Wasted Talent Inc

How To Write An Artist Bio With Tips and Lots of Examples

I have summarized the more important parts of this article below. Let’s have a look at some tips for an artist bio and below it some tips for an artist bio for an emerging artist.

For a Professional Artist Biography:

  • Keep it Short : Your biography should be a brief overview of key facts about your art career.
  • Easy to Read : Start with a catchy first sentence to get the reader interested.
  • Write as an Observer : Use the third person to talk about your art and career.
  • Important Facts Only : Mention things like your birth date, nationality, job title, the art forms you use, your style and main themes, and other key career details.
  • Ideal Length : Aim for about 120 words, but keep it between 80 and 140 words.

For an Emerging Artist Biography:

  • Background Info : Mention where you were born and places you’ve lived.
  • Artistic Roots : Talk about what or who inspires your art.
  • Education in Art : If you’ve had any art training or education, include it.
  • Self-Taught Artists : If you haven’t had formal training, explain how you’ve learned and developed your art skills on your own.

Keep reading as I cover the topic in more detail, giving artist bio examples and the like.

Writing an Artist biography is probably one of the hardest things I have had to write. If you are reading this then I assume you are struggling with this as well.

Whether you are an artist making modern art , a painter or a visual artist looking for representation in an art gallery then you need to get your artist bio done right.

What’s the difference between an artist biography, artist statement, and artist profile?

Here are some bullet points to summarize each for those who do not know the key differences.

Below are some bullet points that highlight the key differences between an artist biography, artist statement, and artist profile. I will then dive into more details of each with examples you can use.:

Artist Biography:

  • Focuses on the artist’s life and career, often including personal information and significant events or achievements.
  • Written in third-person perspective.
  • Typically includes a summary of the artist’s education, influences, and creative process, as well as critical reception and awards.

Artist Statement:

  • Focuses on the artist’s creative process and artistic vision.
  • Written in first-person perspective.
  • Typically includes a description of the artist’s style, techniques, themes, and motivations, as well as any philosophical or conceptual ideas that inform the work.

Artist Profile:

  • Similar to a bio, but typically shorter and more concise.
  • Often used as a promotional tool on social media, artist directories, or other online platforms.
  • May include a brief bio, statement, and selected images of the artist’s work.
  • Generally less formal than a traditional bio or statement, and may be written in first or third person.

What is an artist biography (Artist bio)?

Before we start, you should understand the difference between an artist biography and an artist statement vs an artist profile.

Each one serves its own purpose and should be used for a specific goal in mind.

In its simplest form, an artist biography is a summary of you as an artist in a few paragraphs (some say 50 words is all you need). Artist bios should detail your qualifications and any training you undertook as an artist (if you are not qualified you can just omit this part). You then detail your influences, your achievements and contact details. It is usually followed by a brief artist statement.

What to include in an artist biography about yourself

An artist biography needs to take into account the life and work of you as an artist. It usually covers significant events and accomplishments throughout your artistic career, as well as personal information that helps to understand the context in which your art was created.

An artist biography can also include information about your artistic education, influences, creative process, and the evolution of their style over time. It may also discuss the critical reception of their work, as well as any awards or recognition they have received.

Get to the point quickly

An artist bio should get to the point quickly. This is because the reader of the bio may have limited time or attention span, and may be looking for a quick summary of your artistic career and style.

A concise and well-organized bio can help to capture the reader’s interest and convey the most important information about your work in a short amount of time.

This can be really important in situations where you are trying to promote yourself or your art, such as when applying for grants, exhibitions, or other opportunities.

In addition, a clear and focused bio can help to establish your credibility and professionalism as an artist. It shows that you have a clear sense of your artistic identity and are able to communicate it effectively to others.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should sacrifice depth or detail in your bio. It’s important to strike a balance between brevity and substance, providing enough information to give the reader a sense of who you are as an artist and what makes your work unique.

Speak in your own voice

One thing to note, many artists refer to themselves in the third person which I believe can come across as a little pretentious.

Another pretentious artist is the last thing the world needs.

Here are some tips for writing an artist bio in your own voice:

  • Start by brainstorming a list of the key points you want to convey about yourself and your work.
  • Write in the first person (“I” instead of “the artist”).
  • Use a conversational tone and avoid jargon or overly technical language.
  • Highlight your unique qualities, experiences, and perspective.
  • Include personal anecdotes or stories that illustrate your artistic journey.
  • Focus on what motivates and inspires you as an artist.
  • Be concise and to the point, keeping the reader’s attention in mind.
  • Don’t be afraid to show some personality and express yourself creatively in the bio.
  • Read your bio aloud to make sure it flows well and sounds natural.
  • Have someone else read your bio and provide feedback on clarity and tone.

Here are some things not to include in your artist bio:

  • Personal information that is not relevant to your art, such as your marital status or political beliefs.
  • Negative or overly critical comments about other artists or art forms.
  • A list of every single exhibition or show you have ever participated in. Instead, focus on the most significant or noteworthy ones. This is a big one ok!
  • Unsubstantiated claims or exaggerations about your accomplishments or abilities.
  • Vague or clichéd language that doesn’t really say anything about your work or style.
  • Rambling or overly long paragraphs that make it difficult for the reader to follow.
  • Too much technical jargon or insider terminology that may not be easily understood by a general audience.
  • Personal opinions that may be divisive or controversial, unless they are integral to your artistic vision or message.
  • Information that may compromise your privacy or security, such as your home address or phone number.

Using your own voice makes you more relatable.

Click here if you wish to skip to the section on How to write an artist bio with steps and examples.

Can a non-artist write an artist bio for you?

Artist biographies can also be written by art historians, curators or other experts in the field. This is because artist bios can also be found in exhibition catalogs, art books , and online resources.

A great artist bio can provide valuable insights into your artistic life and work and can help to deepen our understanding and appreciation of your art, especially if art lovers find something in your back story that they can relate to.

What is an Artist Statement

An artist’s statement is a brief description of your work as a whole. The purpose of an artist statement is to give anyone looking at your work some context around why you work a certain way so that they can either connect with you or the subject matter. The artist statement should cover the “why” you do things and not the “who you are”.

You would usually include an artist statement as part of the artist biography.

For more information on Artist’s Statements, wikipedia has some further reading.

What is an Artist Profile

The Artist Profile is quite interesting, it is a mix of both the artist bio and artist statement. The difference is the artist profile packages both pieces of information into an interesting page designed to ‘hook’ the reader into wanting to learn more about you as the artist as well as your art and your interests.

Think of the artist profile as the first page of a really interesting novel, designed to make the reader want to keep reading and learn more.

Use good story-telling techniques when planning your artist profile.

If you are struggling to write an Artist Biography and Artist Statement, try writing an Artist Profile instead as it lets you channel your creative energy rather than following a boring format.

Here is an example of an Artist Bio with an Artist Statement

Here are some real examples of artist profiles (some famous artists some not)

Anselm Kiefer

Someone like Anselm who has a long and distinguished career, his artist bio can start to look like a long laundry list of accomplishments and doesn’t actually tell us anything new. My tip is to not follow this example (see below for an image or click on the link above to view his page)

Anselm Kiefer artist biography. Your typical laundry list of accomplishments. Boring.

Do not write a laundry list of accomplishments and facts!

Rhian Malin (though it is written in the 3rd person..)

I quite like Rhian’s artist bio even though it is written in the 3rd person. But if you take a look at their artist biography you will notice that the first line makes her personable. She was inspired by her grandmother’s collection. We can all relate to seeing something at a grandparent’s home that would have awed us as children and then went on to influence us. Be personable.

Rhian then describes their approach and where they work. The list of accomplishments are not a laundry list and they appear at the bottom making you believe that accomplishments are a by product of inspiration and making art.

I quite like Rhian’s approach.

I like this version of an artist biography as it is more personable and not a laundry list of accomplishments

Larry Poons

Larry Poons also follows the more traditional approach to writing an artist biography. It is the typical laundry list of accomplishments and facts but what I do like is the photo. It is not a pretentious professional photo of the artist in a black turtleneck trying to look cool. The photo looks more natural.

Larry Poons artist bio falls into the boring list of artist accomplishments but what separates it from boring is the natural photo.

Jeff Koons – As he has so many achievements, Jeff’s website also has formatted his bio into sections covering Awards and Honors , Talks and Lectures and Collections .

Another list of accomplishments and an unnaturally posed photo. Please do not go down this path of a boring artist bio, be original and be likeable. Make yourself relatable.

image 13

Be original, personable and likeable. Stay true to character and do not appear fake.

Why write an artist biography (bio). What is the purpose of an artist bio?

writing an artist bio

What is the purpose of writing an artist bio? Is it for vanity, was it requested by art galleries or was it just so that you could be found in search engines?

Most artists write an artist bio because other artists have written one. Pretty simple.

Personally I don’t have a formal artist bio written and the only time I pull one together is when I am entering an art competition and it is part of the entry form.

When we write our artist biography we need to ask ourselves “Who is it for?” You should write to your audience and not to yourself.

An artist bio Is like an informal Resume

Writing an artist bio is a bit like a resume. It can feel cold, impersonal and detached.

When we write a resume we are writing for a specific audience such as a recruiter but the goal is the same.

When we write an Artist Bio:

  • We are writing to a curator or collector.
  • We want them to know our skills
  • We want them to know our qualifications
  • We want them to know what we are good at
  • We want them to know what makes us so much better than the next person that the reader will want to invest in us, our art
  • and finally we want them to know WHY we became an artist and why we are pursuing the arts.
Give people your “why” when creating an artist bio

When you write an artist biography I have found it to be actually quite harder than a resume.

When we write a resume we tend to be able to be more objective about our skills, work and achievements but with art, we are emotionally invested and being an artist is core to our self identity.

Types of artist biographies

Artist biography for self taught artists.

Self taught artists may believe the lack of a formal qualification or training in the arts may preclude them from needing an artist biography.

I suffered from an inferiority complex for many years as I too am a self taught artist.

Self taught artists can usually do well with an artist profile instead of an artist bio as it can gloss over or skip over any need to highlight their qualifications.

So if you are a self taught artist, write your artist biography listing all your achievements, influences, showings, sales and include an artist statement.

Then when it comes to qualifications, highlight that you have been an artist for X amount of years, highlight your experience over any qualifications.

Experience can be better than education

Now I’ll get on my high horse.. Not being formally trained is not a hindrance. In fact, an art degree or tertiary qualification is actually only a recent thing for artists. Most artists until the 20th century were trained as artist apprentices or self taught. None had a piece of paper proclaiming that they were now part of the creative elite!

As we no longer have artists guilds to confirm our skills as an artist, then some use a degree or diploma as a proxy. Though this does not guarantee that you are as good an artist as any other.

Artist Biography for Qualified Artists

Many contemporary artists have some form of qualification they will include in their artist biography. If you have a certification in a specific field, or use of a specific tool then note that down.

Otherwise your artist biography and artist statement should read like any other.

Artist Biography for Beginner artist biography

When you are a beginner artist your experience will be little, you may not have even had a showing yet and you may not have any qualifications.

When I was 17 I entered the Doug Moran National Portrait prize (in Australia) which is a $100,000 Acquisitive portrait prize.

I had about 5 years of artist experience under my belt, 1 showing in my high school where I won first prize for a portrait of Marilyn Monroe and 2 sales of my paintings.

The prizes required I submit an artist bio and artist statement. I did not know what to do so I left it all blank.

Today I would give the same advice as I give to self taught artists, highlight your achievements to date and not add anything negative.

Remember my resume example. When we start working we have nothing to add as experience but we document all the transferable skills we have all that we can offer.

As a beginner artist, add what you have done to date and be proud of that. If you have not done anything of note yet, then note what your influences are and where you want to go with your art career.

What should an artist biography include?

What to include in an artist biography.

Images – Should I include an image of myself?

Just like in a resume, unless you are one extremely good looking person or you have a very original look that can help with your persona or help people remember you (think of Dali’s moustache) then do not include an image or photo of yourself.

Ensure you provide any links to where you have exhibited.

Ensure you provide any links to where you have sold your works. If you are unable to link to article showing a sale, then note down the item sold, when it was sold and the details of the artwork.

You do not need to note the price it sold for or who purchased the artwork.

Where possible, link to any articles about you or your works that are of note.

How to write an artist biography about yourself

The best way to write an artist biography is to start looking at the artist biography examples found on the internet.

The hardest thing I found was collating all the information I wanted to include in my bio. What I found was when I just did a brain dump without putting my thought into dates etc it was easier.

The first things you should do, using sticky notes:

  • Collect and organise any courses you have completed. Don’t worry about the years commenced or completed.
  • Write down keywords that you would use to describe your influences and put these aside. These can be art styles, people or places.
  • Write down why you do what you do as an artist, was it something you have known since you can remember? Was it a specific experience?
  • Write down any key achievements you have had so far in your art career.
  • Your name and where you live and where you typically work from
  • What styles or mediums do you work in?

Once you have these noted down, you actually have the key points required for an artist biography. All we need to do now is start writing the artist bio.

Sticky Notes - Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

How do you start a biography?

Grab those sticky notes we just wrote. Put them in this order:

  • Why you do what you do as an artist, that something you have known since you can remember or that specific experience.
  • Those keywords that you used to describe your influences. The art styles, people or places.
  • The styles or mediums do you work in
  • The courses you have completed.
  • The key achievements you have had so far in your art career.

Now that you have put all the raw data into some meaningful order, you just need to pad these out into properly worded paragraphs and ensure that they have a natural flow to them.

If you find that hard to do then take a look at some real artist biography examples to draw inspiration from. Find a few you like and experiment.

Artist Biography Examples

How to write an artist biography sample.

Here are some real examples of artist biographies to draw inspiration from. Note : One take away from all the examples I researched (apart from Rita Ackermann) is that they were all badly formatted and hard to read.

So please take some time to ensure that your artist biography is formatted so that it is easy to read on a computer and also on a smartphone.

EVELYN SOSA

Cuban, born 1989.

An Award winning photographer, Evelyn Sosa Rojas was born in 1989 in Havana, Cuba, where she still lives and work. In her practice, since 2008, Sosa specializes in amazingly soulful portraits. Sosa shows the power of femininity through photos of women in different familiar or intimate settings. In 2016, Sosa was the winner of the Herman Puig Prize, awarded yearly to the best artist of the Body Photography Salon in Havana. In her powerful series “Women’s portraits”, Sosa captures the very essence of each subject in a simple, sensual and compelling way. Sosa has an ability to capture the depth of the eyes and gaze, showing the subject soul and deep thoughts. In 2019, Uncommon Beauty published a photo-book , HAVANA INTIMATE, through the lens of Evelyn Sosa. In a scholarly essay written for the book, Grethel Morell Otero, the recipient of the 2019 Cuban National Curator Award, and a published authority in Cuban photography wrote: “her (Sosa) work represents something of a vanguard movement in contemporary artistic photography’. Website

Joseph Rolella

Born in Sydney in 1972, Rolella completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours) in 1994 and went on to obtain a Masters in Visual Arts at the University of Western Sydney in 1998. Joseph Rolella has exhibited consistently for the past twelve years both nationally and internationally. Rolella has won several major art prizes including the Australian Cricket Art Prize in 2011 for the painting “Cricket at Kandahar”. The Oakhill Grammer School Art Prize in 2013 as well as being selected as a semi-finalist for the prestigious Doug Moran Portrait Prize. Complex and contradictory, Rolella’s recent abstract paintings seek to expose a delicate equilibrium between a sense of balance and visual calm and the tumult of painterly texture and surface tension. The play of light at the waters edge…

SOFIA AREAL  (Lisbon, 1960)

Begins her studies 1979 at the Hertfordshire College of Art and Design in St Albans, UK. In Portugal she studied etching and painting at Ar.Co. (Art and Visual Communication Center).

