Ah, the artist’s statement! I can’t live with them, I can’t live without them; however, the artist’s statement should be considered as important as your work.
Statements are often the first thing people read and learn about you as an artist; but they are used to submit portfolios to competitions, press releases, galleries, grants and residencies.

However, your application reflects who you are personally and professionally, so it’s important to make a positive and lasting impression!

So what is an Artist Statement?

In short, an artist statement is a short text that describes what you do as an artist and why you do it.

The first paragraph should be a brief description of who you are as an artist and an overview of the ideas behind your work. (For more resources and information, you can download our Artist as Brand guides here)

Your second paragraph should contain the three key elements you want to convey:

What: Include what mediums you work in, such as painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, etc., as well as the materials you use.

Why: What motivates you to do this work? What motivates you? Who or what inspires you?

How: Tell us about your process and how you create your work. If your process is truly unique, be sure to describe it clearly and accurately.

Many people can find it difficult to even know where to start writing, so we’ve come up with some helpful tips and things to consider when you’re writing!

HELPFUL TIPS FOR GETTING STARTED:

Write a word web: Identify the keywords that come to mind when you think about your work in general. You can write down these thoughts and visualize them using the Word Web method. An example of a word web might look like this:

Stream of Consciousness: Writing/Journaling : Just start writing. Write without thinking about flow, grammar and spelling, allowing yourself to empty your mind by thinking about your art and practice. Write until you feel there is nothing more to say. Step away from it for a day, then return to what you wrote, reading it carefully and highlighting the sentences and points that relate to the What, Why, How question.

Record your conversation. If you don’t feel confident writing, try recording your voice while you talk freely about your practice and work. You can talk to yourself or even ask a friend to listen to you explain your art!

Look at the people you admire. It can be helpful to look at artists you admire or the statements of your peers to get inspiration and see how they write their statements.

What is possible and what not to do regarding artist statements

For more resources, be sure to check out this article on Artprof.org for more tips and information on writing artist statements. For spelling and grammar checking, we recommend using Grammarly.

Until next time,

Artist Nata Shemshur
https://www.natashemshur.com https://www.instagram.com/artnatashemshur/
https://linktr.ee/ArtNataShemshur

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