Artsy, the massive online platform designed to help visitors discover premiere contemporary art, recently shared its picks for the artists to look out for in 2014. Artsy’s mission is “to make all the world’s art accessible to anyone with an Internet connection,” and its passionate, adept team is full of commentators at the forefront of the art world, making this list of artistic predictions one you do not want to miss out on.
Here are five artists to watch in the coming year, courtesy of Artsy’s contributing experts:
Lucien Smith. As seasoned art dealer Alberto Mugrabi explains, “I will be watching Lucien Smith because he brings me sunshine in the rain.” Indeed, the young artist evokes a feeling of exploration, of tangible, familiar, yet markedly sensory moments in his works. He was named one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30,” and his paintings and prints are already in high demand.
Camille Henrot. Director of High Line Art, Cecilia Alemani, pegs Henrot as an artist to watch this coming year because of her approach to mixed media. The artist recently earned a nomination for the Hugo Boss Prize, and is considered to be “on the rise” for her bold work with video, sculpture, and installations. Alemani says that Henrot is “an artist who is determined to understand the world around her and reveal it in all its richness.”
One of Misha Kahn’s whimsical, sculptural pieces, “Cabinet.”
Image: mishakahn.com
Misha Kahn. This RISD graduate “creates work for a parallel wonderland, where traditional perception of material and structure is pushed to the edges of the room to make space for one big party,” explains graphic designer John Maeda, who says Kahn tops his list for artists to watch in 2014. Using geometric, funky shapes and mixed media, Kahn indeed creates pieces for an alternate, yet deeply relatable, world. Make sure to keep an eye out for this artist and his signature sculpture approach in the year to come.
Rackstraw Downes. “There are a lot of artists I am interested to watch in 2014, especially painters. Among them is Rackstraw Downes, whose work appears to change little, but actually grows and grows in authority,” says Chief Curator of Painting and Sculpture at MoMA, John Elderfield. Downes’ panoramic landscape paintings are highly revered, as is his recently curated collection of critical writings. Downes is definitely an artist to watch, with attention paid to the way his work continues to evolve.
Ella Kruglyanskaya. This renowned Latvian painter is considered an artist to watch by art collector Anita Zabludowicz. Kruglyanskaya is very much focused on the female figure, and uses a graphic, sometimes comical approach to depict feminine forms. You can look forward to her first solo show in London at Studio Voltaire this April.
What artists will you be watching in 2014?
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