Her first group exhibition was in 1982 at the 1ª Mostra de Artes in Lagos, Portugal and her first solo show was in 1990 at Galeria Alda Cortez, Lisbon. Since then, Sofia has exhibited in various countries individually and collectively. She had a retrospective exhibition covering the last 10 years of her career in 2011 at the Galeria da Cordoaria Nacional the exhibition was accompanied by a book published by Babel, with texts of among others: Jorge Silva Melo and Professor Luís Campos e Cunha. In 2012 Areal illustrates the literary magazine published by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Colóquio Letras. In 2013 launches a book together with Harvard Professor, Allan Hobson – “ Creativity”. Since 2013, Areal has started an international exhibition program, in Macau – Orient Foundation 2014, Oslo – Embassy Art Space 2015 and Dublin in 2016. In the same year a film by Jorge Silva Melo, “Sofia Areal: Um Gabinete Anti-Dor” premiers. In 2017 Areal continues a series of exhibitions, started in 2016 in quARTel das Artes in Abrantes, about her own private collection in Lagos Cultural Centre, followed by MUDAS. Contemporary Art Museum of Madeira and Centro Cultural Raiano – a series, which will continue in 2019. In the same year Areal will have an exhibition in the Portuguese Cultural Centre in Luxembourg. In 2017-2018 creates a tiles panel is together with a group of artists and 3 individual ones, all with Ratton Gallery in Lisbon.

Great example of a short artist biography

A short bio is a good idea for any artist whether you want to present your skills for a solo exhibition for fine art or just for a social media platform such as for an Instagram profile.

Rita Ackermann Biography

Born : Budapest, Hungary, 1968

Education :

The New York Studio School of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture (Hanes Foundation), New York NY, 1992 – 1993 Academy of Fine Arts, Budapest, Hungary, 1989 – 1992

Resides: Lives and works in New York NY

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2019 Hauser & Wirth, ‘Rita Ackermann. Brother and Sister’, Zürich, Switzerland

2018 La Triennale di Milano, ‘Rita Ackermann. Movements as Monuments’, Milan, Italy VIEWING ROOM, Marlborough Contemporary, ‘Rita Ackermann and Carol Rama: Body Matters’, New York NY

How to write an artist biography using a template

You can follow this simple template if you want to skip the sticky note exercise from the previous steps.

As I do not like referring to myself in the third person I will move away from your typical artist biography examples and make it a little more personable.

“ My name is [Insert your name], I was born in [insert town/city/country] in [year]. My first experiences as an artist was when [insert time period in life or formative experience].

My influences were [insert influences].

It was here that I realized that I wanted to pursue my career in this field.

I went on to study [insert course and institution] where I earned my qualifications in [insert field of study].

It was here that I furthered expanded on my knowledge in [insert fields of interest], where I [insert key achievements].

I work primarily in [insert mediums] and I currently work from [insert location] and [any other locations of interest]. “

Self taught artist bio sample

For self taught artists, your artist bio will be the same as all the examples but without listing any formal qualifications. Using the template above, I have modified it to make it suitable for self taught artists.

The focus for a self taught artist is to focus on your practical experience and what you did in lieu of formal training.

I believe that being an artist is something that one is born to do an not learned at school, I went on to study through practical experience, learning through trial and error and self learning studying the works of [insert influences] as my teachers .

50 word artist bio example

Describe yourself in 50 words or less. This is much harder to do than you may think.

If you must provide an artist biography in 50 words or less then focus on the key information and remove the filler words that we tend to use when describing ourselves and our achievements.

When creating a 50 words or less artist bio, use simple headings and bullet points and stick to the point.

“ My name is [Insert your name]. Born in [insert town/city/country] in [year].

I work primarily in [insert main medium]

My influences are [insert influences].

I obtained a [insert qualification] from [institution].

(I am represented by [insert gallery]) or (I have exhibited in [insert shows]) or (I have won [insert main prizes])

I currently work from [insert location] and [any other locations of interest]. “

Still struggling to write an Artist Bio?

I found this cool site, it generates artist statements and biographies. All you need to do is click “Generate Some Bollocks” .

First Draft of an artist biography

Have someone write the outline for you.

If you find it hard to write about yourself, find someone you trust and hand over your sticky notes and ask them to write the artist biography for you using the templates as a guide.

You will find that someone who knows you well will remember to add other information about you that you may have forgotten to include or too embarrassed to include.

Once they have a draft, read through it out loud with them and see if it makes sense and look at areas for improvement.

My English is not good, what do I do?

Use Google Translate

If your english is not as good as you like, that is totally fine. If anything it is an advantage as you can now have a bilingual artist bio.

You can have your artist bio written in your native language for your native audience and then ask someone you trust to translate it to English or pay a small fee on Upwork or Freelancer to translate your artist biography for you.

If you do not want to pay someone, you can give Google Translate a try and see how that comes up. Speaking from experience when I tried to translate text from English to Italian, be careful as this does not always give the best results.

Review and review again

Again, with anything your write you should review it yourself and then ask someone you trust to review it again for you.

Check for grammar and spelling.

Common mistakes in artist biographies

Contrary to my advice about writing in the first person, some say that your artist biography should be written in the third person to give the impression that it was written by someone else and that it sounds more authoritative.

Unless your artist biography was actually written by a third person I disagree with this advice. We know you wrote this so why pretend it wasn’t.

Secondly, if you are an unknown and not professionally represented, most people in the industry will know you bring little authority with you. That’s the sad truth.

The next mistake is to fail to tell an interesting story about your journey as an artist. Note down any gaps in your career and explain why, sometimes the gaps are as interesting as the art journey itself.

Taking care of children, sick family, going to war, being in accident can all be used as part of your narrative and drawn on for inspiration.

Think of all the books you read that you could not put down, they told an interesting story you could relate to and the characters were usually likeable and not pretentious.

Which leads to the next mistake, do not big note yourself or embellish your achievements. Do not lie about your achievements. With the internet available to most people on their phones, most facts can be easily verified.

The next mistake is to write an artist statement when an artist biography was requested.

Other mistakes when writing an artist bio are spelling mistakes grammar mistakes, not proofreading your draft, and the final mistake artists make when writing their artist biography is forgetting to tell the why they became an artist.

How to write an Artist Bio – Wrap up!

As I mentioned earlier, writing an artist bio is a bit like a resume but it’s all part of the art business. It can feel cold, impersonal and detached. This is the reason why I prefer an Artist Profile instead.

I would format the artist profile to include the initial hook paragraphs to get your readers interested in knowing more.

I would then follow the lead from the examples provided and include information that you would usually see in an artist biography.

Keep it up to date

Remember, as artists we are always changing and progressing. This means whether you are using an Artist Biography, Artists Statement or Artist Profile, these should be updated to reflect where you are in life and as an artist at that point in time.

It should change as you change. Keep some of the older information in there so your reader can follow your career and influences progressions.

These tell a story about you and remember there is no such thing as a perfect artist bio or artists cv. You just want to convey enough about yourself for potential clients and for a fellow artist.

Rewrite and Review

Each time you make an update, review what you wrote and do not be afraid to re-write it all if it no longer applies to who you are today.

Get someone to proofread your artist bio and take on any constructive criticism.

Good luck! If you have any of your own artist biographies that you would like linked to this article, please send through a message on the contact-me page.

If it is suitable, I will include it in the list of Artist Biography Examples.

joseph colella bio wastedtalentinc

Joseph Colella (Joe Colella) is an Editor and Writer at WastedTalentInc. As a frustrated artist with over 40 years experience making art (who moonlights as a certified Business Analyst with over 20 years of experience in tech).

While Joseph holds a Diploma in Information Technology, in true wasted talent fashion he spent years applying for various Art degrees; from the Accademia di Belle Arti (Napoli), to failing to get into the Bachelor of Arts (Fine Arts) at the University of Western Sydney.

While he jokes about his failures at gaining formal art qualifications, as a self-taught artist he has had a fruitful career in business, technology and the arts making Art his full time source of income from the age of 18 until 25.

His goal is to attend the Julian Ashton School of Art at The Rocks Sydney when he retires from full time work. Joseph’s art has been sold to private collectors all over the world from the USA, Europe and Australasia.

He is a trusted source for reliable art advice and tutorials to copyright/fair use advice and is committed to helping his readers make informed decisions about making them a better artist.

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Chris Wilson

10 Examples of artist bios: How to write a super artist bio

Examples of artist bios often include key elements like the artist's name, area of expertise, career milestones, personal interests, and contact info. They're tailored to engage the audience while reflecting the artist's unique voice and journey.

Ever find yourself staring at a blank screen, wondering how to condense your artistic journey into a few paragraphs?

Trust me, you're not alone.

An artist bio isn't just a list of facts; it's a narrative that invites people into your creative world.

So, why is it so crucial?

Well, it's your handshake with the audience, a way to say, “Hey, this is me, and this is my art.”

Stick around as we go into the how-tos and examples of artist bios that make a lasting impression.

On this page

Key Takeaways

  • Define your artistic identity clearly : Your bio is your opportunity to introduce not just your art, but who you are as an artist. It should include your medium, inspiration, and artistic goals. This clarity helps in aligning your business plan with your art, ensuring your marketing strategies and portfolio resonate with your artistic vision.
  • Use your unique voice : Inject your personality into your bio to make it stand out. Whether your tone is serious, whimsical, or quirky, ensure it reflects the uniqueness of your art. This authenticity makes your bio more engaging and memorable, inviting your audience into your creative world.
  • Update regularly : As your artistic journey evolves, so should your bio. Regular updates reflecting new milestones, exhibitions, or shifts in your artistic focus keep your audience informed and engaged. This dynamic approach ensures your bio remains relevant and an accurate reflection of your current artistic identity.

Defining Yourself as an Artist in Your Bio Informs Your Business Plan

There is an interesting interplay between your artist bio and your business plan.

You see, your artist bio isn't just a narrative; it's a declaration of your artistic identity . It's where you lay out your style, your inspirations, your goals—essentially, it's where you define who you are as an artist.

And guess what?

When you're clear about your artistic identity in your bio, it becomes easier to map out a business plan that truly aligns with your art and your aspirations.

Your bio can help you identify your target audience, decide on the right marketing strategies, and even guide you in creating a portfolio that resonates with your artistic vision.

The Artist Bio vs. The Artist Statement: What's the Difference?

The artist bio and the artist statement—two essential pieces of writing, yet each serves a distinct purpose in the world of art.

Your artist bio is like the opening scene of a film; it sets the stage and introduces the characters. It's a narrative that tells the story of you—the artist. It covers your journey, your influences, your achievements, and even a bit of your personality. It's a comprehensive look at who you are, aimed at engaging the audience and making them want to know more about you and, by extension, your art.

Now, the artist statement, that's a different beast altogether.

Think of it as a spotlight that shines exclusively on a specific body of work. It's your chance to delve deep into your artistic process, the themes you explore, and the techniques you employ.

While your bio might say, “I'm a painter inspired by nature,” your artist statement would elaborate on how the colors of autumn leaves influence your palette, or how the texture of tree bark finds its way into your brush strokes. It's more focused, more immediate, and speaks directly to the art that's right in front of the viewer.

So, while your bio draws people into your world, your artist statement guides them through a specific landscape within that world.

Writing the Perfect Artist Bio

Your artistic title: what's your medium.

First things first, let's get clear on what you do.

Are you a painter, a digital artist, or maybe a sculptor?

Your title sets the stage, so make it clear and precise.

Your Home Base: Where's Your Creative Den?

Your location can say a lot about you and your art.

Whether you're soaking up the urban vibes of a bustling city or drawing inspiration from a tranquil countryside, let people know where you're coming from—literally.

Your Milestones: What's Your Artistic Journey?

Here's where you can brag a little. Got any exhibitions, awards, or significant projects under your belt? This is the time to shine a spotlight on them.

A Dash of You: What Makes You Tick?

Throw in some personal tidbits to make your bio relatable. Are you a coffee addict, a night owl, or maybe a hiking enthusiast? These little details can make you more memorable.

Stay Connected: How Can We Reach You?

Don't forget to include ways people can connect with you. Your website, social media handles, and other contact information should be easily accessible.

Tips for Improving Your Artist Bio

Crafting an artist bio is like painting a self-portrait with words. It's a small canvas, but it can make a big impact.

Here are some tips that'll help you brush up your bio and make it a masterpiece.

Understand the Audience

First off, know who you're talking to.

Are you aiming for gallery curators, potential clients, or a broader audience on social media?

Tailoring your tone and content based on your audience can make your bio resonate more effectively.

For instance, if your primary audience is other artists, you might want to delve into the nitty-gritty of your techniques.

Use Your Unique Voice

Your art is unique, and so are you.

Let your personality shine through your writing. Whether you're quirky, serious, or whimsical, your voice should be consistent with the art you create.

This adds a layer of authenticity and makes your bio more engaging.

Consider Length Requirements

How long should it be?

Well, it depends on where your bio will be published.

If it's for a gallery submission, they might have specific word limits.

On your own website, you have more freedom.

But remember, a bio is like a good sketch—detailed enough to be interesting, but not so much that it becomes a full-blown painting.

Additional Artist Bio Tips

  • Avoid Jargon : Unless your audience is well-versed in art terminology, keep it simple. You want to invite people into your world, not alienate them.
  • Be Honest, Be You : Authenticity shines brighter than any embellishment. Your bio should be a true reflection of who you are as an artist.
  • Proofreading is Your Friend : Before publishing, make sure to proofread your bio. A typo can be a small thing that takes away from the overall picture. Maybe even get a second pair of eyes to look it over.
  • Update, Update, Update : Your art evolves, and so should your bio. Every time there's a significant change in your artistic journey, take a moment to update your bio.

Examples of Artist Bios

Example 1: the landscape painter.

Sarah Green – Your Friendly Neighborhood Landscape Painter

I'm Sarah Green, and I'm carving my path as a landscape painter right here in the heart of Maplewood. I'm honing my skills at Maplewood Community College's Fine Arts program and have had the joy of showcasing my work at local art fairs.

My art is a love letter to Mother Nature, capturing her in her most tranquil moments.

When I'm not with my easel and paints, you'll find me trekking through local trails or lending a hand at our community animal shelter. Nature and critters aren't just my muse; they're my world.

