These illustrators perfectly capture what life in New York is like right now

New York is more surreal than ever at the moment. 

Not surprisingly, the extraordinary circumstances have inspired some talented NYC-based artists to reflect on, document and–in some cases—make light of the absurdity inherent in our new normal.

From abstract interpretations of time spent indoors and inspiring messages of hope to humorous takes on the difficulties of working from home, read on to see how some local illustrators are responding to life in NYC right now.

Christoph Niemann

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Friends! Please wash your hands. Please stay at home. The best advice I read about #Corona today was about changing our mindset: instead of trying not to get infected, we should assume we ARE infected and do everything so we don’t transmit it to somebody else. Stay safe and when you need to be out, try to have a kind word for all the people who are working under a huge amount of pressure (nurses, bus drivers, police officers, supermarket cashiers).

A post shared by Christoph Niemann (@abstractsunday) on Mar 15, 2020 at 4:55am PDT

Laurène Boglio

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Conference call with myself.

A post shared by Laurène Boglio (@boglio_boglio) on Mar 27, 2020 at 10:20am PDT

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A post shared by Laurène Boglio (@boglio_boglio) on Mar 25, 2020 at 6:06pm PDT

Craig & Karl

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Staying home 💜 #stayhome

A post shared by Craig & Karl (@craigandkarl) on Mar 27, 2020 at 10:30am PDT

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Still Life 2020

A post shared by Craig & Karl (@craigandkarl) on Mar 25, 2020 at 11:44am PDT

Libby VanderPloeg

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It's okay if you're not having fun staying at home anymore 🌼 Being isolated is really hard for so many of us. Remember that you're not alone, and please check in with your friends and loved ones and see how they're doing. A little bit of connection can go a long way while we go through this together ☀️🌈 #hanginthere #stayconnected

A post shared by libbyvanderploeg (@libbyvanderploeg) on Mar 28, 2020 at 10:02am PDT

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Things are really anxiety-inducing right now for most of us (all of us, right?), so here's to noticing the ordinary things that make us feel a bit better, like the feeling of having your hair brushed, after a good detangling of course. Hope everyone is staying well and taking care ❤️ #stayinside

A post shared by libbyvanderploeg (@libbyvanderploeg) on Mar 19, 2020 at 12:29pm PDT

Alessandra Olanow

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good morning monday, i’ll be with you in just a moment.

A post shared by Alessandra Olanow (@aolanow) on Mar 9, 2020 at 4:43am PDT

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A post shared by Alessandra Olanow (@aolanow) on Mar 31, 2020 at 4:42am PDT

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when we have each other, we have everything.

A post shared by Alessandra Olanow (@aolanow) on Mar 27, 2020 at 5:03am PDT

Mike Perry

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Good morning. I love you. I hope you have a peaceful day.

A post shared by Mike Perry (@mikeperrystudio) on Mar 24, 2020 at 3:49am PDT

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Good morning. Today is another day. Stay safe. I love you. Be well.

A post shared by Mike Perry (@mikeperrystudio) on Mar 23, 2020 at 3:42am PDT

Rob Wilson

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Stand in the place where you live

A post shared by Rob Wilson (@robwilsonwork) on Mar 27, 2020 at 8:16am PDT

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Now I’m in a whole new world with you

A post shared by Rob Wilson (@robwilsonwork) on Mar 27, 2020 at 8:00am PDT

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The children’s classic comes to life

A post shared by Rob Wilson (@robwilsonwork) on Mar 29, 2020 at 7:02am PDT

Vanessa Nguyen

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🍖 lockdown thoughts part 1 (?) 🍖

A post shared by Vanessa Nguyễn (@nessafiesta) on Mar 25, 2020 at 10:03am PDT

Hye Jin Chung

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Self-quarantine (feat. Plastic bags) . . . . . #selfquarantine #peoplebyhyejinchung #plasticbagclothes #fashionillustration #instaart #artisthyejinchung #illustratorhyejinchung #hyejinchungillustration #illustratorsofinstagram #illustrationinstagram #illustrationartists #illustrationoftheday #picoftheday #dailydrawing #artistsoninstagram #art #artwork #illustration #illust #illustgram #illo #drawing #instaart #instadraw #artonlink #일러스트레이션 #일러스트 #일러스트그램 #봉지옷 #자가격리

A post shared by Hye Jin Chung (@hyejinchung831) on Mar 23, 2020 at 7:05am PDT

Rich Tu

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This is an #appreciationpost 👏🏽 to all the #HealthcareWorkers 🥼🚑🩺 who are doing the most with the least and keeping us safe and healthy during this #covid_19 pandemic. My Mom was the head of an infectious diseases ward in a VA hospital for over 25 years (saw a couple epidemics first hand, including the AIDS epidemic in the 80s/90s) and I always admired her for being resilient in the face of difficult odds. Now, more than ever, I hope we appreciate these amazing people. #ThankYou #SolitarySolidarity #AloneTogether . . . . #illustration #design #appreciation

A post shared by Rich Tu (@rich_tu) on Mar 28, 2020 at 9:40am PDT

Aude White

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my new, incredibly exciting daily routine

A post shared by Aude White (@charlottemayhem) on Apr 1, 2020 at 5:39am PDT

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