How To Write an Artist Bio (With Tips and Examples)
WORKSHEET: Writing Your Artist Biography
An artist bio summarizes a professional’s life and career. Publishers and artists feature these pieces of writing after displaying the artist’s work to allow audiences to connect with the artist and find more of their work. If you’re an artist, it may be helpful for you to create your own short biography to share on your personal website and with publishers. In this article, we explain what an artist bio is, what they include and how to write an artist bio with examples and tips to help you with the process.
What is an artist bio?
An artist biography, or bio, is a short piece of writing that includes details about an artist’s life and work. Professionals write artist bios to feature them at the end of their work or on their website. This can help the artist gain exposure to a wider audience and allow viewers to feel more connected to the artist. Professionals may also write an artist bio for themselves at the request of a publishing agency. Here are some professionals who might write an artist biography:
- Author
- Photographer
- Playwright
- Composer
- Musician
- Fine artist
What does an artist bio include?
The content of an artist bio can depend on the medium or company that displays it, it’s intent and the artist who writes it. Generally, artist bios include the following information and elements:
- Job title: Artist biographies often introduce yourself to an audience, so it’s important to include a job title to explain what you do and the medium you use for your art.
- Location: Many artists share the city and state in which they live. If you were raised in another location, you might mention that area too.
- Experience: It’s common to include career highlights and past projects in your artist bio to establish your credibility and inform the audience where they can experience more of your work.
- Personal information: Some artists like to include personal information, such as their hobbies or a fun fact, to help audiences relate to them.
- Contact information: Including information such as your personal website or social media accounts can help the audience contact you and experience your work on different platforms.
How to write an artist bio
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. If you’re writing one for your own personal website or platform, it depends on your preference. Though, many artist bios on websites feature a first-person perspective. Many more traditional and formal mediums for artist bios, such as book jackets and other publications, feature third-person POV. If you’re writing your artist bio at the request of an organization or individual, be sure to clarify which point of view they prefer you to use.
2. Start with an introduction
Begin your bio by introducing yourself using your full name, location and your area of expertise. It’s efficient to include this information in one sentence, but for longer biographies, you might use two or three sentences to convey this information. Introducing yourself with specific details of your job title and name establishes a connection with the audience and explains the purpose of your writing.
3. Include your experience
Next, share details about your experience as an artist. This can include your career highlights, such as other publications you have or how many years you’ve dedicated to your craft. Depending on the length of the bio, you might use two or three sentences to provide information about your previous projects and specialties. Including your experience in your artist biography can help you share your work with the audience and establish your expertise and credibility.
4. Explain your motivations
After establishing your credibility, explain your motivations. Use one or two sentences to share your goals as an artist or your methodology. For example, you might create art to represent certain demographics or educate audiences on a topic. Sharing this information can help the readers relate to you. Depending on your motivations, it may also change their perception of you and add to your credibility.
5. Share personal details
If appropriate for the medium on which you’re publishing your artist bio, consider adding a few personal details to help readers understand and relate to you. Consider sharing a fun fact about yourself that can help establish you as a professional and offer more insight into your life. For example, you might share that you’re a parent or list some of your favorite pastimes.
6. Provide contact details
Finish your bio by providing details of where audiences can experience more of your work and contact you. This can include sharing the URL of your website, the username for your social media accounts and locations where the audience might purchase your work. This can help you gain exposure and expand your audience base, as some individuals may read your bio and become a supporter of your art.
Examples of artist biographies
When writing an artist bio, it’s often helpful to consult examples for inspiration. Artist biographies can differ in content and style, so it can depend on your job title and the reason you’re creating a biography. Here are some examples of artist biographies:
Personal website
Here’s an example of an artist bio written in first-person for an artist’s website:
Hello, my name is Georgie Green and I’m a digital artist based in Chicago. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, I began my freelancing career by creating pop culture digital art. I’ve been creating commissions for two years and have designed art for popular businesses such as Souped Up and The Chili Pepper Club. I also love creating custom artwork for pop culture fans.
I love depicting my imagination within my artwork and working with others to create one-of-a-kind artwork. In my free time, I like to take naps with my bulldog, Pickles, and binge-watch my favorite TV shows. I’m currently open for commissions. Please email me at [email protected] to share your commission request and learn more about my art process.
Literary journal
Here’s an example of a third-person artist bio that a publisher may feature in a literary journal:
Dane Gray-Rogers is an author based in Brooklyn, New York, with over 10 years of experience in short-story writing and poetry. Several media outlets offered praise for his debut poetry collection, “Family Dinner,” for its honest depiction of Gray-Rogers’ childhood and struggle with addiction. Gray-Rogers values truth and relatability in his work and dedicates his career to the representation of nontraditional families. Those who are interested can learn more about Dane Gray-Rogers on his website, www.DGRstories.com and can contact him on social media by following his account under the name “Dane Gray-Rogers Official”.