Curious to see my work or just want to chat? Swing by my website or give me a follow on Instagram. Let's connect!

Example 2: The Fine Art Photographer

Tim Lee – Capturing the Urban Jungle Through My Lens

I'm Tim Lee, a budding fine art photographer rooted in the vibrant city of Chicago. I've taken some killer online courses and even had my work grace the walls of a local café.

My lens is drawn to the raw energy of city life—graffiti, faces, and all the little things that make our urban world tick.

When I'm not behind the camera, you'll catch me sipping on some artisanal coffee or cruising the streets on my skateboard. The city isn't just my canvas; it's my playground.

Want to reach out? You can find me and my work on my website or get a daily dose of my urban adventures on Twitter.

Example 3: The Abstract Painter

Emily Patel – Diving Into the Emotional Depths of Abstract Art

Hello, beautiful people! I'm Emily Patel, an up-and-coming abstract painter soaking up the sun in San Diego. I'm a self-taught artist, and I'm just beginning to dip my toes into the colorful world of abstract painting.

My art is a journey through emotions, guided by a symphony of colors and textures.

When I'm not lost in my art, I find peace in yoga and inspiration in poetry—both of which seep into my work.

Want to connect or explore my art? Feel free to visit my brand-new website or follow my artistic journey on Facebook.

Example 4: The Sculptor Finding Beauty in the Mundane

Mark Thompson – Sculpting Everyday Objects into Art

I'm Mark Thompson, a sculptor based in the artsy town of Asheville. I've studied at the Asheville School of Art and have been featured in several local exhibitions.

My sculptures turn everyday objects into something extraordinary, challenging how we view the world around us.

When I'm not sculpting, I'm usually found at flea markets hunting for my next inspiration or playing the guitar.

Interested in my work? Visit my website or follow me on Pinterest for my latest creations.

Example 5: The Digital Artist with a Social Message

Lisa Kim – Digital Art for Social Change

I'm Lisa Kim, a digital artist operating out of New York City. I've completed a digital art course from NYU and my art often appears in online social campaigns.

My digital canvases are platforms for social justice, aiming to provoke thought and inspire change.

Outside of art, I'm an avid reader and a volunteer at a local food bank.

Feel free to check out my portfolio online or connect with me on LinkedIn.

Example 6: The Watercolor Artist Inspired by Travel

Carlos Rivera – Painting the World One Brushstroke at a Time

I'm Carlos Rivera, a watercolor artist who finds inspiration from my travels. I've studied art in Spain and have exhibited my work in various European cities.

My art is a passport to different cultures, capturing the essence of places I've visited.

When I'm not painting, I'm planning my next adventure or cooking up some international cuisine.

You can find my work and travel stories on my blog or follow me on Instagram.

Example 7: The Mixed Media Artist

Angela White – Mixing Media, Mixing Messages

I'm Angela White, a mixed media artist based in San Francisco. I've taken workshops from renowned artists and have participated in group shows.

My art blends materials and messages, creating a unique narrative in each piece.

In my free time, I enjoy hiking and have a soft spot for vintage fashion.

To see my latest projects or to get in touch, visit my website or find me on Etsy.

Example 8: The Portrait Artist with a Twist

Jake O'Brien – Portraits That Tell a Story

Hey folks! I'm Jake O'Brien, a portrait artist from Boston. I've studied at the Boston School of Fine Arts and my work has been featured in several local galleries.

My portraits aren't just faces; they're stories waiting to be told.

When I'm not painting, I'm usually found at jazz clubs or writing short stories.

Curious about my work? Check out my portfolio on my website or follow me on Tumblr.

Example 9: The Environmental Artist

Fiona Chen – Art for Earth's Sake

I'm Fiona Chen, an environmental artist based in Vancouver. I've collaborated with environmental organizations and have had my installations displayed at eco-festivals.

My art is a call to action, aiming to raise awareness about environmental issues.

Outside of my art, I'm an active member of local environmental groups and a weekend gardener.

To learn more or to collaborate, visit my website or connect with me on LinkedIn.

Example 10: The Ceramic Artist

Raj Kaur – Crafting Stories in Clay

I'm Raj Kaur, a ceramic artist from London. I've trained under master potters and have my own studio where I teach pottery classes.

My ceramics are more than objects; they're vessels of stories and traditions.

When I'm not at the wheel, I enjoy cooking and exploring local art scenes.

Interested? You can find my pieces and upcoming classes on my website or follow me on Pinterest.

FAQs and Additional Tips for Your Artist Bio

Crafting an artist bio isn't just about listing facts; it's about telling a story, your story .

Here are some frequently asked questions and additional tips that can help you make your bio not just informative but also engaging and reflective of your unique artistic voice.

How Can You Infuse Your Unique Artistic Voice Into Your Bio?

Your bio should be as unique as your art.

Use descriptive language that reflects your artistic style. If your art is whimsical and colorful, let that show in your choice of words. If it's dark and moody, your bio can reflect that tone.

Your bio should feel like an extension of your art, offering a textual snapshot of what you bring to the canvas, the sculpture, or the lens.

What Aspects of Your Artistic Journey Are Most Compelling and Should Be Highlighted?

Think about the milestones and experiences that have shaped you as an artist.

Did a particular event or person inspire you to take up art?

Have you won awards or participated in exhibitions?

Maybe you've traveled to unique places for your art?

These are the stories that make you interesting and relatable. Include them to give a fuller picture of who you are.

How Can Your Bio Serve as a Tool for Audience Engagement and Even Advocacy for Causes You Care About?

Your bio isn't just a CV; it's a platform.

If you're passionate about certain causes, like environmental conservation or social justice, your bio is a space to advocate for these issues. Mention projects or artworks that reflect these causes.

It not only shows that you stand for something but also attracts like-minded individuals who may become supporters of both your art and your cause.

The Gallery’s Guide to Writing Good Artist Bios

Paco Pomet in his studio

Including artist bios on your gallery’s website is an excellent way to engage readers and collectors, and to help you frame your gallery’s artistic focus and position the artists you represent. A good artist bio will inspire collectors to want to find out more about the artists and their work and lead them to keep browsing the artist’s works on your website. See the artist bios as your artists’ business cards – you want them to stand out, to provide all the essential information, and to convince collectors to become interested and, eventually, to reach out and buy works. Read on to discover how to write a stellar artist bio thanks to our 10 tips.

1. Create a concise summary

An artist bio should concisely summarise the artist’s practice. It’s not about covering an artist’s entire CV or full biography. Focus on a few main points that you believe to best introduce the artist and their art. Always include the medium, themes, techniques, and influences the artist works with.

2. Use clean, simple language

Use clean, simple language and avoid academic jargon and exaggerated language. Readers respond to authentic, simple texts and will take you much more seriously than if you use over-embellished language.

3. Grab the attention with a creative first sentence

Try to start the bio with a first line that is not simply a standard biographical introduction. Instead, be more creative and write a first sentence that grabs your readers’ attention while also telling them what is the most important thing about this artist and their work.

4. Include the artist's date of birth and nationality

Always add the date of birth (and in the case of artists who have passed away, the date of death) and the nationality of the artist. Also mention where they are mainly based – readers are interested in knowing where an artist is living and working, as this adds to a certain understanding about the artist’s influences and way of working.

5. Keep the bio around 120 words

The bio should be between 80 and 140 words. An ideal artist bio is 120 words. Research at museums has shown that visitors lose interest in reading wall labels accompanying art works after 150 words. That’s why it’s better to limit your word count to around 120 words – your readers will get enough information and be curious to learn more on their own, without getting bored and leaving your page because they don’t want to read an unnecessarily long text.

6. Discuss medium, techniques and style

Include all the important tangible aspects of the artist’s practice including: the medium and techniques the artist uses and the artistic style. Give examples of the artist’s key works that clearly elucidate these qualities.

7. Describe the main themes

Describe the main themes which the artist depicts in the work. What are the subjects and issues that inspire the themes in the artist’s pieces?

8. Position the artist in art history

Briefly reflect on the artist’s position in art history. What makes this artist important, what impact does he or she have on the history of art, which artists have influenced this artist and in what way has the artist redefined a certain medium or artistic technique?

9. Place the artist in his/her specific context

Position the artist in his or her cultural, political, social or technological context. Consider which events and which influences from the artist’s background and everyday life influence the way they work, and the art they produce.

10. Add a relevant quote

If you can find a short, relevant quote from the artist which supports the above-mentioned points, it can be a nice touch to add this to the bio in order to make it stand out more as an engaging, original piece.

Follow our ‘Gallery’s Guide’ series for more useful tips and strategies to improve your gallery’s online presence and business.

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RENEE PHILLIPS - MENTOR FOR ARTISTS

Helping Artists Achieve Their Fullest Potential

Ask Renee to Write About Your Art

How to Write Your Artist’s Biography

By Renee Phillips 14 Comments

In “How to Write Your Artist’s Biography” I explain what it is, why you need it, and what to include, plus links to samples and quick tips.

Your Artist’s Biography is essential for viewers of your art who want to know more about you. It helps them to understand what makes you unique and tells them about the journey you took to get to where you are now as an artist.

On the practical side, your Artist’s Biography provides prospective buyers, gallery owners, curators, grant givers and writers knowledge about you. They want to know about your career accomplishments before they decide to invest in your art and promote you.

What Is The Artist’s Biography?

man with computer Photo credit: Austin Distel from Unsplash

The Artist’s Biography is text, written in the third person (she, he) .

It serves to provide the reader with a story about you as an artist and learn about your career credentials.

It contains much of the same information as a résumé, however, a résumé or CV is written in a listing format and a biography is written in an editorial style.

Your Artist’s Biography may contain a brief description of your art work however it is also not the same as an Artist’s Statement , which your write entirely to express creative inspiration, materials, style and artistic vision.

On your website limit your Artist’s Biography to approximately 250 words or less.

Create different versions of your Artist’s Biography to use for different purposes.

First, before you go further, if you don’t have many credits on your resume read this: “How to Expand Your Short Artist’s Biography – 12 Great Ideas”

Why You Need to write Your Artist’s Biography

Colorful art website. Photo by DESIGNECOLOGIST on Unsplash

You need a well-written artist’s biography to…

Promote your art on your website and blog on the “About the Artist” page.

Create your profile on your social media platforms.

Provide material in your cover letter to a gallery or other art official.

Give to a publicity outlet — art editor, feature story editor or radio or TV host.

Add to your exhibition press release.

Serve as an integral part of a brochure or catalogue.

Add to your proposal for a grant, lecture, workshop or panel discussion.

What To Include in Your Biography

What are the unique attributes of your art?

Where have you previously lived and where do you currently live?

When, where, and/or why did you begin to take interest in art?

Did you study art in school, or were you self-taught?

Did you go to college or art school? Where? What did you study?

Did you receive any press coverage?

What is the title of the magazine/newspaper or blog and the writer’s name?

Have you been interviewed on TV or radio?

What is the title of the show and person who interviewed you?

What exhibitions did you participate in?

What is the name of the exhibition location and title of exhibition?

Was it a juried or invitational exhibition? What is the name of the juror?

Is your art in any important public collections? Which ones?

What awards and honors have you earned?

Have you served in other art art related capacities,  such as: Serving on the Board of Directors or committee of an arts organization?

Have you curated any exhibitions?

Have you written articles about art that have been published?

Have any books about you and your art been published?

Do you create other art-related items in addition to original works of art?

Read some samples of the Artist’s Biography.

Avoid these mistakes i’ve seen on artists’ websites.

Avoid writing about intimate, personal experiences that are not related to your career or artistic vision.

Avoid the use of jargon, colloquialism, and esoteric language that will alienate most potential buyers.

Avoid writing long biographies about your trials and tribulations beginning with childhood, grade school art work…

Avoid grandiose over-inflated jargon about yourself.

Avoid writing excessive quotes and references to famous artists.

Remember, if someone is interested in buying your art or showing your art in their gallery they are more interested in your current career credentials, not what you did as a child.

Read “10 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your Artist’s Biography”

Also Read “How to Expand Your Short Artist’s Biography – 12 Great Ideas”

Do You Want Me to Write Your Artist’s Biography? Go to this page to find out how I can help you.

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About Renee Phillips

Renée Phillips is a mentor and advocate for artists helping them achieve their fullest potential. She provides career advice, writing services, and promotion for artists from beginners to advanced. She organizes online exhibitions open to all artists as Director/Curator of Manhattan Arts International www.ManhattanArts.com and Founder of The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS www.healing-power-of-art.org. As an arts' advocate she has served on the advisory boards of several non-profit arts organizations. She lives in New York, NY.

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12/23 at 11:09 am

Thank you for sharing your invaluable insight into writing biographies etc.

I am in the process of entering a competition in the UK and I will certainly use your advice to help create my biography.

Accuracy of written content is clearly important to us both and I thought I would like to mention a typo you have made in your ‘Why do you need to write Your Artist’s Biography?’ section, where you have stated, ‘Add to your your exhibition press release.’ (the word ‘your’ repeated ).

I hope you won’t find offence in bringing this to your attention but obviously you want to keep an accurate page without errors.

Kind regards. Bill

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12/24 at 11:42 am

Thank you Bill for reading my article and calling my attention to the typo in it. I have fired my assistant editor/proofreader for failing to catch it. Only joking. I greatly appreciate it. 🙂

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11/03 at 11:18 am

Thank you so much for your most informative article full of guidance. I am currently assisting a homeless Indigenous artist to get off the streets and launch his art career.

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12/24 at 12:14 am

I am a Volunteer with 30 Students approximately 25 active art students. Thay range in age from 4 to 75 with a love for art. I need help with helping them .write their bio and artist statements..Need direction on how to help and how to get help to support my group..I find it hard to get people to share information that will help you grow and thrive in thie art world. I have learned that I have a lot to learn a long road ahead I’m a 62 year old retired .,.nurse.I’ve been an artist for 12 years .

12/24 at 9:34 am

Dear Shirley, Thank you for the work you do helping art students. It must be also very gratifying for you. I love offering advice to artists. Please share this article with your group and suggest that they subscribe to my blog email newsletter to see new articles when they are published. I also suggest you read and share How to Write Your Artist’s Statement. Don’t get discouraged. It can be overwhelming to navigate the business of being an artist. Here’s a good article to read: Take Small Steps to Achieve Large Art Career Goals.t a time . As far as funding for your group, I don’t know where you live, but there are nonprofit organizations that serve as an “umbrella” for groups like yours. Keep going and best wishes to you and your students!

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11/13 at 9:35 am

This site is so super amazing and super helpful! I was so happy to have my artist statement! Best Regards, Patrick !

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03/20 at 1:13 am

This article was helpful for me but I want to know how I can write organizational biography? Do you have any idea about that, if you have, please share it with me?

