Artist CV Example
Updated 24 July 2026
An artist CV is not a job application. It's a factual record of your exhibition history, education, awards, and where your work lives, formatted so galleries, curators, and funders can assess your trajectory at a glance. This guide shows you the structure the art world expects, with real examples at emerging and established levels.
Artist CV examples
Emerging Artist
entryClean exhibition list with honest mix of group shows and emerging venues; portfolio link prominent; no invented credentials.
Established Artist
seniorStrong solo exhibition history with major venues; international reach; public collections; uses 'Selected' to signal curation rather than exhaustiveness.
How to write an artist CV
An artist CV has no personal statement, no duties-and-responsibilities bullets, and no generic skills list. It opens with your name, year of birth (optional but common in Europe), and the city where you live and work. Immediately below that, add your portfolio or website URL, galleries judge the CV alongside the work, so a live link is non-negotiable.
Structure and section order
List sections in this order: Education (degree, institution, location, years, newest first or oldest first, just stay consistent), Solo Exhibitions, Group Exhibitions (or Selected Exhibitions if you have more than about fifteen shows), Collections, Residencies, Grants & Awards, Commissions / Public Art, and Press & Publications. Omit any section entirely if you have nothing to list, never leave a heading with no entries beneath it.
The exhibition entry
Each show gets one or two lines: year, show title in italics or quotation marks, venue/gallery name, city, country. Example: 2024, 'Tidal Marks', The Pipe Factory, Glasgow, UK. Once you have more than about five solo shows, split them into a separate Solo Exhibitions heading, solo shows carry far more weight than group inclusion.
What counts as an exhibition
University degree shows, artist-run spaces, pop-ups, and site-specific installs all count. Classify them honestly (group or solo) and include the venue name. If it happened and you can document it (photo, press clipping, URL), it belongs on the CV.
Collections, residencies, awards
Collections: list the institution or "Private collection, [City, Country]" with the year acquired. Never list family members or repeat the same city twice. Residencies: program name, host institution, location, year. Grants & Awards: award name, granting body, year, and whether you won, were shortlisted, or received an honorable mention.
Press and publications
Use academic citation format: Author. 'Article Title.' Publication Name, date, page. Favour print over digital. Split into Selected Press (reviews and features about you) and Bibliography (catalogues or books featuring your work) when both exist.
Length and the "Selected" rule
An artist CV has no fixed page limit. Emerging artists run one to two pages; a twenty-year career can legitimately run three or more. Once a section exceeds about fifteen entries, switch the heading to Selected Exhibitions or Selected Press, a curated list reads as more established than an exhaustive one.
| Section | What to include | What to omit |
|---|---|---|
| Education | Degree, institution, location, years, honors | High school, unrelated diplomas |
| Exhibitions | Every show (or selected if 15+), venue, city, year | Craft fairs, unverified group calls |
| Collections | Institution name or "Private collection, City" + year | Family members, invented collectors |
| Press | Print reviews, catalogue essays, academic citations | Blog mentions, unverified online posts |
| Awards | Official name, granting body, year, status (winner/finalist) | Participation certificates, internal school prizes (unless major) |
Personal statement examples
An artist CV has no personal statement. The work speaks through the exhibition list, and your artist statement (a separate document) communicates vision. Do not blend narrative prose into the CV.
Do not write: 'I am a passionate visual artist exploring themes of identity and memory through mixed media. My practice is informed by a deep commitment to social justice and a desire to challenge conventional narratives.' This belongs in your artist statement, not your CV.
Writing your experience
An artist CV has no job-history section with bullet points. Your exhibition list is your experience. Each entry is a single factual line: year, show title, venue, city, country. No descriptions, no bullet points about what you showed or why.
Formatting the exhibition entry
Use this pattern consistently:
Before (wrong):
- Exhibited three large-scale oil paintings exploring urban decay at a group show in London.
After (correct):
- 2024, 'Urban Fragments', Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK
The venue name and city tell the story. Curators know Whitechapel; they don't need you to explain what you showed.
Solo vs group
Split exhibitions into Solo Exhibitions and Group Exhibitions once you have more than about five solo shows. Solo shows carry far more weight, so give them their own heading. If you have only group shows so far, use Exhibitions or Selected Exhibitions as the heading.
Forthcoming and unconventional shows
Tag future exhibitions (forthcoming) or (upcoming), it shows momentum. Artist-run spaces, pop-ups, and university shows all count. Just classify them honestly and include the venue name.