Art exhibit
Studios and organizations may also feature artist bios in the programs or explanatory plaques for an art exhibit. Here’s an example of an art exhibit bio:
Hazel Platt is a Boston-based painter who specializes in realism and self-portraits. She is a graduate of the Imperium Art Institute and has been featured in magazine publications. Platt aims to popularize the depiction of female relationships in fine art. Prints of Platt’s original work can be purchased from her website, www.HPlatt.com
New position
Some companies ask new hires to write a bio to introduce themselves to their colleagues or to display on the company website. Here’s an example of this type of artist bio:
Marilyn Rovia is a songwriter from Nelsonville, Georgia, with five years of experience writing and singing original songs. Rovia has written for superstars in the country and pop music genre and has earned two nominations for songwriting awards. In her spare time, Rovia enjoys teaching a martial arts class for kids and spending time with the chickens and donkeys on her family’s ranch. Rovia’s singing work can be found on any major music platform and plans on advancing her career here at Missing Link Records.
Tips for improving your artist bio
Review these tips to help you improve your artist bio:
Understand the audience
It’s important to understand the audience for your artist bio. This can help you pick an appropriate tone and length. Consider the context of your biography as well. If you’re writing a biography to feature with a high-end publisher, you might consider using more jargon and using a serious tone. If you’re writing for your own website, you might consider including humor and more accessible language to relate to a more general audience.
Use your unique voice
When writing your biography, try to feature your unique voice. This means allowing your personality to show through your writing style and word choice. One way to do this is by choosing specific adjectives that you relate to or that display more vivid imagery. If appropriate, you could also establish your voice as an artist through humor or figurative language.
Consider the length requirements
Know how long you want your bio to be before you start writing. This can help you use more concise language and allows you to be more conscious of your sentence structure. If you’re writing an artist biography to submit to an organization or publisher, you might consider asking for the length specifications. Often, publishers have a word limit, so it’s helpful to know this before writing.
Sometimes, professionals display artist bios as a collection, which means your bio may be near another artist’s bio, such as at the end of an anthology. For this reason, it’s important to know the length requirements, as it’s often best to match the length of the other artists.
Proofread your work
After you finish writing, proofread your work. While you reread your writing, consider editing it to be more concise or feature more precise language. You might consider asking a peer, family member or friend to read your bio too to gain an additional perspective. This can help you decide what to include in your artist bio and ensure that you write it to the best of your ability.
Samples:
WHO ARE YOU?
BACKGROUND
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
ABOUT YOUR WORK
1) Crafting an artist biography is a vital point of contact for grant panelists, talent buyers, funders, gallerists, and supporters, providing insight into your persona and artistic journey. It encapsulates essential details such as your birthplace, upbringing, training, work process, career progression, and the driving forces behind your creations.
In developing this narrative, consider using language, descriptors, and key facts that resonate with the specific venue or organization you’re targeting. Maintaining a balance between professionalism and approachability, it’s recommended to have both a concise 150-word version and a more relaxed variant available.
This bio serves as a cohesive story, painting a vivid picture of you as an artist and the depth of your work. By tailoring it to suit the intended audience, you can leave a lasting impression that speaks to your unique artistic identity.
The artist biography is a crucial first impression for grant panelists, talent buyers, funders, gallerists, and supporters. It provides context about you as an individual and an artist, including your birthplace, upbringing, training, work process, career development, and the insights that inform your work.
To create a cohesive story of yourself as an artist, use language, descriptors, and key facts about yourself and your artwork that resonate with the specific venue or organization you’re targeting. It’s best to use a tone and style that are appropriate for the audience, and to have both a professional and more relaxed version of your bio available. Aim for your bio to be 150 words long, or 3-5 sentences.
Here are some specific tips for writing an artist biography:
- Start with a strong introduction that highlights your unique artistic voice.
- Be specific about your work and the processes you use.
- Share your personal story and what drives you as an artist.
- Use clear and concise language that is easy to understand.
- Proofread your bio carefully before submitting it.
Here are some examples of language, descriptors, and key facts that you could use in your artist biography:
2) The artist biography is a crucial first impression for grant panelists, talent buyers, funders, gallerists, and supporters. It provides context about you as an individual and an artist, including your birthplace, upbringing, training, work process, career development, and the insights that inform your work.
To create a cohesive story of yourself as an artist, use language, descriptors, and key facts about yourself and your artwork that resonate with the specific venue or organization you’re targeting. It’s best to use a tone and style that are appropriate for the audience, and to have both a professional and more relaxed version of your bio available. Aim for your bio to be 150 words long, or 3-5 sentences.
Here are some specific tips for writing an artist biography:
Start with a strong introduction that highlights your unique artistic voice.
Be specific about your work and the processes you use.
Share your personal story and what drives you as an artist.
Use clear and concise language that is easy to understand.
Proofread your bio carefully before submitting it.
By following these tips, you can write an artist biography that will help you connect with potential audiences and collaborators.
Here are some examples of language, descriptors, and key facts that you could use in your artist biography:
Language: “I am a painter who is inspired by the natural world.”
Descriptors: “My work is bold, colorful, and expressive.”
Key facts: “I was born in a small town in the Midwest,” “I studied art at the University of California, Berkeley,” “My work has been exhibited in galleries across the United States.”
Where were you born and raised, and how have your experiences in the past influenced your work?
BACKGROUND
Could you please share information about your training, when and where you received it, and who your mentors were? Also, what is your chosen medium, and how did you discover and pursue it?
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
I’m interested in learning about the significant milestones and awards that have played a role in shaping your career. How have these personal and professional achievements impacted your journey?
ABOUT YOUR WORK
What inspires and influences your creative process? If someone were to observe your work, how would they describe your artistic style, process, and the essence of your creations?
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