Regards, Sumera

03/20 at 9:13 am

Hi Sumera, I’m glad you found the article helpful to you. What do you mean by an “organizational biography”? My guess is you may be referring to a biography of an organization, which would include such information as its mission statement and objectives, often with such categories as “Who We Are”, “What We Do”, “Benefits to Sponsors”, “Benefits to Members”, etc. If so, there are articles about art organizations on The Artrepreneur Coach website. Use this link to find examples of art organizations with good examples of their missions and objectives on their websites https://renee-phillips.com/?s=art+organizations I hope this information helps you.

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05/21 at 6:33 pm

Thank you for the guideline. I found this very helpful and concise.

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05/16 at 5:31 am

Hello Renee Thanks for this information. It is helpful to me and many more who need such insights.

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07/09 at 5:45 pm

I have an artist who I think would really connect with you and benefit from your services. How do I get him connected?

Best Stephanie

07/10 at 6:56 pm

Hi Stephanie, Thank you for your interest in my services. Please direct the artist you know to this page: https://renee-phillips.com/career-coaching-for-artists/ . Information about my consulting and writing services, fees, testimonials and how to contact are all there or a click away. All the best, Renee

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09/05 at 6:28 am

Thank you very much for this service , I am having my first show of my life , and am grateful that this help and the awesome advice , i feel blessed to share my work in some capacity to the rest of the World , Aloha

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09/03 at 3:29 pm

I did not realize how important a good biography of myself needs to be. I thank you for your helpful tips. Can hardly wait for a more profitable future.

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Writing Services for Artists

My specialty is writing Art Reviews and Art Statements / "Praise Quotes" for artists to use for promotion... on their websites, social media profiles, exhibition catalogues, grant submissions, blog posts, press releases, artists’ books and more. My writing for artists has led to increasing their art sales, attracting publicity, gaining … More...

Copyright © 2014 -2024 Renee Phillips Manhattan Arts International 200 East 72 Street, New York, NY 10021 [email protected]

How to Write an Effective Artist Bio

Jun 21, 2023 • knowledge, information.

  • What medium/media does the artist work in?
  • What is his or her style like?
  • What significant work or series can you talk about that will give a visual description of the above qualities?
  • What are common or characteristic themes depicted in the artist’s work? What subjects drive the works or provide underlying themes?
  • Why is this artist important?
  • What impact did this artist make on history, or what precedent did this artist set in art-making? What other artists impacted the artist’s practice?
  • How did this artist redefine a medium or media?
  • Who were the artist’s peers or teachers?
  • In what political or technological climate was/is the artist working in, i.e., what historical or political events might have influenced the work?
  • What areas of the arts or popular culture did this artist incorporate into his or her work?
  • What other areas of the arts or popular culture did/does this artist engage with, e.g., creating theatrical sets, costumes, music videos, etc.?
  • Can any of these above questions be answered in a brief (1-2 sentences) and engaging quotation from the artist?

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How to Write an Artist Bio – Background Information Writing Tips

Avatar for Nicolene Burger

Writing an artist biography (shortened as artist bio) is often associated with the less fun, administrative side of practicing art. However, writing an artist bio can be a stimulating exercise that leads to clarity and more opportunities. In this article, we will look at what an artist biography is, what to include in an artist bio, and some artist bio examples to ultimately understand how to write an artist bio. 

Table of Contents

  • 1.1 What Is an Artist Biography?
  • 1.2 What to Include in an Artist Bio
  • 2.1 Example One: Short Artist Biography
  • 2.2 Example Two: Extended Artist Biography
  • 3.1 What Will Make You Stand Out?
  • 3.2 Do a Brain Dump
  • 3.3 Consider Clarity
  • 3.4 Ask a Friend to Proofread Your Final Text
  • 3.5 What Should I Avoid When Writing an Artist Bio?
  • 4.1 What Is an Artist Bio?
  • 4.2 What Should I Write in an Artist Bio?
  • 4.3 Why Is an Artist Bio Important?

How to Write an Artist Bio

Making art is the most important part of being an artist, but often communicating what they do to the world is neglected by artists. Your practice and artworks might make sense to you, but you cannot assume everyone will understand them simply by looking at them. Generating support materials that essentially “translate” your artworks into clear text for viewers to read is just as important as making the art itself.

Communicate Your Ideas with Artist Bio

Support materials include your website, artist CV , artist biography, artist statement, business cards, and elevator speech.  

Many artists are not sure how to write an artist bio and therefore avoid doing so altogether. This can lead to a scramble just before a deadline, or the generation of an unclear and incomplete text. If you see writing your artist bio as an exercise in defining how you want to present yourself to the world, it can be a fun and enlightening exercise.

Do Not Leave Writing Artist Bio Until Last Minute

What Is an Artist Biography?

Artists often confuse an artist bio with an artist statement. An artist statement provides conceptual reasoning that explains the concepts, symbols, subjects, and methods of the work you create. It goes into a detailed rationale of why and how your work is created. An artist statement can be specific to a certain exhibition or body of work or be a general statement about your art practice.

An artist biography is a summary of the artist’s life and career. It gives a clear and brief account of what the artist has achieved in their career up to the present moment, the mediums, and communities they work in as well as any other experiences relevant to their body of work. In an artist bio, you can introduce the main themes of your work, but reserve the conceptual explanations for your artist statement.

What is an Artist Bio

Artist bios are often included in exhibitions, competitions, funding, collection texts, and so on. Individuals working in the film, music, literature, theater, poetry, and fine arts industries have to have an artist bio, as it is often required as part of submissions to qualify for opportunities to show your work. If you are marketing on social media, on your website, or doing self-organized exhibitions, it is also good to have a bio available for buyers and viewers to read about who you are and what you have done.

Artist Bio for Online Marketing

An artist bio can create a personal connection between you and the viewer of your work. It should be a punchy, compact text that is easy to read and straight to the point. That being said, the beginning or ending sentence of your bio can include some of your artist values to express the philosophy behind your art practice. Again, avoid expanding too much on these subjects and rather explore them further in your artist statements.

Your artist bio can also be tailored for specific use. For example, you might want the bio on your website to be more extensive and personal, whereas a bio submitted for a museum might focus on a specific era of your career relevant to the works on display.

What to Include in an Artist Bio

There are many ways to write an artist bio. A traditional approach would be a professional, academically styled, summarized CV, but this does not mean that it is the only “correct” way to write an artist bio. You can style your bio to reflect your artist personality and style of working.

It is a great idea to write a long and short version of your artist bio. Cap the short version at 250 to 300 words, as many submissions limit the word count. A more extensive bio is good to have at hand for publications, articles, and your website.

Types of Artist Bio

A professional artist bio that is submitted for open calls and publication is written in the third person. When writing your artist bio, you have to use your name and surname in the first sentence. From there, you can decide if you want to use your first name or last name to refer to yourself in the text (see the example bios below for reference). If you want your artist bio to be more personal on your website, you can write it in the first person.

Artist Bio Writing Tips

Your bio should include where you were born, where and what you studied, where you are based or work from, what mediums you practice in as well as the general subject your artworks address. Including these elements in the introductory paragraph of your bio is a good way to give the reader a general understanding of your background and who you are as an artist.

What to Include in an Artist Bio

Think of your bio as a longhand version of your CV. It should therefore include any exhibitions you were part of, competitions you won, residencies you attended, the funding you received, and any other relevant art achievements throughout your career. If you have been practicing for a long time or have been part of many shows and events, choose the most esteemed achievements to include in your artist bio.

Remember to include the associated institutions, galleries, and persons in each listed achievement. This adds professional credibility to your work. It also acts as a reference so that the panel or judges reading your bio can follow up with said institutions or galleries to find out how it was working with you.

Curator Using Artist Biography

What Is an Artist Bio Example?

Artists approach biographies in different ways. It is a good idea to read as many artist biographies as possible before deciding on what style you want to use. You can google famous artists’ bios or read the printed text at exhibitions you attend.

Example One: Short Artist Biography

In 2020, [Artist Name] created a series of ZOOM performances with Lumkile Mzayiya called Evoked? These performances led her to create exclusive performances from her home in 2021 to accommodate the mid-pandemic audience. She also started focusing more on the sustainability of creative practices in the last three years and now offers creative coaching sessions to artists of all kinds. By sharing what she has learned from a 10-year practice, [Artist Name] hopes to relay more directly the sense of vulnerability with which she makes art and the core belief of her practice: Art is an immensely important and powerful bridge of communication that can offer understanding, healing, and connection.

Example Two: Extended Artist Biography

As part of the Rhizome Artist Residency in 2018, [Artist Name] further explored the theme of public memory and identity. In collaboration with Korean artists, she improvised spontaneous engagements with the audience led to questions around race, voice, violence, and identity, which she continued to unpack after completing the 10-month residency.

TLC brought together a community of collaborating artists. The collective offered visual artists informal critique sessions, and emotional support and aimed to create a safe space for artists to develop together. In June and July 2019, [Artist Name] co-curated a series of immersive art events titled, Senses of the Seasons, with TLC partner Livia Schneider. These multi-sensory art happenings focused on satisfying the creative desires of young artists in the heart of Cape Town.

Painted Mantras , [Artist Name]’s first solo exhibition of paintings, showed at the University of Stellenbosch Gallery in October 2019. This exhibition formed a collection of visual mantras painted in oil on canvas.

In November 2019, [Artist Name] performed Take Flight as part of Infecting the City Live Art Festival in collaboration with Duduzile Mathebula, King Debs, Spirit Mba, and Kirsten Warries. A series of collaborative performance pieces that linked to her first public engagement during #FeesMustFall in 2016 as part of Open Forum Residency titled, Flight .

In 2020, [Artist Name] created a series of ZOOM performances with Lumkile Mzayiya called Evoked? These performances led her to create exclusive performances from her home in 2021 to accommodate the mid-pandemic audience. She also started focusing more on the sustainability of creative practices during Covid-19 by offering creative coaching sessions to artists of all kinds and she teaches painting every week from her home in Fish Hoek.

By creating complex sensory art experiences that involve the body of the viewer through taste, smell, sound, and often through the physical engagement with her artworks, [Artist Name] hopes to relay more directly the sense of vulnerability with which she makes art and the core belief to her practice: Art is an immensely important and powerful bridge of communication that can offer understanding, healing and connection.

What Exercises to Do When Writing an Artist Bio

Starting an artist bio can feel daunting, but the exercise of writing through everything you have done in your life, when you started making art, your training and why you make art can translate into more content for your website, social media, or marketing material. Here are a few exercises to start and refine your text:

What Will Make You Stand Out?

Ask yourself what will make you stand out. Your bio should be professional but should also grab the reader’s interest. Including an artist’s value, philosophy, or story about where your art practice started can help the reader connect to you.

Make Your Artist Bio Stand Out

Do a Brain Dump

A brain dump is a conscious stream of writing exercise where you leave the grammatical and editorial considerations for later. Start writing your whole story without worrying about sentence construction or if it makes sense. Write as much as possible and continue writing until you feel like you have written everything about your experience, achievements, and ways of practicing art. After you have written everything down, you can edit this rough draft into a neat and concise text.

Artist Bio Writing Tricks

Consider Clarity

It is important to keep your sentences short and only include the relevant achievements and training in your artist bio. Make sure these achievements are listed chronologically and that you have included who trained you or granted you the opportunity. Cut unnecessary facts about your life and keep the text specific to you as an artist. This is where writing a shortened version of your bio can be a good exercise, as you will have to consider the essence of what you want to communicate and get straight to the point.

Carefully Edit Artist Biography

Ask a Friend to Proofread Your Final Text

Ask a friend that knows you well and is good at writing to read your first draft. You can exchange a small artwork, take them for lunch or help them write their bio as well for this service they provide. Often getting an outside perspective can bring insight into what you might have to add but did not.

Have a Friend Proofread Artist Bio

What Should I Avoid When Writing an Artist Bio?

Conceptual thinking and physically making something mostly come easier to artists than the administrative side of practicing art. This makes framing yourself and communicating what you do to the world hard as artmaking is often informed by the abstract and metaphorical part of the brain. Make sure your bio makes sense and is professional. Avoid using abstract and metaphorical language, as this kind of writing is reserved for conceptual reasonings or exhibition texts.

Keep Artist Bio Comprehensible

Make sure you do not get hung up on being too formal or trying to sound smart. It is important that your bio is authentic, factual, and reflects who you are as an artist. You do not have to impress readers with art history or lengthy words.

Most people just expect to read about who you are and what you have done in your artist bio. Do not include opportunities you applied for but did not get.  

Do Not List Missed Opportunities in Artist Bio

Choose a font and style that is easy to read and professional. A bio is not where you assert your brand identity but rather a professional text that should be easily navigated. You can always design exhibition flyers to reflect your personal brand, but make sure your general bio adheres to an acceptable style for any opportunity.

Artists often write one bio at the beginning of their career and then forget to update it. Your bio should be updated at least every six months. If you are selected for a big opportunity, immediately add it to your bio so you do not forget in the future or submit an outdated text for new opportunities.

Writing an artist bio is a necessary step in creating a professional art practice. It should be a considered and clear text that reflects all the wonderful things you have done up until the present moment in your career. The administrative side and how well you manage it is often what makes or breaks an artist, so be sure to invest focused time and research in writing your artist bio.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an artist bio.

Your bio should be a shortened, written-out version of your resumé. It is part of the support materials for an artist’s work, just like your website, business cards, and exhibition statements. It is a piece of text that accompanies an artist’s work so the viewer can understand who made the work and what they have achieved in their career.

What Should I Write in an Artist Bio?

There is often confusion as to what to include in an artist bio, but there are a few essential elements. You should start with your name, where you are from, and the mediums you work with. Include your training, exhibitions, and any other art achievements you have attained in your career thus far. Prioritize the achievements associated with the most esteemed establishments and take out any exhibitions or events that have become irrelevant to your practice when you update your bio every six months.

Why Is an Artist Bio Important?

Without an artist bio, the viewers of your work will not know who you are, why you practice, or what you have achieved. You cannot assume that everyone will read your resume. This is where a short artist bio is helpful, as it is supposed to be an engaging text that shares all of your most important achievements with those interested in your work.

Nicolene Burger

Nicolene Burger is a South African multi-media artist, working primarily in oil paint and performance art. She received her BA (Visual Arts) from Stellenbosch University in 2017. In 2018, Burger showed in Masan, South Korea as part of the Rhizome Artist Residency. She was selected to take part in the 2019 ICA Live Art Workshop, receiving training from art experts all around the world. In 2019 Burger opened her first solo exhibition of paintings titled, Painted Mantras, at GUS Gallery and facilitated a group collaboration project titled, Take Flight, selected to be part of Infecting the City Live Art Festival. At the moment, Nicolene is completing a practice-based master’s degree in Theatre and Performance at the University of Cape Town.

In 2020, Nicolene created a series of ZOOM performances with Lumkile Mzayiya called, Evoked?. These performances led her to create exclusive performances from her home in 2021 to accommodate the mid-pandemic audience. She also started focusing more on the sustainability of creative practices in the last 3 years and now offers creative coaching sessions to artists of all kinds. By sharing what she has learned from a 10-year practice, Burger hopes to relay more directly the sense of vulnerability with which she makes art and the core belief to her practice: Art is an immensely important and powerful bridge of communication that can offer understanding, healing and connection.