Before:
- Participated in a group exhibition at an emerging artist space.
After:
- 2025, 'Open Call', The Briggait, Glasgow, UK
When to use "Selected"
Once your exhibition list exceeds about fifteen entries, switch to Selected Exhibitions and curate. A shorter, stronger list reads as more established than an exhaustive one. Drop weaker group shows; keep solo shows, major venues, and anything with a catalogue or press.
| Seniority | Exhibition heading | Typical entry count |
|---|---|---|
| Emerging | Exhibitions (or Group Exhibitions) | 3–10 |
| Mid-career | Solo Exhibitions / Group Exhibitions | 10–20 total |
| Established | Selected Solo Exhibitions / Selected Group Exhibitions | 15–30 (curated) |
Every line you list should be backed by documentation you could point to: a URL, photo, catalogue, or press clipping. The art world is small. Don't invent shows.
Key skills & ATS keywords
ATS keywords
Education & certifications
List your formal art education in reverse chronological order (or oldest-to-newest, just stay consistent). Include degree type, institution name, location, and years. If you graduated with honors or won a prize, add a note beneath the entry.
Example:
Royal College of Art MA Fine Art, Sculpture London, UK 2008–2010
Goldsmiths, University of London BA (Hons) Fine Art London, UK 2004–2007 First Class Honours
Self-taught artists
If you have no formal art education, drop the Education section entirely. Do not write "Self-taught" or "Autodidact", it flags the absence rather than letting your exhibition history speak. The art world cares about where you've shown and who collects your work, not whether you have a degree.
Workshops and short courses
Do not list weekend workshops, online courses, or non-degree programs in the Education section. If a residency included a masterclass or mentorship component, mention it under Residencies instead.
Certifications
The art world has no equivalent to professional certifications. Do not list Photoshop courses, health-and-safety tickets, or teaching qualifications on your artist CV unless you are applying for a teaching residency or public-art commission that specifically requires them. In that case, add a separate Professional Development or Teaching Qualifications section at the end.
Common mistakes to avoid
Writing a personal statement or professional summary at the top of the CV.
An artist CV has no personal statement. Open with your name, year of birth (optional), current city, and portfolio URL. Let the exhibition list speak.
Describing what you showed or why in the exhibition entry.
Each exhibition is a single factual line: year, show title, venue, city, country. No bullet points, no descriptions. Example: 2024, 'Tidal Marks', The Pipe Factory, Glasgow, UK.
Listing family members or invented collectors in the Collections section.
Only list verifiable collectors: public institutions (with acquisition year) or "Private collection, [City, Country]" for real buyers. Never list people sharing your surname or repeat the same city twice.
Leaving empty section headings (e.g., Collections or Press with no entries).
Omit any section entirely if you have nothing to list. An empty heading makes the CV look padded. Better to have four strong sections than six with gaps.
Mixing your artist statement into the CV or adding narrative prose to sections.
The CV is a dry, factual list. The artist statement is a separate document. Do not blend the two. Curators expect to see both, but they are different genres.
Listing every group show from art school or minor open calls without curation.
Once you have more than about fifteen exhibitions, switch to 'Selected Exhibitions' and curate. Drop weaker group shows; keep solo shows, major venues, and anything with press or a catalogue.
Junior vs senior: what changes
| Aspect | Junior | Senior |
|---|---|---|
| CV length | One to two pages; list every exhibition and award. | Two to four pages; use 'Selected' headings and curate the list to show only major venues, solo shows, and press. |
| Exhibition history | Mostly group shows; university degree show and artist-run spaces; one or two solo shows if any. | Separate 'Solo Exhibitions' heading with ten or more entries; group shows limited to biennials, major galleries, or curated thematic exhibitions. |
| Collections | Private collections in one or two cities; possibly no public collections yet. | Multiple public collections (Tate, Arts Council, regional museums) with acquisition years; international private collectors. |
| Press & Publications | One or two online reviews or degree-show catalogue mentions. | Separate 'Selected Press' and 'Bibliography' sections; print reviews in Frieze, Art Monthly, or national press; monograph or artist book. |
| Grants & Awards | Emerging-artist awards, shortlisted for open calls, small bursaries. | Arts Council England project grants, major prizes (Jerwood, Turner Prize nomination), international residency fellowships. |
| Residencies | One or two short residencies, often UK-based or university-affiliated. | Prestigious international residencies (Delfina, Cité des Arts, Gasworks); multiple residencies across different countries. |