How to write an artist statement, with examples by medium

What an artist statement is

An artist statement is a short piece of writing, in your own voice, that explains what you make, how you make it and why. RMIT University's Learning Lab sums it up as the what, why and how of your creative practice. The statement sits next to the work: on your website, on your shop About page, on a sign in your fair booth, and in applications to shows, galleries and grants.

A statement is about the work. A bio is about the artist: RMIT University's Learning Lab describes it as covering your personal history, career development, and achievements. Buyers read the statement to understand what they are looking at, and the bio to understand who made it. Keep the two separate so each one stays short.

For a maker who sells, the statement does a plain job. It tells a buyer standing at your table, or scrolling your shop, what makes this work yours: the material, the process and the idea behind it.

The structure of an artist statement: what, how and why

RMIT University's Learning Lab frames a statement around what, why and how. A simple order is to start with the work itself, move to how you make it, and end with why. The University of Colorado Denver Writing Center says a statement usually has two to three concise paragraphs, so each part can be a short paragraph or a few sentences.

Leave a list of shows and awards out of the statement; that belongs in the bio or CV.

How long an artist statement should be

There is no single required length. Write two versions, a short one and a full one, and cut them to fit wherever they appear. The table shows the lengths that university guides and Etsy's own help page give.

A call for entries can set its own limit. RMIT's Learning Lab notes that an organisation may specify the kind of statement it wants and the maximum word-length for each text. When a call gives a number, that number wins over any general guide.

How to write an artist statement, step by step

Writing an artist statement is easier as a series of drafts than as one sitting. These steps take you from notes to a finished text.

1. Make notes on the work in front of you

   Pick the pieces you sell or show most. Write down the materials, the tools, the steps, the colours and the size, as facts. Then write down what you were thinking about while you made them.

2. Answer what, how and why

   Write a few sentences for each of the three parts. Use the first person: I make, I use, I want. Do not polish yet.

3. Cut the jargon

   Replace art theory terms and vague words such as explore, interrogate or liminal with what you actually do. If a sentence would fit any artist, delete it.

4. Read it aloud

   Read the draft out loud, or to a friend who does not make art. Mark every place where you stumble or they look lost, and rewrite those lines in shorter sentences.

5. Make the short version

   Pull the strongest line from each part to make a short statement for your shop About page, a booth sign and social profiles. Keep the full version for applications.

6. Update it with the work

   Reread the statement whenever you start a new series or change materials. A statement that describes last year's work confuses buyers who see this year's.

Plain-language rules for writing an artist statement

The university guides cited on this page give most of these rules. They come down to one test: could a buyer with no art training read the statement once and tell a friend what you make?

• Write in the first person. The University of Tennessee's gallery guidelines tell applicants to refer to themselves in the first person, not as “the artist”.
• Write in the present tense: I carve, I paint, I weave.
• Name the medium and the process in concrete words. Wheel-thrown stoneware tells a buyer more than functional ceramic objects.
• Use short sentences. One idea per sentence is easier to read on a phone or on a booth sign.
• Do not open with a childhood story or how long you have made art. Start with the work.
• Describe your materials and reasons rather than analysing the work. The UC Denver handout advises against analysing your own work and suggests describing inspirations, medium and subject matter instead.
• Avoid generic words such as unique, passion or journey. They could describe any artist, so they say nothing about your work.

Artist statement examples by medium

The artist statement examples below are invented for this guide. Each one follows the what, how and why structure in a single short paragraph, so it fits a shop About page or a booth sign. Use them to see the shape, then write your own from your own notes.

• Example, painting: I paint small oil landscapes of the marshes near my home, working outside in all weathers. I build each surface in thin layers over several days, so the light changes in the painting the way it does on the water. I want people to look at a place they drive past every day.
• Example, ceramics: I make wheel-thrown stoneware mugs, bowls and vases for daily use. I mix glazes from wood ash and local clay, and each firing changes the colour slightly, so no two pieces match. I make things that are meant to be handled, washed and used for years.
• Example, jewelry: I make rings and earrings from recycled sterling silver, shaped by hand with a hammer and a few files. I keep the tool marks on the surface because they show how each piece was made. My pieces are simple enough to wear every day.
• Example, photography: I photograph empty storefronts in small towns at dawn, on film, before anyone arrives. I print each image myself in small editions. The series is a record of main streets as they change.
• Example, textiles: I weave scarves and wall hangings on a floor loom from wool I dye with plants I grow. The colours shift with the season the plants were picked in, so each batch has its own palette. I want cloth that shows where it came from.
• Example, printmaking: I carve linocuts of birds and plants from my garden and print them by hand on Japanese paper. Each print shows the grain of the carved block. I make prints at a price that lets people start a collection.
• Example, woodworking: I turn bowls and cutting boards from fallen trees I collect locally. I leave cracks and knots where they are and fill some with resin, so the history of the tree stays visible. Each piece is finished with food-safe oil for kitchen use.

Using your artist statement on a shop About page

Online, the artist statement usually lives on your shop's About page. The UC Denver guide lists this use directly: a statement can serve as an “About” or “Mission” page for an artist’s website. On your own store it is a page of its own, linked from the menu.

On Etsy, shoppers find the About section by scrolling down your shop homepage. To edit it, go to Shop Manager, then Settings, then Your shop, and select Shop home editor in the top right corner. The About your shop field takes 5,000 characters or less, which is room for your full statement, but the short version reads better on a phone.

The same section lets you add up to 5 photos with captions, a featured video as an MP4, MOV, AVI, MPEG, or M4V file up to 300 MB, links to a website, blog, or social media profile, and a Shop team list with the name, role, and bio of your team members, along with a photo. Use the photos and video to show the process your statement describes.

Lead with the short statement, then say how orders, commissions or custom requests work. Put your bio and any press below the statement. Use the plain words a buyer would type: wheel-thrown stoneware mugs says what the shop sells.

Using an artist statement at art fairs and markets

Juried art fairs, galleries and grant programs often ask for an artist statement with the application, next to images of the work. RMIT's Learning Lab lists the statement as part of an application process for a job, project, exhibition, performance, grant, or other professional opportunity. Read each call carefully: it may set its own length limit and ask specific questions. Answer those questions and stay inside the limit.

In the booth, print the short statement on a sign or a card at eye level, next to your name and how to pay. A shopper should be able to read it in passing. A small stack of cards with the statement, your shop address and social handles lets people find you after the fair.

When a visitor asks about the work, the what, how and why you wrote down are your answer.

Where Nation fits

Questions about artist statements