Pinky Weber: Zine Queen to Activist

In the male-dominated street art space, Pinky Weber stands out. She bills herself as a muralist, doodler, and zine queen, not a graffiti artist. 

Ideally suited to the Instagram age of posable murals and cheeky Stories, there’s certainly something more to Pinky Weber. 

What drives this pizza-loving muralist to create? 

We’ve opened the box on Pinky Weber to find out. 

Let’s jump in!

About Pinky Weber

New York City native Pinky Weber’s past is shrouded in a gauzy, pink haze. There isn’t much out there about how one of our favorite pop artists got her start. But here’s what we know. 

Pinky graduated from the Parsons School of Design in 2014 with a BFA in illustration. During her time there, she founded a female artist collective and explored the pizza shops in the area. Before graduation, she published her first significant editorial illustration in a national magazine. 

Since 2014, she’s received awards for her work from Communication Arts and American Illustration. As an illustrator, her clients include the City of New York, American Express, Bud Light, Hidden Valley Ranch, Pringles, and Lyft. 

Pinky also created work for The Museum of Pizza and Kellogg’s. Given her love of pizza, we can guess which was her favorite. 

She currently lives in Brooklyn with her two wiener dogs, Pickle and Cannoli. 

What Inspires Pinky Weber’s Art?

Pinky finds inspiration everywhere. The Internet (or interwebz, as she puts it), pop culture, and ordinary objects. She loves bright, saturated colors. Most of her work as a street artist falls into the viral marketing category, but that isn’t the only kind of work she creates. 

Several of her murals celebrate things like hot dogs, bottoms (yes, that kind), uteruses, and angry donuts. Her Etsy shop has pithy greeting cards, cheeky pins featuring bongs and Sriracha, and stickers for the Millenial set. 

Is Pinky Weber on TikTok?

Pinky’s TikTok showcases her process. Swipe through if you’ve ever wanted to see what it takes to paint small-scale murals. You’ll see lots of her wiener dogs, in-process pieces, and artsy shots of paint. She takes her paint van all over, and you can’t miss it. Decked out with pink fur and leopard print inside, it’s the perfect vehicle for this artist. 

What Is the 40 Under 40 Awards?

The Gift + Stationary 40 Under 40 awards recognize gift industry superstars under forty each year. In 2022, Pinky Weber and her Etsy shop made the list that Giftshop Mag curated. Her shop features a range of items that capture her style perfectly. 

Her standout items are inappropriate cards and stickers that tell it like it is. As an illustrator, her whimsical take on things like poop and one-night stands gives her shop a unique flavor. 

What Are Some of Pinky Weber’s Art Pieces?

Besides her Etsy shop, Pinky’s work appears all over Brooklyn, NYC, and the rest of the country. Her most well-known pieces are viral marketing. Her recent work, though, celebrates the LQBTQ community and the joy of being alive. 

Cheeky Mural

This mural features a range of butts in a punny play on words. Cheeky Mural, painted in 2018 as part of the Art Basel Miami exhibition, uses Pinky’s signature colors. On the left side of the butts, a mouse holds up an elephant whose trunk follows the line of a water spout. We love the exuberant spirit of this mural. It makes us want to drop trou and shake it!

Uptown Funk You Up

Part of the Grandscale Mural Project in Harlem, NY, this rainbow mural features the immortal words of Mark Ronson. Uptown Funk You Up has a hippie vibe with a psychedelic rainbow swirl and a font right out of the 1960s. A perfect example of Pinky’s selfie-ready murals, this piece screams Instagram. 

Queens: The World’s Borough

Commissioned by Lyft for their Queens, NY, headquarters, this piece takes on a different style. Toned-down pinks still play a central role in the design; the detail is what takes it to the next level. Queens is the subject of this indoor mural with scenes from the borough, food, and icons from the area. 

Painted in 2020, you can’t miss Pinky’s style or the flying pizza slice just north of the surfer. 

Where Can I See Pinky Weber’s Art?

Around the New York area, you can find several of Pinky’s murals still in place. She’s recently installed work in Brooklyn, Harlem, and Queens. And while not all of her murals are still viewable in their original locations, you can find all of her work on her Instagram page (@pinkyweber). 

You can get a piece of your own from her Etsy shop. And make sure to visit her website for a more in-depth look at her work and process. There, you’ll find links to all her social media channels, follow her, and you’ll be the first to know when new work is available. 

Illustrated Activism

Pinky Weber isn’t a graffiti artist; she’s a public illustrator. Her pieces serve a function for her clients, but it’s not all about the cash. Weber’s activism on behalf of women and the LGBTQ+ community is essential to her identity. And she’s just plain fun! 

Get yourself some Pinky Weber and put a little sunshine in your life. What’s not to love? Pizza, donuts, wiener dogs, and rainbows. Sign us up!

What do you think of Pinky’s creations? Let us know in the comments!