Nicolene writes our blog posts on art history with an emphasis on renowned artists and contemporary art. She also writes in the field of art industry. Her extensive artistic background and her studies in Fine and Studio Arts contribute to her expertise in the field.

Learn more about Nicolene Burger and the Art in Context Team .

Cite this Article

Nicolene, Burger, “How to Write an Artist Bio – Background Information Writing Tips.” Art in Context. September 4, 2022. URL: https://artincontext.org/how-to-write-an-artist-bio/

Burger, N. (2022, 4 September). How to Write an Artist Bio – Background Information Writing Tips. Art in Context. https://artincontext.org/how-to-write-an-artist-bio/

Burger, Nicolene. “How to Write an Artist Bio – Background Information Writing Tips.” Art in Context , September 4, 2022. https://artincontext.org/how-to-write-an-artist-bio/ .

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How to Write an Artist Biography? BONUS! Artist Biography Examples!

Jewel Olivos

  • Last Updated: February 8, 2024

artist biography examples

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Are you going blank at the thought of writing an artist bio?

It’s okay! Artist bios are actually not all that complicated to write, there’s not much for you to learn about before you can start doing it.

As for what you do need to know, continue reading below to see some artist biography examples and find out:

What Is an Artist Bio?

1. point of view, 2. keep artist bios short and concise, 3. focus on answering the key questions, step 1. state your name and background, step 2. introduce your artist journey, step 3. talk about your art style, step 4. discuss your personal influences and inspiration, step 5. list your artistic achievements, 1. professional presentation, 2. gallery or exhibition submission, 3. personal or business website, final thoughts:.

Artist bios are short pieces of writing that include the details of an artist’s life and work. It’s written to serve as the connecting bridge between the artist and the rest of the world.

You can put it on your website, social media, art portfolio, resume, etc. so that your audience and other interested parties can get to know you and your art without having to do deep research themselves.

Things You Should Know Before Writing an Artist Bio

Before we move on to the tutorial, let’s talk about some general rules for drafting a good bio agreed upon by most artists:

point of view

The point of view most accepted by most people is third-person POV. Third-person POV is best because it looks more formal and is more easily acceptable for others to read.

To say it bluntly, most people think that writing distantly like this makes it sound like others are talking about you. Rather than you bragging or selling yourself directly.

Of course, not everyone writes their artist bios so distantly. There are some artists who still prefer the more intimate first-person POV for their artist bios. Primarily because it always sounds like you’re talking to your audience directly in this way. So it seems more personal.

Although there is no strict rule when it comes to exactly how long an artist bio should be, it’s always best to keep it short and concise — lest visitors lose interest as soon as they see it.

The general rule of thumb for creating the perfect artist bio is to keep it to a single paragraph — two at most! The paragraph can be a bit longer if need be but try not to make it so long that it takes up the whole page.

Note! It makes sense for artist bios to be long on some occasions. But if you take a look at the artist bio in the image below, you can see how easy it is to lose your focus when you see a page with such a large word count. Readers call long bios that take up a whole page like this ‘wall labels’ because there are so many words that it becomes visually distracting.

artist bios

If you want to write a long artist bio like this, it’s best to preface it with a short and concise sentence or paragraph, like the one shown on Timothy Goodman’s website.

Put it in bold and make the font bigger so that it can stand out! That way, you can grab the reader’s attention at the first line and allow them to sink their teeth in first.

artist bio example

As a plus, this practice of keeping artist bios short is helpful for search engine optimization. At least, it makes it more likely for your art website to show up above other artists on search engines.

Finally, the most important thing about writing the perfect artist bio is to give the reader the information that they want. For exact details, you can take a look at the tutorial written in the next section.

The key thing is to remember that the purpose of creating an artist bio is to introduce yourself and your value as an artist. So, try not to get too side-tracked.

focus on answering the key questions

To give you some reference, have a look at Alexander Calder’s artist bio. Alexander Calder is an American sculptor best known for creating the first mobile art in history.

Most people who go to his website are looking for information about this detail. As such, his accomplishments in this area are the focus of his bio. Not only does it mention the fact that his father was also a sculptor, but also that he had created his first sculptures when he was a child.

It even talked about a specific sculpture that he had worked on and emphasized his talent in that area. And it does all of this without overstating anything, which only makes the audience reading the summary more interested in his professional work and style.

How to Write an Artist Bio?

Alright, now that we’ve finished getting to know some of the more important rules, let’s start drafting artist bios ASAP! For this, we’ve prepared an in-depth tutorial:

To start writing a bio, your first sentence should include your name and your background.

As can be seen in the artist bio example below, Sophie Kahn introduced her name in the first sentence and then talked about her modern art career and background — she was born in Melbourn, Australia and now lives in Brooklyn, New York.

state your name and background

This part usually only takes up one sentence. The artist bio example above takes up two sentences, which is okay, but it’s still preferable to state this as briefly as possible — like in Samantha Keely Smith’s bio below.

writing an artist bio

After stating your name and background, you can spare a sentence or two to talk about your artist journey.

How did you get your start? Are you like Michelle Carlos, who slowly developed a love for art after doodling on the walls of her home? What about after? Did you also go to professional art school with your fellow artists to further your career?

introduce your artist journey

These are things that are easy for your audience to relate to. Which makes it the perfect conversation starter. Much better than tossing out academic jargon right off the bat, at least.

What makes you unique as an artist? Or rather, what makes you as an artist important? The purpose of talking about your style in artist bios is to answer these questions.

It allows other artists and art enthusiasts to get to know the real you and maybe get in touch with your artist’s practice.

talk about your art style

Next, you can talk about your influences and the source of your inspiration. Influences involve idols that act as spiritual support. Maybe you were influenced by other artist’s practices. Or maybe you’re particularly fond of a certain style used by an artist in history.

You can mention this briefly to let others know what influenced you to create your art.

As for inspiration, you can give some examples like Ashley in the artist bio example below. It’s worth noting things like this in your biography so that other artists can understand where the source of your creativity comes from as an artist.

discuss your personal influences and inspiration

Next up, it’s finally time to talk about your achievements. These don’t have to be particularly fancy or formal. Try to draft a description of your achievements in simple language. Whether it’s about awards won, exhibitions opened, illustrations sold, etc.

list your artistic achievements

Note, even if you have many achievements to talk about, it’s best to focus on one or two in your bio. You can talk about the rest in a separate artist statement.

For example, for artists who focus on architecture , having their art exhibited at the Venice Biennale is one of their biggest achievements. Making it worth noting over other awards they may have received during their career.

If you really don’t want to limit the information shared, there are many examples of artists who create separate artist statements along with their shorter artist bio so that interested parties can get a more comprehensive view of their work experience and views. Just like the example artist statement shown below, which focuses on the artist’s practice and style:

art bio

3 Unique Artist Biography Examples for Different Purposes

Although we’ve taught you how to write a bio, these are just basic standard rules. You have to be open to making some changes based on the requirements of the bio that needs to be written. To illustrate this, have a look at the following list of examples:

professional presentation

The first type of bio that we’ll be talking about is the ‘professional’ type. This is used by artists who want to create an art portfolio where fellow artists and other interested parties can view their art. For this reason, the structure of the bio is often very formal and neat.

Just like the artist bio example above. It has all the key points but focuses more on her works and uses formal language.

exhibition submission

If your purpose for writing an introduction is to submit your art to galleries and exhibitions, then the focus should be on successful exhibitions and the style of your work. That way, the reader can quickly verify whether you match the requirements of their show.

personal or business website

Most of the ‘bios’ we’ve shown thus far have been taken from the websites of artists. Different websites have different purposes. Just like Livia’s art business shop shown above.

The ‘About Me’ section is very clean and formal. Whereas Jon’s bio below, written for a personal site, is written in first-person POV — making it more engaging and personal.

artist biography

Now that you’ve learned the basic rules for writing a good bio, it’s time to start working! Best if you could get it up on your site ASAP.

(BTW! If you haven’t started looking for website builders yet, you can check out the Wix website builder or read this article for other relevant recommendations.)

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how to write a good artist biography

Writing An Artist Biography

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T he artist biography. It sounds so simple, right? Who is more equipped to write about your life and work than you? Well, sometimes it can be the hardest thing to write your own biography because you are too personally involved or are conscious about sounding too boastful. How do you decide which life events are important? Which aren’t? Organizing your own artistic journey into a succinct story can be a big challenge.

artist biography

Luckily, we are here to help. In this guide, we’ll explain why you need an artist biography and what should be included in it. We will also offer an insight into what galleries are actually looking for when they read your artist biography.

Why Do I Need An Artist Biography?

It has become industry standard to have an artist biography prepared. It should be in your portfolio and on your website. Additionally, once you start exhibiting, this artist bio will find its way onto gallery websites, exhibition materials, and may even be quoted in interviews.

Useful Article: How To Create A Professional Portfolio

While you may want to customize your bio for every situation, it is a good idea to have one all-purpose text prepared at all times. Your artist biography is necessary for most competition entries, gallery and museum submissions, and promotional requests. It is one of the first things that anyone will reference on your website in order to decide if they would be interested in working with you.

Where To Send In Your Artist Biography - Art Competitions, Gallery or Museum Submissions Where To Publish Your Artist Biography - Personal Website or Gallery Website, Exhibition Catalogues, Articles and Interviews

What Is The Difference Between An Artist Biography, Artist CV, and Artist Statement?

Being an artist today can be a challenge. As the art industry expands, there is a growing demand for professionalism. There is a long list of necessary (and optional) documents and exhibition materials, like an Artist Statement , Business Cards , a Portfolio and so on.

You could obviously hire someone or collaborate with a representational gallery like Agora to take care of the marketing and publicity. However, there are three important documents that have to come from you – Artist CV, Artist Statement, and Artist Biography. People often confuse the three but they actually serve completely different purposes.

artist biography

An Artist CV is a timeline of your education, your exhibition history, awards, projects, and press you’ve received. It tells a reader at a glance what you have done in the past, whether it includes previous exhibitions, employment, awards, etc., and lets them decide whether you are the right fit for the job/exhibition.

You could argue that it is basically the artist biography in list form. However, your artist biography includes more information about you as an artist and not just bullet points.

An artist bio talks about your work and your ideas and inspirations. It incorporates your history and connects how your life events have influenced your artwork.

Were you born in the center of New York City, but have always longed for a countryside lifestyle? Is that why you’re an acclaimed rural landscape painter? That’s not going to find its way onto your CV, but the artist biography is the perfect place for that information. Whatever you do, wherever you’re from, it all comes together to create your style and the artwork that you want to share.

Did You Know?  We have written a “How-To” article on creating virtually every document and exhibition material that you might need. Browse through our How-To Tutorials and Marketing Your Art categories of the blog for useful advice and ideas. 

An Artist Statement , on the other hand, is much more similar to your biography. More often than not, it is the front line of communication between an artist and the public. It will be used when you submit your portfolio to competitions, galleries, and museums. It is also usually displayed alongside your works during exhibitions and in galleries. This gives it a sort of flexible nature.

You might have to write a new statement for every exhibition if your works are versatile. The artist biography, however, remains more or less the same. You would only need to update it in case of any major changes to your status or developments in your work. Another major difference between the two documents is that an artist statement is always written in the first person while a biography always talks about you in the third person.

The infographic at the bottom of the page differentiates between all three of these essential artist documents.

Narrowing Down Your Artist Biography

No matter how old you are, you’ve lived a full life of major events and wonderful memories. However, your artist biography needs to be no longer than one printed page. For some submissions, it’ll be even shorter!

That’s why you need to narrow your artist biography down to the key points: show the reader where you’ve been and where you want to go as an artist . The best way to get started is to understand your own artistic path. By answering just a few key questions about yourself, you can figure out what those critical points were in your life that have most influenced your journey as an artist.

Sit down with a pen and paper and answer the following questions:

Your Life - When were you born?, Where have you lived?, What is your profession?, What did you study in school? Your Art - What themes are present in your artwork? What is it about?, What about your technique is unique or different from other artists?, What do you want to convey to your viewers?, What is the first thing people notice about your art?, How was your art changed over your career?, What are your artistic influences?

Once you have an idea, you’ll have to carefully work this into your life story in a way that seems focused, interesting, and (as painful as it may be) concise.

What Galleries/Museums/Press Are Looking For In Your Artist Biography

There isn’t a definitive list as to what facts you must include in your artist biography. Everybody’s different, and so are our stories. So what does Agora Gallery look for in an artist biography?

1. It is the right length

We said it before, but this biography should not be longer than one page. When you send in your artist biography, always check to see if they have word requirements. At Agora Gallery, we prefer that your artist biography is between 100-600 words.

2. It is written in the third person

Yes, you are writing about yourself, but this isn’t the time for “I” and “me” – now is the time for “he” or “she.” An artist biography should be something that can be printed word-for-word in an article or catalog. One or two self-quotations can add some personality and variety, but for the most part you’ll want to save your “I, Me, Mine” for your artist statement.

3. It is interesting and accessible

You don’t need to have been the first man on the moon to have an interesting story to tell. Your most decisive moments in life don’t need to be action-packed: your life may have been changed by something you thought of in the shower. Whether you have an adventure story or something low-key, tell your story in a way that we can relate to. A big part of that is keeping your tone clear and professional, yet not too clinical and detached.

artist biography

4. We can read it

Proofread your artist biography. Have somebody else look at it, too. Even at Agora, we make sure everything is checked over by at least two people before it is published. Nothing looks less professional than a text littered with spelling and grammar mistakes.

On the other side of the same coin, don’t over-complicate your language. Using highly advanced vocabulary may prove that you’re educated, but it might also alienate many of your readers. The Hemingway Editor , a free online tool, can help you keep your writing from getting too complex.

5. It explains the history of your artwork

Help us draw that connection between you as an artist and your artwork. Let us see your artistic influences and your journey. Again, we don’t need a carbon copy of your CV, we want to know the ‘who’ and ‘why’ of your art. Mentioning other artists who have influenced your work can help contextualize your work and also add legitimacy to it.

6. It doesn’t exaggerate

Don’t hyperbolize. Art professionals know when they’re being lied to, and we aren’t impressed when artists say they’re the “best” in their fields. Which leads us to our next point…

7. It doesn’t judge your work on our behalf

The artist biography should talk about the story behind the work. Talk about your influences, your themes, and your journey. When discussing yourself, avoid words like “visionary,” “prolific,” “extraordinary,” or “genius.” Let the readers come to that conclusion for themselves.

8. It includes the “greatest hits.”

It is important to include some of your biggest achievements in your biography. Tell us about major exhibitions, sales, partnerships, and awards. Just remember to stay focused. You shouldn’t mention more than five achievements in your artist biography, or the writing, tone, and interest level will all suffer. This information can often fit nicely in your final paragraph.

artist biography

9. It keeps us wanting more

Your biography should give us just enough to get a sense of you and your work, and it should make us want to see the works. So don’t write too much: don’t exhaust your reader with so many details that, by the end of it, they have no more energy to give to your works, your statement, or any of the rest of your portfolio.

