How to Write an Artist Statement [2025] – Dos and Don’ts

Writing an Artist Statement – Dos and Don’ts Artist Resources Jul 13 Written By Pablo Kunert Whether you’re updating the ‘about’ page of your website or answering an open call, your artist statement plays an important part in the presentation of your work, but preparing it can be a challenge. To help you navigate the process, we’ve put together this list of some of the dos and don’ts of writing an artist statement.Armed with a well written artist statement, you’ll be ready to apply for any open call — whether its a residency, exhibition open call or fellowship. Find the best international opportunities on artconnect.com. Writing an Artist Statement: Dos1. Be specificIt may sound obvious, but an artist statement should be personal and specific to your work. This means avoiding generic, broad-sweeping statements that don’t say a lot about your practice. The idea shouldn’t be to just write something to meet a word count or because it sounds impressive. If it’s vague and generic it won’t let people know what you and/or your work are really about, which is the point of the artist statement, after all.Choose your language and vocabulary with care. Keep in mind that you are trying to convey information about your work and make sure it’s accurate and true to your practice. This also means continually updating your artist statement as your work and your practice evolve. 2. Be clearAn artist statement should be written in an accessible way, so that it can be understood by a wide audience. This should especially be the case if you are writing a statement for your website or another online platform, where it might be read by audiences with varying levels of art knowledge or experience. Again, be straightforward in your artist statement and use language that accurately describes and clearly communicates your practice. Part of ensuring clarity, is also nailing exactly what it is you want to say with your statement. Avoid overloading the text with numerious unfinished and undercooked ideas. Use this as an opportunity to get across the key ideas of your work, and not every detail in your practice. 3. Consider the contextYou might have to use your artist statement for different purposes — grant applications, social media profiles, an open call, etc. Consider that you may have to tailor your artist statement accordingly. Some applications for a residency program, for example, may ask you to share how your work considers a certain subject or relates to a chosen theme. Don’t necessarily rely on an all-purpose artist statement to use and send no matter what the context is, although you can use a general artist statement as a foundation to build from. Also keep in mind that you shouldn’t try to fit your artist statement to address a particular topic or theme if it isn’t really relevant to you or your work. 5. Stay presentWhen delving into the depths of your artistic practice it’s tempting to dwell on early influences and work. However, when writing your statement, it’s best to avoid giving the past too much attention, unless it’s directly relevant to your practice in the present. Use your limited words to focus on what you are making now and why and not just how you got here. 4. Draft and rewriteWrite a few different versions, or start out by writing a longer statement than necessary. You can then cut it down, make edits, rearrange, and work from there until you have something you feel is strong, concise, and effectively communicates your work. Also ask for a second, or third, or fourth opinion from people you know who are familiar with your work and also those that aren’t. It’s a good idea to ask family, friends, or colleagues who aren’t necessarily active or engaged in the arts, as well. Get feedback from different perspectives. Reading your artist statement aloud — whether to yourself and/or someone else — is also a helpful part of the editing process. Ask someone to proofread what you’ve written before sending it off or publishing somewhere. Writing an Artist Statement: Don’ts1. Use art jargonArt jargon, also known as international art english (IAE), is pervasive in the art world. Basically, this kind of language makes a text difficult to understand and can even be downright impenetrable. It’s characterized by complicated grammatical structures, a lot of words that don’t really mean or say anything, and imprecision. It sounds pretentious and will likely not convey any information to readers.You want your audience to take something away from your artist statement, not be left confused, irritated, or uninterested. So don’t get too technical, and in general, avoid long, overly complex sentences and art jargon. This will dilute the content and, ultimately, impact of your statement. An artist statement is not an opportunity to flex your vocabulary, but rather a medium for communicating your ideas. 2. Draw it outYou don’t want to bore your reader or bog them down in too much info in what is likely your first point of communication with your audience. What you want to do is pique their interest. The key details that you would like to convey about you and your work should be communicated in a concise manner.Keep in mind that artist statements are often kept fairly short — around 200 words (depending on the context). It should get straight to the point, reel in your audience, and make them keen to learn more about your work. 3. Try to sound “objective”When crafting their artist statements, some artists hide behind passive voice and neutral phrasing because they think it sounds more professional. But a statement can be both professional and personal — it doesn’t need to pretend to be an academic essay. You don’t want to lose your voice in an effort to sound more official, neutral or detached. Embrace your connection to your work and your innate subjectivity. “Embrace your connection to your work and your innate subjectivity.” 4. Be formulaicTry not to follow a set formula when approaching the task of writing your a