Jakob Hostetter was born in NYC in 1985 and raised in Washington Heights. He defines himself as a product of family and neighborhood. His heritage, Icelandic and Pennsylvanian Dutch, is a large part of his identity. His mother from Iceland is an artist and his father is an actor. His parents both nurture and support his current artistic abilities and pursuits.

Jakob is highly influenced by graffiti art. His love for graffiti started in the early 90's with the explosion of murals throughout the Bronx and upper Manhattan. His neighborhood, predominately Dominican, has placed him in a unique situation where a culture completely outside his own has influenced his thoughts and patterns. From an early age he loved to draw his favorite video game characters and designs. He started airbrushing at 17 and began to experiment in different mixed media. Slowly he started producing hand painted shirts for his friends, which eventually developed into a small business creating custom shirts for his neighborhood.

In 2003 he entered Lehman College in the Bronx, studying Studio Art and Anthropology. Anthropology is key in understanding the world without bias. He uses his appreciation of various cultures to create a unique view of the world and art. Studying techniques in sculpture, printmaking, painting, and digital media, he began to increase his practices and talents, and he feels that college allows the opportunity to test all waters in order for him to find his individual style. "I'm still learning everyday--I discover a new thought or technique to better myself and my career"