Above all, you should feel confident and passionate about what you are writing. Not only are you selling your artwork, but you’re selling the artist behind those masterpieces.

Maintain , Update, And Grow

After all is said and done, make sure to remember that your artist biography will grow and change with you. Don’t be afraid to edit your bio as your artistic style changes, as inspirations come and go, or as techniques and subjects develop with time. No artist creates the exact same works over and over again, and your biography should reflect that movement through your artistic journey.

Stay in touch with us! Our Newsletter is packed with inspiring stories, art tips, and Agora Gallery’s latest exhibition announcements.

Sample Of An Artist Biography

Mary pearson.

Mary Pearson

After completing her degree, Mary delved even more into her photographic practice,which involved loss and regeneration of life. The images, that Mary takes on her walks in the landscape, are only part of the narrative. She uses the practice of burying her film negatives in the earth to allow the natural environment a voice. It is a collaboration between the artist and the land. Mary cherishes this connection with nature. She feels that the artistic exchange between the land and the artist opens up many opportunities.

Mary has also trained as a teacher, specializing in Further Education. She teaches 16-18-year-olds in order to help them foster the same enthusiasm that she has for photography. She is also pursuing a Master’s Degree in Photography at Plymouth University alongside her teaching.

Mary was selected as one of the Graduates featured in Source Magazine (2014), Ffotogallery Cardiff.  In 2015, she was a finalist South West Graduate Prize. Her series called ‘Biosigna’ or Life Signals has been exhibited in London as well as in Bristol.

Mary lives and works in South Devon, surrounded by the sea and Dartmoor National Park.

artist biography

As a promotional gallery, we take pride in the diverse group of artists from across the globe represented by us. Want to give your art more time, and leave the marketing and promotional hassles to someone else? Book an online career development consultation meeting today.

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22 responses to “Writing An Artist Biography”

Whitney Harder avatar

Fantastic advice Algora. I will apply all of it to my journey as a chainsaw sculptor.

Michael Stelzner avatar

I need this site    https://www.agora-gallery.com/  for guest posting so please tell me a price.  If you have sites that accept guest posts, So send me the full list with all the metrics.

I am waiting for your positive response.  waiting and thanks  

Mitchell McClosky avatar

Thank you so much for this information! I am writing my artist statement and biography for my first fine art showing outside of college education. I’m glad I found your article as I aim to launch my artistic career.

Steve Sidare avatar

This may well be the best and most professional way to write an artist biography. I was searching about to find out whether to use my last name rather than first to write a 3rd person bio. While using the first name is more immediate and familiar, using my last name (though I don’t really like the impersonal-ness of it) is more formal and has more “bigness” to it. Thank you.

Marina avatar

Thank you so much for the great article. It is very detailed, specific, and helpful. I certainly used it while I was struggling with my first Artist’s (photographer’s) Bio.

olatunji Benjamin avatar

very helpful and necessary

Gary Bartlett avatar

Thank you for this valuble information and if ever I get resources enough I will be in touch with you to further help my career as a painter.

Andra Bilici avatar

We are glad that our article proved useful and we’re looking forward to hearing back from you!

Francesca Reside avatar

I am writing my first artist bio and statement for a juried show and I have to say that all this information has been absolutely fantastic! Really helpful, I feel like I have a place to start. Only questions is, is there a good font? and what about font size?

Hi Francesca! We’re glad our article was helpful! There is no rule of thumb when it comes to the font and sizes used, but our recommendation is to go for something classic, like Times New Roman or Arial, size 12 or 14.

Patrick Donlon avatar

A very useful and helpful link’s, Thanks!

Shahira avatar

Thank you so much that was really helpful

Obeng John avatar

Thank you very much

Julia S avatar

thank you very much for this information. You inspire the right path for me.

Mirza Zelaya-Cosio avatar

Thank you for inspire me in never stop dreaming, since my age won’t be any obstacle to bring new artworks in your distinguish gallery. You will hear from me soon, this time is for sure. Thanks Mirza Zelaya-Cosio.

Patricia Kent avatar

Yours has been the best advice I have found for writing bios. With it I hope to write a well composed biography. Thank you. Patricia Kent

Agora Experts avatar

Thank you, Patricia!

Jacky Loress avatar

What a perfect read, i read each of the word you said in your post. This helps me a lot to start my own blog related to artist biographies. Thanks a lot.

Victoria Pendragon avatar

Thanks so very much for this piece. In addition to being an artist, I also write self-help books (not on art! on personal development). It took me years before I realized that each of my professions fed the other and I finally put together a combined CV… but just a CV. It hadn’t occurred to me until I read through your very nicely conceived side-by-side lists that I would do well to work this into my bio as well! Much appreciated!

Gillian Turner avatar

Thanks for the clear advice about preparing an artist’s biography. There is one area that I have concerns about: the need to include the artist’s date of birth. Unless an exhibition, residency or award has a specific age focus, it is unwise to include this information as it undoubtedly influences those with entrenched ageist attitudes. Can a person be an ’emerging artist’ at 40, 50, 60 or 70 and beyond? Of course they can!! I met a 72 year old artist at an international residency, s/he was inspiring and utterly dedicated. In Australia ( and I suspect elsewhere), such discrimination is rampant and, while it is never acknowledged openly, there is no doubt that it becomes a factor in selection and promotion of an artist. My advice to artists is to allow the reader to focus on your commitment, achievements and artistic journey. Any gallery worth showing in does not concern itself with the age, or indeed the gender identification, of the artist whose works they are considering.

Agora Experts avatar

Absolutely, Gillian! Agora Gallery never requires that an artist biography includes the date of birth. For some, it may be an interesting fact to include, but age is by no means a “‘required” piece of information. Many of our artists began their careers in full after retirement, so we’re well aware that one shouldn’t judge talent by youth!

Thank you for reading & lending your thoughts. We hope to hear from you again!

Dawn DiCicco avatar

Thanks so much for publishing all these helpful and informative tutorials.

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Society6 Blog

Write the perfect artist bio with these five simple tips, 50 words is all you need to get started..

Your artist bio is about connecting with someone and giving them a window into who you are. Keep it concise and engaging. If you focus on what is intriguing about your work, your artist bio can be a powerful tool to help your biggest fans become repeat customers. With your Society6 bio at the very top of your shop page, you’ll want to take advantage of it’s prime location.

We asked photographer Mallory Morrison  to draw up her top tips on writing an artist bio. Her distinct blend of dance-inspired poses and underwater photography has kept her active in the art scene since she began shooting in 2007. She’s taught several workshops on how to shoot underwater and her work continues to be purchased, shown and licensed across the US and internationally.

1. Get straight to the point

For the basic info, stick to your highlight reel! While it might be important to you, most customers aren’t going make a purchase because they know your cat’s name, where you went to high school, or how much you have struggled to “get where you are today” (unless, of course, it’s obvious to a customer that it’s relevant to your artwork).

These are the items most important to your bio. It usually makes for a more interesting read to lead with your inspiration.

  • Where you are currently based. Only mention where you were born or grow up if it informs your current work and is worth noting.  
  • Your art medium(s) and special techniques
  • Inspiration and what you are passionate about
  • Your biggest achievements. This can be awards, high profile clients you’ve worked for, or gallery shows

Bonus Tip: When describing how long you have been doing something, use the year you started. Example: “since 2013” vs. “for 5 years”. This way you won’t have to update it every year.

how to write a good artist biography

Mallory Morrison's artist bio

2. Use your voice

As a rule of thumb, most bio’s are written in the third person. It should read as if someone else is writing the bio about you. Someone who is passionate about your work. Not a stuffy gallerist who is trying to upsell to a collector. Be honest and authentic about the artist that you are. And if your art is a hobby that makes you a little money on the side, there’s no need to mention that.

“You are an artist, no matter how often you make art or how much you make from it.”

If you do choose to write your artist bio in the first person, make sure to include all of the same info listed in #1.

Tone is also something important to think about. Have it match the personality of your work, to an extent. If you have quirky, playful style of work, let that show in the words you chose, however, be careful not to let it sound too unprofessional.

Bonus Tip: Have confidence. Avoid using phrases like “I hope you like my work” or “this is first time showing my work”. Be proud of your work and let your passion for it show through your bio.

how to write a good artist biography

Mariery Young's Society6 shop

3. The length depends on your audience

It’s common to have multiple versions, in different lengths. Each version will likely emphasize various achievements relative to where your bio is being read.

  • Society6 shop:  This will be the shortest one–about 50 words long. Make sure to include your location, medium, and inspiration. Then finish with your social media/website links (2-3 max) and you are done!
  • Website:  This one can be a little longer, around 100-150 words. Anything longer and you’ll tend to lose your fans. With this expanded version, let your personality show. Add a few extra sentences about your inspiration and process. Get them hooked and connected to you.
  • Gallery show : This should be around 100-150 words, but you’ll want to focus more on the common themes in your work as a whole, what has influenced you as an artist, and a few notable achievements.

how to write a good artist biography

Tobe Fonseca's Society6 shop

4. Give them what they want

Be sure to answer the number one question people ask you about your work! From process to inspiration, usually there is a common question that your work will elicit. That will get you on the right track to engage your customers and help them emotionally connect with your work. 

Bonus tip: If you consider yourself a “bad” writer, this section is where you should start. Record a voice memo about why you started making your work and what keeps you inspired. Listen back and take the highlights!

5. Trim it down and proof read

Once you have a few different versions for different purposes, send it over to a trusted, highly-literate friend to have a look. Since spell check isn’t a concern, ask them to focus on grammar and tone. Is it professional yet approachable? Is everything in there useful and necessary? And the final test–does your artist bio feel like you?

Bonus tip: If English is not your first language, make sure to get someone to proof it who is a native English speaker.

Make sure you have all of the essentials and don’t overthink it. As you grow as an artist, so will your bio writing skills. This is one of the most important things to have out there to support the work you show. It’ll help fans, brands and customers get to know the artist behind the work. Be authentic and let them in!

Ben Renschen

Photographer

society6.com/benrenschen

Formerly: Artist Development Manager at Society6

Tagged as artist education , bio , biography , marketing , seller education , writing ,

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The Beginning Artist

Artist Statement & Artists Bio Examples

As an artist you normally only have a few seconds to grab the attention of your audience. If there is something slightly off and your art doesn’t captivate someone right away, people are just going to pass along.

Your artist statement and artist bio are the same. You want them to quickly hit on all the important point without losing someone’s attention, similar to an elevator pitch.

Artist Statement Vs. Artists Bio

The artist statement and artist bio are very different. The most important difference is that the artist statement should be about your art, and the artist bio should be about you as a person and artist. The artist statement is written in the first person and the artist bio in the third person.

Things that you can include in your artist statement:

  • The current direction of your work
  • Why people should look at your art
  • How people can interpret your art

Things that you can include in your artist bio:

  • Your art style
  • The driving force behind your art
  • Main achievements
  • Teachers you studied with
  • Artists and artworks that inspire you

Let’s first go over some artist statements examples and look at the artist biographies afterwards.

Writing an artist statement on a computer

Examples of great artist statements

.ugb-e273d12 .ugb-blockquote__quote{width:70px !important;height:70px !important}.ugb-e273d12.ugb-blockquote > .ugb-inner-block{max-width:90% !important} My subject matter is nature, whether it is a traditional landscape or a bird and flower painting. I use traditional materials, ink and brush on rice paper, to capture movement and life – making the brush dance and the ink sing. Everything is captured in the spontaneous dance and movement of the brush as it meets the rice paper. There is no going back and correcting when painting with ink and rice paper. By Charlene Fuhrman-Schultz
.ugb-6cfd880 .ugb-blockquote__quote{width:70px !important;height:70px !important}.ugb-6cfd880.ugb-blockquote > .ugb-inner-block{max-width:90% !important} My work investigates technology as a meeting point of concurrent, overlapping systems; a nexus of cultural, computational, biological, and economic forces. In uncovering, augmenting, and creating systems of intertwinement, I am trying to touch a sense of “liveness” or a nearly-living quality, the dynamism resulting from the unpredictable performances of various actants pulling independently in collective balance. Through a variety of media – installation, kinetic sculpture, sound, computational image-making – I employ the visual culture of commercial technologies as a core vocabulary, displacing them into an artistic context. Placing technologies in unconventional and absurd relationships to one another, I aim to create a fissure in their conventional functions, reflecting on their roles as contemporary prosthetics with which we co-exist in a hybrid ecology. My research and creation processes involve a balance of qualitative and quantitative approaches. I am particularly interested in the interplay between the two seemingly polar-opposite, binary viewpoints, and strive towards a cross-pollination in which one feeds and complicates the other, and vice versa. By Adam Basanta
.ugb-b48ad63 .ugb-blockquote__quote{width:70px !important;height:70px !important}.ugb-b48ad63.ugb-blockquote > .ugb-inner-block{max-width:90% !important} Inflatables have had an important place in my work since 1989. In most of these sculptures and installations I have used industrial fans and simple valve mechanisms to animate sewn forms with lifelike gestures. Most of these works have been made of lightweight and papery fabrics such as Tyvek or nylon spinnaker. The weightlessness of these materials allows them to respond with surprising subtlety to the action of air within and around them. Generally inflatables are an expression of naive optimism. In an art context they signal popular culture, anti-art and irony. I play with and against these expectations. The movement of air within my forms recalls our own sensation of breath—of breathlessness, of holding our breath, etc. My work exists in moments of kinesthesia, when the movement of air within a form causes something to stir within the physical being of the viewer. This response is to more than just the obvious action of inflation and the robust occupation of space. What I feel is even more moving is the recognition of deflation, shrinking, vulnerability, silence and dying. My choice of extremely light and papery materials enhances this sense of absence and transience, of the nearly not there at all. Thus, the awakening comes more in our awareness of the tenuousness and fleeting nature of our existence. My work with the inflatable medium is about moving the viewer from a playful and ironic headspace toward a physical connection to his or her most vital forces. By Max Streicher
.ugb-a6eb3a6 .ugb-blockquote__quote{width:70px !important;height:70px !important}.ugb-a6eb3a6.ugb-blockquote > .ugb-inner-block{max-width:90% !important} I make art because I want to create life. My sculptures are oil-filled kinetic glass cylinders I call Sea Cores. The name and shape are loosely based on core samples scientist take to study the ocean, but I make no attempt to represent any known sea life. Instead, I invent my own inhabitants for these magical worlds. I choose glass as my medium because it allows me to manipulate the color and transparency of each individual creature. Since Sea Cores are designed to be looked through, rather than simply looked at, the transparent colors blend and form new colors from every vantage point. I focus on the movement of the air bubbles, and the patterns created by the bubbles as they weave through the glass and travel up the core. I plan the placement of each suspended creature in the bubble path to get subtle lifelike movement throughout the sculpture. This allows me to create living environments that generate the same excitement I felt as a child. By Alison Sigethy

Writing an artist bio using pencil and paper.

How to write an artist statement

An artist statement is normally only a few sentences long. So you will have to convey your art and the intention behind it in a clear and concise way.

