Koren Shadmi is a talented New York-based illustrator and cartoonist whose works invite us to think about and discuss the realities and issues of modern life. Whether it's constant surveillance or addiction to social media, the artist manages to illustrate every topic in impressive drawings.

Most of the selected works have been created for different well-known magazines, such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, The Washington Post and more. These illustrations cover relevant topics related to society and the imperfections of modern life.

Have you found yourself in some of the illustrations? Let me know in the comments! And don't forget to upvote your favorite works!

More info: Facebook | korenshadmi.com | Instagram | twitter.com | behance.net

#1

"Corporations lobbying to silence proof of global warming."

Image credits: korenshadmi

Bored Panda got in touch with Koren to ask him more about himself and his creations. The artist revealed that he was born in Israel and came to New York in his early 20s to study illustration at the School of Visual Arts, where he is now an instructor.

Other than illustrations, Koren's other big passion is comics, and he has had several books published. The latest one is a graphic novel biography of Bela Lugosi.

#2

"Fired."

Image credits: korenshadmi

#3

"Imagine a world after civilization is gone. Will anything survive after us humans? Will nature reclaim our cities and towns? Will an epidemic be the end-all of humanity? Probably not this virus, but maybe the next one?"

Image credits: korenshadmi

Koren started his journey as an artist around the time he was 9. He signed up for comics classes in Israel. The teacher was one of the only people in Israel who was a full-time cartoonist - Uri Fink. Around the time the artist was 15, he became Uri’s assistant. "I learned a lot from him about the basics of telling a story through comics. He also had an incredible library of comics in his studio and I would take out new books every week. He introduced me to some of the greatest artists and writers in American comics, like Frank Miller and Alan Moore."

#4

"Illustration for the NY Times styles section from a few years ago. The column dealt with the taboo of discussing your salary when in reality it’s for a workers’ benefit to know what their colleagues are making."

Image credits: korenshadmi

#5

"All tangled up"

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In his later teens, the artist discovered European comics artists such as Moebius and some of the underground folks like R. Crumb, and, as Koren put it himself, that expanded his view out of the superhero ghetto. "When I came to New York I started to focus more on the art of illustration. I tried to keep both flames going as much as I can, and never really stopped."

#6

"Social media addict."

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#7

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A lot of Koren's illustrations touch on problems or difficulties that our society faces. For the artist, it is a source of frustration. "I've recently grown so frustrated with Facebook that I finally closed my account. I would also close my Instagram if I could but my work relies on it. Most social media is a big waste of time and just gives you the illusion that you are socializing and spending time with others, while in reality, you are stuck in front of a glowing screen."

#8

"How to impress at a job interview."

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#9

"The Chinese government is on its way to establishing its very own social credit system. It will judge the trustworthiness of it’s 1.3 billion residents. Much like the nightmarish episode of Black Mirror, each person will be given a score based on a variety of factors, including finances, shopping habits, social media interactions, and more. The future is here, and it’s terrifying."

Image credits: korenshadmi

We asked the artist what makes him passionate about creating illustrations. He replied that he loves trying to tell a story with a single image. "Every time I get to visualize either an article or a story that I enjoy, I feel really excited about the challenge of interpreting the words into the drawing medium. There are so many options and I just love the freedom of being able to come out with something fun out of thin air. It's like magic!"

#10

"When a patient is in the terminal condition it’s up to the family to decide if they want them to spend their last days in the hospital, or in the more comfortable and familiar environment of their home. A difficult subject to tackle, but I did my best. "

Image credits: korenshadmi

#11

"Bad savings."

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#12

"New hope after four years of destruction."

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#13

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#14

"How Facebook is toying with your brain and putting the world at risk while doing so. The social media behemoth is fine-tuning an AI that will be able to influence the thoughts and actions of users. Is it time to rein in this powerful tool and inject it with the morality it lacks?"

Image credits: korenshadmi

#15

"Who are you on Facebook versus who are you IRL?"

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#16

"Cover for a special education supplement which dealt with over-achieving kids, and the risks of burnout from pushing yourself, or your parents pushing you when you are too young."

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#17

"Isolation"

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#18

"The disturbing reality of the Amazon Go smart grocery stores."

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#19

"Austerity was in full force in Europe and often ended up hurting more than helping. In Spain, middle-class citizens defaulted on mortgages, lost their homes, and found no help in the government."

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#20

"It's becoming harder and harder to get into a good college, and the demands on applicants from the school 'gatekeepers' have become more taxing."

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#21

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#22

"'Work-Life After COVID-19: Six Questions' - Experts weigh in on the problems that might arise when people return to work from their offices."

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#23

"How to remain focused and avoid distractions at work."

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#24

"Vocal Minority - An illustration for Associations Now Magazine from a while back. When an organization's minority group is louder about its desires, it can sometimes become the one calling the shots."

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#25

"Silicon Valley is remaking the American school system. A handful of tech giants have plugged their hardware and software into US public schools. Is it just one great social experiment?"

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#26

"What’s in the fridge? I don’t want you to panic, but we are running low on olives! Should you brave a trip to the grocery store? Food and our guts are tied to ancient animal survival instincts. Sometimes we can get irrational about it"

Image credits: korenshadmi

#27

"The haves and have nots - the COVID19 crisis is exposing a lot of deep issues in American society, one major one being inequality. You might be able to afford to stock up on food and blow $400 on a single trip to the supermarket, but someone else can only spend about a tenth of that at a time and may need several trips to the grocery store in order to feed the family, and so will expose themselves to a lot more risk."

Image credits: korenshadmi

#28

"Sickness and surveillance - an illustration about how the government is looking to collect our data in order to fight the COVID19 infection. When is an invasion of privacy justified? All our data is already out there swimming around, so maybe a bit more spying to save some lives is not a bad idea."

Image credits: korenshadmi

#29

"The cover I drew for The Village Voice from a few years ago. The cover story dealt with predatory loan sharks that were buying up debt from various companies and then hounding mostly poor individuals for the money. I hope this type of predatory behavior has been curbed but I would dare guess that it hasn’t."

Image credits: korenshadmi

#30

"Out with the old, in with the new."

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#31

"Road trip went wrong. Two casual friends decide to go on a spontaneous road trip across the US. They soon discover that not only do they have nothing in common, but they also easily get on each other’s nerves."

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#32

"‘Impression Management’ is the habit of editing and amplifying your online persona by presenting a more impressive version of yourself on social networks. Don’t we all do this?"

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#33

"This was an illustration from several years ago for The Progressive Magazine. The article asked the question: should relatives be allowed to take a loved one off life support? And if so, when?"

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#34

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#35

"How do men diet? They eat less!"

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#36

"After losing a partner - filling up the void with work."

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#37

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#38

"How is the news feed making you feel these days?"

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#39

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#40

"The benefits of being retired - illustrations made for the Saturday Evening Post several years ago. It’s funny now I look at the woman multitasking with a crying toddler and think - that’s me!"

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#41

"Marriage under the microscope."

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#42

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#43

"How to deal with a vaping teen?"

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