Internationally renowned muralist Jules Muck is known for her bold murals, which span across LA, NYC, New Orleans, Bristol, and beyond. Born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, a city known for its craftsmanship and pottery industry, Muck grew up with art and creativity all around her. Her work not only transforms blank walls into colorful masterpieces but also sparks conversations within communities and celebrates local culture, memorializes iconic figures, and brings people together. Muck’s work touches on themes of identity, community, and the human experience, transforming public spaces into something much more.
Early Life and Beginnings
Although Muck always had a love for art, she did not initially see it as her future. She moved around a lot in her youth, spending time in the UK, Greece, and New York City. Despite moving around so often, there was one thing that remained constant in Muck’s life: art. Each place she resided left its mark on her, inspiring and influencing her creativity. Her journey as an artist began to take shape in the 90s in the streets of New York City, spray painting under bridges, tagging atop the rooftops of abandoned buildings, and on the side of the West Side Highway. Running with the wild crowd, graffiti, to Muck, was simply an act of rebellious fun—she didn’t see it as anything more, never imagining that one day it could become a career.
Mentorship and Transformation
When painting an old rooftop off Intervale Avenue in the Bronx, Muck caught the attention of Lady Pink, one of the pioneering female graffiti artists in a male-dominated street art scene. Lady Pink, known for her large-scale murals on the sides of subway trains, recognized Muck’s potential and offered her an apprenticeship. It was under Lady Pink’s wing that Muck was able to hone in on her style and technique and make the transition from making illegal street art to creating professional commissioned artwork.
After several years of making art in New York City, Muck’s next chapter took her westward, but her journey to becoming a successful muralist was anything but conventional. After moving to Los Angeles in 2008, with little money and no work, she faced many struggles, having to live out of her car while navigating an unfamiliar and sprawling city. Despite these hardships, she remained committed to her art, painting whenever and wherever she could, from streets and rooftops to community walls in Venice Beach. With the support of Venice locals—offering workspaces, co-signs for apartments, and encouragement—Muck gradually transformed her circumstances into success. Muck continued to develop her distinctive style during her early years in Los Angeles, using vivid colors and creating narrative-like pieces, which elevated her murals beyond just design, with a story behind each piece. These pieces of work included everything from music video backdrops for The Pixies to studio pieces for The Foo Fighters. Today, the same property she once slept in front of is her studio, expressing her resilience and the power of art to create opportunity and transformation.
Art as Healing
For Muck, art has always acted as a form of healing, a hopeful outlet during challenging times. When her father became ill, she returned to her hometown, spending nights in the hospital by her father’s side and making murals around town during the day, for local schools and businesses. During the early stages of quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Muck created a coloring book, free for anyone to download on her website, giving those a glimmer of joy and positivity during dark times. These projects continued to show that art can act not only as a form of personal expression but also as a way to bring people together, offering hope, inspiration, and opportunities for others. Muck sees her work as a form of dialogue with the communities she inhabits, whether she’s just passing through or residing there. Through large-scale murals or smaller gestures, Muck’s art is grounded in community, connection, and storytelling.
Despite her global success, Muck maintains a strong presence to her roots. She has left her mark on larger cities like London and Bristol but frequently returns to Stoke-on-Trent and nearby regions, such as Newcastle-under-Lyme and Hanley, to make murals. These projects allow her to stay connected to one of the many places that shaped her as both an artist and a person. Muck’s ties to her hometown also inspired her to create pieces honoring a local legend. She has made multiple murals as a tribute to Lemmy Kilmister, the lead of the rock band Motörhead, who also hailed from Stoke-on-Trent. While these murals are located in Los Angeles—one on Venice Boulevard and another at the Rainbow Room in West Hollywood—they serve as a bridge between Muck’s international success and her personal history, allowing her to maintain a sense of connection to her roots across the world.
Current Projects
Although Muck’s studio is in Venice, there is a drawback to her home. She is always open to taking on new opportunities and any excuse to see her family, who still reside in her hometown. Each homecoming serves as an opportunity not only to reconnect with loved ones but also to celebrate the people and environment that helped shape her artistic beginnings. Her upcoming projects continue to reflect on her personal journey.
On October 11th, Muck’s studio at 511 Santa Clara Avenue in Venice unveiled Vintage Muck, a collection of paintings she created nearly twenty years ago in New York City, before making her move to Los Angeles. The pieces will be on view through the end of the year, with new pieces being revealed at the end of the month. During this time, Muck will also be offering tattoos at the studio, as well as displaying vintage clothing she wore during the creation of these early pieces. Muck will also be repairing the Lemmy mural at the Rainbow Room in West Hollywood after it was damaged, as well as giving back to her community through events within her support group, Muck Recovery.
Conclusion
Across the globe, Jules Muck embodies a unique vision—one that celebrates her resilience, honors her past, and brings people together through the universal language of art. Her homecomings, homages to iconic figures, and ongoing international work convey that art is not just her career but a way to leave a lasting impact on both places and people.