Originally from Ecuador, Jose Ortega established himself as an illustrator in New York City, and now lives between Toronto, New York and Barcelona. The subject of numerous articles in international art and design journals, Jose’s previous art commissions include works for two NYC subway stations, the US and Ecuadorian postal services, Absolut, MTV, Apple Computers, Bloomingdale’s, Sony Music, Amnesty International and the New York Times. These projects have earned awards from the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, Print, Communication Arts and Graphis. In 2002 Jose co-founded Lula Lounge a live music venue in Toronto, showcasing a diverse line-up of upcoming and established artists that has become ground-zero of Toronto’s exploding world music scene.