Ijania Cortez brings Detroit’s stories to life through color and community

Whether on canvas or a towering wall, Detroit artist Ijania Cortez creates portraits that reflect the city’s people and places. She uses vibrant color, often with neon tones, to capture the spirit of everyday Detroiters and the icons who shape the city.

Cortez’s murals appear throughout Detroit, including Cutter’s in Eastern Market and the Ruth Ellis Center’s Clairmont building. Her work celebrates community and the stories that define it.

In 2021, Cortez received the Kresge Gilda Snowden Emerging Artist Award and collaborated with Hubert Massey and the Detroit Institute of Arts Partners in Public Art Mural Program. She has also taken part in the BLKOUT Walls street art festival.

In 2025, she was recognized as a Ruth Ellis Center honoree and featured artist in Murals in the Market, hosted by 1xRUN.