Following these steps may help you write your artist statement:

  • Take a look at your most recent art pieces.
  • Note all the similarities and try to find a general theme.
  • Write a short description of your work without worrying about length.
  • Go over what you wrote and distil is down to the essentials.
  • Let some friends or colleagues critic your artist statement.

Keep in mind that an artist statement should not only be informative, but also interesting and intriguing. If your statement fails to rouse someone’s attention, you will have to go back to the drawing board. Make sure to sprinkle in a few action verbs and powerful adjectives to spice up your writing.

How long should an artist statement be?

As a general rule of thumb for artist statements: the shorter, the better. Your artist statement should be roughly 200 to 300 words long.

Examples of great artist bios

.ugb-e8cf920 .ugb-blockquote__quote{width:70px !important;height:70px !important}.ugb-e8cf920.ugb-blockquote > .ugb-inner-block{max-width:90% !important} Julie Mehretu’s work is about layers: the physical layering of images, marks, and mediums, and the figurative layering of time, space, place, and history. Working in a large scale, Mehretu draws on the 21st-century city for inspiration, transferring its energy into her gestural sweeps of paint and built-up marks in ink and pencil—often transposed from projections—and condensing seemingly infinite urban narratives, architectural views, and street plans into single unified compositions. “The narratives come together to create this overall picture that you see from the distance,” she says. “As you come close to it […] the big picture completely shatters and there are these numerous small narratives happening.” Mehretu layers a range of influences and art historical references as well, from the dynamism espoused by the  Futurists , to the scale and physicality of  Abstract Expressionism , to the divergent markmaking of  Albrecht Dürer , Eastern calligraphy, and graffiti. Mehretu was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2005. By Julie Mehretu
.ugb-abeda64 .ugb-blockquote__quote{width:70px !important;height:70px !important}.ugb-abeda64.ugb-blockquote > .ugb-inner-block{max-width:90% !important} In her decades-spanning practice, Carol Rama has explored sexuality and desire through different materials and mediums. Self-taught, Rama began painting as a means of dealing with family tragedies. In her early work in the 1930s and 1940s, she created lustful images of the female body, highlighting sexuality and pleasure as major themes. Rama later experimented with abstraction and assemblage in the vein of arte povera, using bicycle tires from her father’s factory before he declared bankruptcy and committed suicide. She returned to making paintings and watercolors in the 1980s. The recipient of the Golden Lion at the 50th Venice Biennale, Rama falls outside the confines of any particular artistic movement or period, but she remains a seminal figure and an important influence to artists such as  Cindy Sherman  and Kiki Smith. By Carol Rama
.ugb-9bd14c2 .ugb-blockquote__quote{width:70px !important;height:70px !important}.ugb-9bd14c2.ugb-blockquote > .ugb-inner-block{max-width:90% !important} Los Angeles based photographer, Mallory Morrison, has been honing her skills in underwater photography for the past several years. Originally a dance photographer, Mallory blended her photography skills with her twenty-four years of dance experience, bringing about a perfect marriage of her two passions.   Mallory’s evolution into underwater photography allowed her to introduce another element to this union and extend the range of her talent even further. Her use of dancers in an underwater environment allows Mallory to challenge the boundaries of people photography – utilizing weightlessness to tell stories, which explore the depths of movement and composition. ​ Mallory has sold her fine artwork to collectors across the U.S. as well as Australia, South Africa, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Mexico, and Belgium.  She was included in Saatchi’s Art’s 100 Voices 100 Artists catalog, celebrating their Top Women Artists. By Mallory Morrison
.ugb-d877ffb .ugb-blockquote__quote{width:70px !important;height:70px !important}.ugb-d877ffb.ugb-blockquote > .ugb-inner-block{max-width:90% !important} A pioneer of the Japanese Mono-ha (School of Things) movement, Lee Ufan arranges his installations and sculptures to emphasize the equal relationship between the artwork, the viewer, and the space, a philosophy best illustrated by his “Relatum” series, a series of stretched canvases on the floor, each topped by a single stone. Ufan uses materials including glass, steel, rubber, and stones in shades that are usually subdued and often monochromatic. His paintings exhibit a similar logic, applying muted color on a light, plain background in a style reminiscent of East Asian calligraphy, whereby the brush stroke fades as it ends. By Lee Ufan

How to write an artist bio

When writing an artist bio, it can be tempting to include your entire life story. But you won’t be doing yourself any favors.

Just like the artist statement, you want your bio to be short and concise. So include all the important moments that shaped your artistic career, but don’t mention irrelevant details such as your high school.

The following tips might help you write an artist bio:

  • Include your art mediums, art style, and techniques.
  • Mention your education and teachers.
  • Highlight your awards or achievements.
  • Explain what you want to achieve with your art.
  • Keep it short (<300 words).
  • Find someone to proofread your bio.

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How to Write a Good & Effective Artist Biography

HOW TO WRITE A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST BIO

An artist bio, when written and created correctly will provide the reader with a greater understanding as to the artist's art, the artist’s motivation for creating their art and finally it will provide a guide or a means for a viewer to interpret the artist’s art. In these terms, the importance of an artist’s bio cannot be stressed enough!

What should be included in an effective artist’s bio?

1. Anyone or anything that has influenced the artist’s artworks.

2. Any education or training in the field of art.

3. Any related experience in the field of art.

4. A summary of the artist’s artistic philosophy.

5. Any artistic insights or techniques that are employed by the artist.

6. A short description of what the artist would like to accomplish with their art.

The following are some helpful hints on how an artist can create an interesting bio;

1. Keep the biography structure short, concise and to the point. A rambling disjointed bio will only confuse or lose the reader altogether. Always write the bio in the third person (as if someone other than the artist is writing the bio).

2. Try to write the bio differently 2 or 3 times and then have someone with good writing and communication skills proof the various bios and help you to pull them together into one great bio (there will be different aspects of each bio that are written better than the others).

3. Get an artist(s) who you respect and admire to read your final version and make any suggestions to help improve the final bio. Does this bio reflect you as a person, as an artist and does it accurately describe your art?

4. Finally, after any changes are made as described above, have someone who is an expert in spelling, grammar and sentence structure review and make any necessary changes to the bio.

Keep your bio up to date with any new work, influences and experience that may have changed you, your art and your artistic perspective. Make sure that you have an appropriate and up to date image of yourself that is included with your bio. Also, update the bio on any other websites and art forums where you post and show your artwork as well.

An effective artist’s bio will not sell any art for an artist but it is the type of information that an artist should have in order to provide to any interested person (buyer, gallery, art rep etc.).  Also, this is necessary information that an artist should have, as it will be required during the overall sales process.

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how to write a good artist biography

It’s not always about the music. An artist or band has a story to tell. A story about how they got from A to B. How they had a vision of what they wanted to say and how they wanted to say it. With a band or an artist biography , you’ve got to convince the reader in a few lines why they should listen to your music , buy your music, and come to your shows . Easy right?

So you’ve written a bunch of songs, played a few shows, and started to get a name for yourself. So what next? Time to write your artist biography, because after all, people want to know your story. And sometimes you have to convince them in a few lines why your music is important to them. So how do you do that? How do you write an effective artist biography and improve your musical status so that you’ll convince people you’re the next big thing? Read on my friend.

Are you looking to promote your music? ⬇️

Try Groover

1. How to write a Good Artist Biography?

We’ll break this section up into easy parts so you know what to put into your artist or band biography. You don’t have to be an expert writer either. Getting it right is like following a cake recipe. With all the right ingredients, in the right order, you’ll have a top-class biography.

This will change as you progress. It’ll get smoother and easier to write as you live your story. Following these steps will help you write your artist biography.

You’ll have to Write at least Three Biographies

Don’t panic, you’re not going to write three different stories . One story only. In various lengths. 

  • Start with the hardest. The big one. The full-length biography. Depending on your story this can be anything from around 750 to 1000 words. Perfect for your website or in your record sleeve.
  • The second should be a medium-length biography. Shorten your main one to around 500+ words with the relevant points. Perfect for promoters, emails, press releases, labels, etc
  • The last one should be around 100 to around 200 words which are the one for social media. Your best points in one or two paragraphs.

Write a Paragraph for Each Section

For each section of your artist biography, write a paragraph for each. This will make it easier for your reader to get what you’re about and learn about you as a band or artist.

2. Biography Structure

2.1 intro paragraph.

This is the killer line. The definitive opener that hooks your reader into your band or artist biography . You need a well-written engaging introduction to hook your reader in. If you’re starting out, take a couple of bands or artists that you sound like or admire and put them together. Fleet Foxes meets the Black Keys at a hotel and parties. Or Self Esteem and Freddie Mercury’s adopted child take the musical reigns. Instantly, with this brief description, you’ll know how the music sounds. Try it yourself.

Once you’re further into your musical career, you might have a quote from a music journalist or another artist that makes you sound amazing. Use that as an opener.

| Also read: How to contact music media outlets, blogs, journalists with Groover

2.2 Give them some Background

How did it start? Was it a bunch of mates at the pub wanting to change the world? Perhaps you had the vision to turn music into art.

Follow your opening paragraph and write about the history of how you started out. With a background on how you got to where you are now. Also, make it interesting. 

‘We got together over a few pints is a little boring. ‘After one crazy night of drinking and indulgence, we decided to change the world with our music’ sounds better.

2.3 Make sure you Mention your Achievements

Anything that you or your band achieves make sure you sing it out loud. Whether to highlight a favorable album review, a sold-out show at a popular venue, or a warming interview. Gently insert your accomplishments into your biography. People love to hear their favorite band or artist doing well. 

2.4 Quotes and Testimonials

Hopefully, as a musical performer, you should be sparking the interest of your peers. Bloggers that love your album or a local radio DJ that keeps playing your songs. See if you can get a few quotes or a testimonial from their blog posts or radio mouths. And drop it into your bio. In the beginning, it might only be a local music blogger. As you progress through your career, you should collect more quotes and testimonials from the music-industry folk. Any influencers, radio DJs, promoters, and anyone that’s in the music industry wanting to praise your musical venture.

2.5 Keep your Information Up-to-date

The great thing about bios , especially if they’re online or a regular slot on your socials. Is that they can be frequently updated. In the last paragraph of your biography, you should talk about new shows, records, and events. You should climb the nearest hill and shout about any new gig or radio interview. Include anything significant. From local radio play to a blog that sings your praises.

| Also read: How to get your songs successfully on the air

3. Artist Biography Example Layout

To break it all down, you should set your biography like this. Into five easy paragraphs .

  • Intro Paragraph
  • Background and History
  • Mention your Achievements
  • Quotes and Testimonials
  • Up-to-date Information

4. Best Artist Biographies Examples

Looking at popular band biographies there are a few that stand out. Take 90’s grunge phenomenon Nirvana . They have bullet points of the band’s history and timeline. Simple yet effective. Highlighting the band’s career highlights for all to see.

Example of a great artist or band biography with Nirvana

Electronic music pioneer ‘ The Funk Hunters ’ is a great example of a clean band biography. Intro hook, with history, achievements, and notable shows. A bit like my layout.

Example of a great artist or band biography with The Funk Hunters

Hip Hop and 90’s Rave enthusiastic brothers, ‘ Everyone You Know ‘ has a nice little FAQ after a short bio . The FAQ leads you on a path to their music and videos. Nice.

Example of a great artist or band biography with Everyone You Know

The main thing about creating an artist bio is that you make it interesting. No vanilla content. Make it snappy and readable. If you’re not a pioneer of words and don’t want to learn how to write effective hooky words then hire a copywriter to give it some pizazz. They can revise your bio if you’ve tackled the writing process . Even just getting someone to proofread your bio can make a difference. Experiment and don’t be constrictive. Bend the truth but don’t lie. And you’ll form the perfect biography.

how to write a good artist biography

Cameron Baxter

Cam Baxter has been in the music industry for at least 20 years. From humble beginnings in local bands, musical instruments and pro audio retail to playing on various stages around the UK. With plenty of knowledge in the music industry sector, Cam is a seasoned professional when it comes to all things musical. Now a prolific writer, Cam uses this knowledge to write entertaining and insightful music-related articles.

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How to Make the Most of Your Artist Bios: The Essential Guide for Galleries

How to Make the Most of Your Artist Bios: The Essential Guide for Galleries

It’s important to make the most of your artist bios. If they’re both well-written and used effectively they can also be a great tool for your digital marketing strategy.

An effective artist bio is a great way to introduce and engage collectors in an artist’s work. Unlike an artist statement or CV, it is usually a concise summary about the artist and their work. A good artist bio will provide the collector with enough information to make them want to learn more, without overwhelming them with too much detail. It’s important to make the most of your artist bios. If they’re both well-written and used effectively they can also be a great tool for your digital marketing strategy.

Read our guide below for all you need to know about writing the perfect artist bio and how to incorporate it into your marketing strategy.

Artist bio - African American woman looking at paintings in studio ·

What Things Should You Consider to Write an Effective Artist Bio? 

Use this list below as a helpful guide when writing your artist bios. Don’t worry about including every item on the list, in some cases, some criteria may not work depending on the artist. Use this as a guide to figure out what works best for your gallery and artists.

The Length of the Artists Bio

The length of your bios should be no more than 150 words. As mentioned before, the artist’s bio is a concise summary, not a detailed list of the artist’s exhibition history and achievements. Why should you stick to a 150 word cut off? An article by  Artsy  notes that museum studies on audience engagement have shown that anything longer than 150 words does not keep the reader’s attention. Note that is the recommended maximum length so if you keep your bios shorter, 80-100 words, that works too. It’s best to keep them succinct and to the point, rather than adding too many embellishments.

Craft an Engaging First Sentence   

The first sentence is the most important part of the bio. It’s where you grab the reader’s attention and make them want to learn more. Spend time crafting an engaging first sentence. Try to open with a sentence that summarizes the artist’s work and states what is most important about them, rather than opening with biographical information.  

Readability

The user experience is important to keep in mind. It seems simple, but there are plenty of published artists’ bios that are unpleasant to read. 

Confusing layouts, ugly font, hyperbolic praise, artspeak, too much information in one place: they all add up to a cluttered and irritating experience for readers. 

Keep it clean and simple. You may want to try to fit a lot of information in, but don’t get too bogged down in details or flowery language. Keeping it short and to the point will make sure it’s readable and friendly for your audience.

Educate First Vs the Hard-sell

Describe the artist’s work. To do this, focus on their medium technique and style. As well as the subject matter or main themes of their work. You can also include information that may not be too obvious from images of their work, like further insight into their method or process. Try to highlight what sets them apart and what is significant about their work. You can also include where they draw their inspiration from.

If possible, position the artist and their work in the context of art history, by time period, or art movement. Or you can place the artist in a wider cultural context. This could be specific to the political, social, or technological climate that they work in.

Engage the Audience With Artist Quotes  

Include a quote by the artist, if it’s relevant and it adds substance to any of the topics listed above. However, don’t include it as filler content just to add length to the bio.

