features fresh palettes and organic additions designed to encourage engagement. The result, always a bold visual statement designed to drive wonder and remind the viewer that there’s beauty in reading between the lines.