Always Colorful, Unisex and Zero Waste
Jake Canton is a New York City based visual artist, illustrator and knitwear designer. His practice focuses on telling stories. Be it through drawing + painting, through the making of clothing or through choreography. His work explores concepts of identity, gender expression and the relationship between the body and mind.
Canton draws inspiration from his childhood, examining his own identity and the various influences that shape a person throughout their early life. Through this research he has developed an aesthetic that celebrates the inner child in us all. He looks at the movement of the human form and draws back on his first passion in life, figure skating. In addition he creates figure skating choreography which he combines with his knitwear and visual art practices.
After earning his B.F.A. in Textiles from the Rhode Island School of Design, Canton went on to design knitwear and write knitting patterns for the yarn company Purl Soho while also designing knitwear on a freelance basis in the fashion industry. Freelance client have included: Thom Browne, Proenza Schouler, Jason Wu, Kate Spade, Bode, A.L.C., M.M. La, Fleur, Another Tomorrow, Tanya Taylor, Agbobly, DEGEN, and many more.
He currently freelances in knitwear while making and selling his artwork on the side.