Artist Profile: Cornelius

By Alex LaVallee

Cornelius is a 21-year-old visual artist based out of Central Jersey.  Making his come up through graffiti stickers painted on mail labels, Cornelius has grown to have a considerable following online.  He is a student at Drew University studying economics, but pursuing art in his free time.

Cornelius’s style includes bold lines, vibrant colors, and interesting subject matter. There is a level of humor in all of Cornelius’s art, but it is subtle, and his work proves promising in the long run.  Cornelius has experience doing anything from company logos to basic animation.  The diversity of Cornelius’s skill and style is interesting to consider, since he has come up with a style of his own at such a young age.

“I was inspired to work outside my comfort zone and my style began to mature... I’d say my biggest influences you can see stylistically through my art are KAWS and Ten Hundred.  More recently I’ve been inspired by animator Felix Colgrave, his shit is so creepy and cool,” Cornelius had to say about his style of art. “I really want to do more large scale paintings... I also want to get into more short ridiculous animations. I have a lot of ideas floating around my head that I need to put into action, I just need to prioritize them.” 

Cornelius designed the logo for the popular brand “Reel Bear Media” which is heavily associated with the band Twenty One Pilots.  He also held his first gallery show in January 2015 called “No Time for Hibernation” at Flemington DIY.

You can find more of Cornelius’s art on social media at therealcornelius.tumblr.com, facebook.com/therealcornelius and on Instagram @therealcornelius.

About the Writer

Alex LaVallee is a junior, Public Relations major at Rowan University.  He grew up in a small rural community in Hunterdon County, NJ.  LaVallee is a lover of music, art, and nature, spending most of his time finding new music or outside with his friends.  LaVallee takes pride in the fact that he grew up in NJ, and continuously is fighting for the proper recognition of Central Jersey.  Follow Alex LaVallee on social media @alex_lavallee (Instagram), @bread_cruz (Twitter).