Medar de la Cruz

“By harnessing the transformative potential of art, I navigate barriers and empower others to find their own voices amidst a world that often seeks to silence them.” –Medar de la Cruz

“The drawings in Medar de la Cruz’s piece[s] sting with a drawn-from-memory ache.” –Poynter

Medar de la Cruz is a Dominican-American cartoonist and illustrator born in Miami, Florida. He has worked as a freelance illustrator for The New York Times and The New Yorker. His piece “The Diary of a Rikers Island Library Worker,” published with The New Yorker in 2023, won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Illustrated Reporting and Commentary for his visually-driven story set inside Rikers Island jail, which used bold black-and-white images that portrayed the desire to read from the incarcerated individuals.

de la Cruz’s images are defined by how the boldly drawn lines are always in constant movement. Comics and animation are a major influence on his craft, as are his experiences growing up in big cities all over the States and trips to the Dominican Republic as a child. Currently, de la Cruz uses comics as a way of bringing attention to social justice issues while also exploring new ways to tell stories that can only be told visually. Of his creative practice and work, de la Cruz says, “As an artist, communication lies at the heart of my identity. Through the fusion of clarity and creativity, I possess the remarkable ability to navigate the complexities of an oppressive world. This power to communicate effectively and imaginatively grants me the flexibility to transcend the constraints imposed by authority. I embrace the role of a translator, using my creative prowess to bridge gaps, amplify marginalized voices, and challenge the status quo. Through my artistry, I strive to express profound truths, evoke emotions, and provoke critical thinking.”

Beyond the drawing board, de la Cruz contributed part-time to the Outreach Department at the Brooklyn Public Library, where he provided book cart services to incarcerated individuals on Rikers Island. This experience motivated him to explore the role of journalism in his autobiographical comics. Currently, he is working on a graphic novel about his experiences on Rikers to offer insights into spaces that are otherwise inaccessible to the public. In addition to drawing comics, he serves as an educator, sharing his passion for visual communication through community workshops across the city.

de la Cruz graduated with a degree in illustration from Art Center College of Design and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.