Stay up to date on the latest from ARTERNAL

Most common artist bio mistakes to avoid, lengthy artists bios .

Avoid writing bios that are too long and have too much information about the artist’s CV, awards, and exhibition history. However impressive the information may be, long lists are a good way to lose your reader’s attention, it’s best to keep it short and to the point. You could always highlight a single notable award or exhibition, but careful not to go overboard. 

Spelling and Punctuation 

Avoid spelling and grammar mistakes. Proofreading is important. We recommend having at least one or two other eyes review your bios. Mistakes are easy to make, especially when you’re close to the material.  But missing these simple errors can diminish your gallery’s reputation and authority. Don’t underestimate the value of a good proofreader. 

Out of Date Artists Bios 

Make sure to keep your bios up to date. Avoid outdated bios by regularly checking them, once a year or so, to be sure they have the most up to date information. This is also an easy mistake that can damage your gallery’s credibility. This is especially important if you work with talented emerging artists. 

How Can Artist Bios Help Your Digital Marketing Strategy?

Now that you know the foundation of how to write a great artist bio, it’s time to make the most of them and incorporate them in your larger digital marketing strategy.

SEO and Artists Bios

One important factor to consider is SEO or search engine optimization. SEO is defined by  Moz  as “the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.” In other words, producing quality content in a way that search engines recognize as valuable to your audience so you rank higher in searches. A well-written bio with SEO in mind can help your gallery website continue to rank for keywords and search terms over time. So when writing your artist bios, think about what terms your audience will be searching for and incorporate those keywords into your bios. Keywords could include the artist’s name, subject matter, medium, or style of work.

Backlinks from Artists Bios

Along with using relevant keywords in your artist bios, another SEO factor to consider is link building. Search engines recognize your website as more important when reputable websites link to your website (also called backlinks). This, in turn, will also help you rank higher and get more organic traffic. To accomplish this start building relationships with organizations that you want links from. When it comes to backlinks, quality is more important than quantity. 

You can also use internal links to help with your SEO strategy. Link keywords or phrases in your artists’ bios to other pages on your website, again only if relevant.  Moz  offers a detailed beginners guide if you’d like to learn more about link building.

Use Social Media and Digital Tools to Share Your Artist Bios and Track Engagement 

Social media strategy and artists bios  .

Work with your artists and make sure that you’re on the same page when it comes to posting on social media. This way your social media initiatives will be mutually beneficial. When artists post about their work, it’s important they tag your gallery in the body of the post as well in the image they post. This will help drive traffic to your gallery website where you can engage with clients and continue conversations.

After your artist bios have been published make sure you’re set up with  Google Analytics  to track website engagement. Google Analytics collects and records user data so you can see what’s working and what areas might need improvement on your website. With Google Analytics you can find out which content or artists are performing best, how your visitors are finding your content, and information about your visitors. Check out expert digital marketer,  Neil Patel’s blog  to learn more about Google Analytics and how you can make the most of this free service.

Advanced Social Marketing Strategies with Artists Bios

The new battleground for galleries working with artists is the artist’s social media profile bio page. It’s now some of the most valuable real estates in the digital world. 

Influencer marketing is a powerful strategy for galleries to use with their artist bios. Andrew Chen, a startup growth expert, mentioned that “Whoever controls the link controls the business model for the new economy that’s being built.” Once a gallery has established a mutually beneficial relationship on social media with the artists, they can create a pseudo influencer marketing program that can treat artists as influencers and give galleries how to measure each artist’s Social Media ROI. 

Let’s dive into this in more detail. Here’s a screenshot of Andrew Cranston social media profile.

artists bio - andrew cranston

If we look at the link on his profile we can see it’s from INGLEBY Gallery. Upon clicking on the link it goes into Andre Carnston’s artist bio on their gallery webpage. 

artists bio - INGLEBY Andrew Cranston artist bio

Andrew has linked his social media profile to his artist bio from INGLEBY. Every time Andrew makes a post and viewers click on his profile link, the gallery is getting more exposure. This is an actionable strategy most galleries can put into action. Establishing an influencer marketing program with your artists is a great way to grow your following.

You can take your Google Analytics to the next level by using UTM Parameters to see which individual artist brings the most traffic from social media. Check out Neil Patel’s blog article on  UTM Parameters  to learn more.

Examples of Artist Bios

If you need more inspiration, before you start writing your artist bios, check out a few examples of our favorites on Artsy:

Jean-Michel Basquiat

Yayoi Kusama

Kehinde Wiley

Sophie Calle

You might also like these articles:

  • How to Make Smart Investment that Increases Art Sales
  • Settling into Click-and-Mortar: The New Prime Real Estate
  • The Art Gallery Business Model Needs to Change – Let’s Discuss

Interested in taking your gallery to the next level?  Contact us  today to learn more.

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9 Writing Tools to Develop You..

The artist’s guide to writing a bio gallery&..., tips for artwork care and main.., the artist’s guide to writing a bio gallery’s will love.

  • by Frank Hamilton
  • 14 December
  • Advice Artists Featured Articles

how to write a good artist biography

THE ARTIST’S GUIDE TO WRITING A BIO GALLERY’S WILL LOVE

The life of an artist is full of unexpected twists and turns. Every new day brings with it fresh feelings and ideas for new masterpieces. Each painting is a ticket to the worlds of high art and international popularity. With its arrival, however, each artist is faced with many challenges, including the writing of a biography. Who better than yourself to write about your life and work? But how can you know which events are significant for it and which are not?

For any creative person, turning a creative path into a short story can be a real challenge. A well-written biography draws the audience’s attention and contains the most important information about the artist. Let’s figure out why you need to write a biography, what it should include, and what galleries are looking for in it!

how to write a good artist biography

HOW DO YOU WRITE AN ARTIST DESCRIPTION?

The artist’s biography summarizes his life and career from childhood to the present. An artist may be asked to write a biography for a printed program, a book cover, an article in an art magazine, or a press release. Because of the integration of social networks and the Internet into the lives of creative people, biographies have become an essential component of developing an effective personal website.

Depending on the purpose, the artist’s bio can follow a suitable format. For example, on a personal website, it might be streamlined and optimized for search engine optimization (SEO). A biography for an exhibition at a gallery or museum program can highlight the author’s most recent works, which are on display.

TIPS FOR WRITING A GOOD ARTIST BIO

Here are some helpful hints to help you create the most appealing and high-quality content:

§ Use Short Paragraphs

When writing an artist’s bio, you should keep in mind that it should attract people’s attention and want them to learn more about you and your art. Long sentences stuffed with difficult terms will bore your readers. As a result, write all information in short sentences, emphasizing only the most important facts from your life.

§ Use A First-Person Perspective

Using a first-person perspective while talking about your life and experience can help establish an intimate relationship with the reader in most cases.

§ Stick to the Gallery’s Style Format

Each gallery has its set of publishing guidelines. As a result, before writing about yourself, it is critical to learn whether a specific gallery has unique requirements or if the generally accepted ones can be followed.

how to write a good artist biography

§ Proofread Before Submitting

Before sending your biography to the required gallery, have someone else – a friend, family member, or agent, if you have one – level up your work and check for typos.

HOW TO WRITE A GOOD ARTIST BIO: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

A fascinating biography of the artist does not require the artist to be an experienced writer. If writing is not your primary mode of expression, consider using the following step-by-step guide when creating an artist biography:

1. Experience

Begin your artist biography with a broad overview of your life and career. This introductory paragraph may include:

  • When and where were you born?
  • Where did you grow up?
  • What is your line of work?
  • Who taught you?
  • How did you become acquainted with art?
  • What challenges or stumbling blocks did you face while pursuing a career as an artist?
  • Your most talked-about pieces of art and projects;
  • Significant honours;
  • Education and training.

2. Early Career Highlights

The second paragraph of your artist biography can highlight facts from your early career and education:

  • What are your work’s themes?
  • What are they about?
  • What distinguishes or makes you unique among other artists?
  • What message do you want to convey to the audience?
  • What is the first thing people notice about your artwork?
  • How has your art evolved?
  • Who have you looked up to as an artist?

In most cases, you should avoid delving into specific long-standing events unless they are directly related to the works of art on display.

3. Mid- And Late-Career Highlights

Discuss the highlights of your mid- and recent career in the third paragraph. If you won an award, please list it next to the winning projects. This part does not have to be an entire list. Instead, choose the most prominent ones that affected the development of your career as an artist.

4. Notable Collaborations

Highlight any professional collaborations in the fourth paragraph. You can also list joint exhibitions in this section.

5. Final purpose statement

Fill out the artist biography with a statement about your current and future pieces of art. If the biography is a newly exhibited work of art, write this paragraph in its context. It will be the simplest paragraph to write in the first person.

WHAT DO THE GALLERIES WANT TO SEE IN YOUR CREATIVE BIOGRAPHY?

There are no set guidelines for writing an artist’s biography. Every gallery is unique and has its specific requirements. There are, however, some highlights that the galleries pay attention to in the artist’s bio:

§ Correct Length

Your biography should not exceed one page. Before sending a document, always double-check the number of words or characters allowed for publishing from a specific gallery.

§ Interesting Facts

Decisive moments in life should not be dominated by action; perhaps something has changed in your soul as a result of your time spent in reflection. Whether or not you have had an adventure, tell others about it so they can understand you. Use a professional style that is not too cold or impartial.

§ A Thorough History of Your Work

Assist the gallery in connecting you as an artist with your work by following the creative path and determining what influenced it. Make sure that you provide the answers to the questions “How did you become an artist?” and “Why did you become an artist?”

§ Do Not Exaggerate

Professionals in the field of the arts quickly recognize deception. Be honest with both people and yourself.

§ Do Not Assess Yourself

The artist’s biography should tell a story. When describing yourself, avoid words like “visionary,” “author of many works,” “extraordinary,” and “brilliant.” Allow the gallery’s audience to draw their conclusions.

§ Achievements

It is critical to include some of your accomplishments in your biography. Tell readers about the major exhibitions, sales, collaboration examples, and awards.

More than five accomplishments should not be mentioned in a single letter. Otherwise, the tone of the letter and the level of interest will suffer. This information is frequently ideal for the final paragraph.

§ Make People Want to Learn More

Your biography should contain just enough information for people to understand you and your work and want to see it. As a result, do not write too much: do not exhaust the details to the point where the reader lacks the energy to review the works and draw conclusions.

Be certain and enthusiastic about what you are writing about. You sell not only your works but also the artist who created them.

Remember that your biography will change and evolve with you. If your style has evolved, do not be afraid to make changes. Techniques and themes evolve, as does inspiration. The artist never creates the same work twice, and your biography should reflect the changes that occur along your creative path.

Author bio : Frank Hamilton has been working as an editor at essay review service  Writing Judge  and an author at custom writing company  Best Writers Online . He is also a professional writing expert in such topics as art, digital marketing and self-education. 

how to write a good artist biography

Frank Hamilton

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    Important Facts Only: Mention things like your birth date, nationality, job title, the art forms you use, your style and main themes, and other key career details. Ideal Length: Aim for about 120 words, but keep it between 80 and 140 words. For an Emerging Artist Biography: Background Info: Mention where you were born and places you've lived.

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    1. Create a concise summary An artist bio should concisely summarise the artist's practice. It's not about covering an artist's entire CV or full biography. Focus on a few main points that you believe to best introduce the artist and their art. Always include the medium, themes, techniques, and influences the artist works with. 2.

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    To write your own artist bio, follow these steps: 1. Determine the point of view Before you begin writing your artist biography, it's important to understand the point of view (POV) in which you want to write. This can depend on your reason for writing a bio.

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    Your artist biography should be a summary of significant facts about your art career written in third person. Begin by introducing yourself with your name, medium, and some background information. This can include where you were born, where you work, and when you first became interested in art.

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    By Renee Phillips 14 Comments In "How to Write Your Artist's Biography" I explain what it is, why you need it, and what to include, plus links to samples and quick tips. Your Artist's Biography is essential for viewers of your art who want to know more about you.

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    The ideal bio is ~120 words, though a tightly written 80-word bio is preferable to a longer bio that includes repetition and filler sentences. Why 120 Words? Audience engagement researchers at museums have found that visitors lose interest in wall labels after 150 words.

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    What should I write in my Artist Biography? Where are you from? Where are you currently based? If you studied, where did you study? Or maybe you are self taught? What is your main artistic inspiration? What mediums do you work with? Does your work belong in any collections? Do you belong to any art collectives, societies or organisations?

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    These are the three cornerstones—tried, tested, and used today by our writers at Artsy — of the perfect artist bio: The bio should summarize the artist's practice — including medium (s), themes, techniques, and influences. The bio should open with a first line that encapsulates, as far as possible, what is most significant about the ...

  11. How to Write an Artist Bio

    Avoid using abstract and metaphorical language, as this kind of writing is reserved for conceptual reasonings or exhibition texts. Make sure you do not get hung up on being too formal or trying to sound smart. It is important that your bio is authentic, factual, and reflects who you are as an artist.

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    1. Point of View 2. Keep Artist Bios Short and Concise 3. Focus on Answering the Key Questions How to Write an Artist Bio? Step 1. State Your Name and Background Step 2. Introduce Your Artist Journey Step 3. Talk About Your Art Style Step 4. Discuss Your Personal Influences and Inspiration Step 5. List Your Artistic Achievements

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  16. Write the Perfect Artist Bio With These Five Simple Tips

    Write the Perfect Artist Bio With These Five Simple Tips. If you do choose to write your artist bio in the first person, make sure to include all of the same info listed in #1. Tone is also something important to think about. Have it match the personality of your work, to an extent. If you have quirky, playful style of work, let that show in ...

  17. How To Write An Artist Biography (Complete Guide)

    Write your biography in the third person, keep it short and to the point. Respect your reader's time. They want to get to know about you as an artist. They do not need a life story. Include your influences, education if any, when you started, what you would like to accomplish with your art, and your philosophy.

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    The artist statement is written in the first person and the artist bio in the third person. Things that you can include in your artist statement: The current direction of your work Why people should look at your art How people can interpret your art Things that you can include in your artist bio: Your art style The driving force behind your art

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    Artists should create & write an artist biography that provides the reader with a greater understanding as to the artist's art, the artist's motivation and the artist's meaning in creating their art. An artist bio will not sell the artist's art but it will provide additional information to an art buyer, art gallery owner

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    It's typically a good idea to write you bio in 'Third Person', where you refer to yourself as 'he or she' instead of 'me, I, or my'. Know who will be reading your biography and tailor your writing for them. Will they be interested in your upcoming projects or more interested in your historical work?

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    1. How to write a Good Artist Biography? We'll break this section up into easy parts so you know what to put into your artist or band biography. You don't have to be an expert writer either. Getting it right is like following a cake recipe. With all the right ingredients, in the right order, you'll have a top-class biography.

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    Unlike an artist statement or CV, it is usually a concise summary about the artist and their work. A good artist bio will provide the collector with enough information to make them want to learn more, without overwhelming them with too much detail. It's important to make the most of your artist bios. If they're both well-written and used ...

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