An artist bio should describe the artist, their conceptual and material focuses and their professional experience. The purpose of an artist bio is to give the reader a general insight into what the artist’s practice explores and the stage that the artist is at professionally.

The bio should be no longer than 150 words in length, and must contain clear and concise language. It should include the following information:

• an explanation of overarching concepts the artist explores
• materials and processes the artist currently uses and how this informs their concepts
• broader artistic inspiration and points of reference within art – i.e. movements throughout art history that the artist draws from
• professional accolades and achievements – this can include: education, work experience or position, exhibition, commission, publication or collection achievements

Often an artist will write a different bio for different contexts. The section on professional accolades is not always relevant. A bio is often confused with an artist statement. Though similar in that both explain the artists conceptual and material interests, the artist bio is more general and is focused on the artist, while the artist statement (or didactic) is about a singular work or project. Remember to keep in mind that the purpose is to help the reader understand the artist and their practice as a whole.

Please refer to our advice on writing an artist statement for further tips for understanding and writing about your practice.