100 art-world Instagram accounts to follow right now: Artists

The Instagram account belonging to Jeff Koons, a sculptor who has smashed the world record for ‘most expensive living artist’ not once, but twice across his career, weaves images of his latest projects — including putting one of his works on the moon — with archive shots of his early shows and, fittingly, videos of him making balloon dogs.

Over the past decade, stencils by the anonymous street artist Banksy have gone from appearing on the walls of his home town Bristol to the auction saleroom via an Academy Award-nominated documentary, a controversial hotel and a satirical theme park. He uses his Instagram to confirm the authenticity of new public works which have appeared overnight.

The American artist Daniel Arsham is best known for his ‘eroded’ sculptures of objects ranging from antique busts to sci-fi memorabilia. He has also collaborated with Porsche, Disney and Stone Island, and in 2024 used Instagram to reveal a commission for a 7ft-high statue of Priscilla Chan, the wife of the platform’s owner, Mark Zuckerberg.

Simone Leigh started her career working for a firm that produced tiles for the New York subway. In October 2020, it was announced that she would be the first Black woman to have a solo show in the US Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Then, in 2023, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Stay up to date with her next moves here.

In March 2021, Christie’s sold an NFT by the digital artist Mike Winkelmann, also known as Beeple, for $69 million, propelling him to the ranks of the world’s most expensive living artists — despite the fact that he was largely unknown. He uploads new digital artworks daily, which he allows others to use as they wish, copyright-free.

From the inventor of ‘Superflat’ — a term used to describe post-1990s Japanese Pop art — comes an Instagram account packed with bright colours and dynamic characters, as well as news about Murakami’s latest projects with Louis Vuitton and Gagosian, and his YouTube food diary.

Chief provocateur of the YBAs (Young British Artists), whose work was first exhibited together in 1988, Damien Hirst regularly uploads short videos that explain the ideas behind some of his early, iconoclastic works, alongside clips of his more recent, but equally controversial, forays into landscape painting.

In 2022, Brian Donnelly, better known as KAWS, held simultaneous exhibitions at London’s Serpentine Gallery and in the computer game Fortnite, making it arguably the most visited solo show ever. He has also collaborated with the likes of Supreme, Audemars Piguet and Christian Dior, while his paintings can fetch seven- or eight-figure sums at auction. Follow his Instagram for the latest drops.

One of the most prolific posters on our list, Ai Weiwei uses Instagram like a virtual extension of his practice, uploading a mixture of images of his own work alongside candid photos of his daily life, often prompting poignant reflections on current affairs.

Nan Goldin is no stranger to the power of the camera — in 2023, the American photographer topped the ArtReview Power 100 list thanks to the way she uses her work to highlight socio-political issues. Her Instagram is a fusion of fashion, protest and personal reflections.

Jenny Holzer’s 2024 retrospective at New York’s Guggenheim — nearly 35 years on from the solo show that cemented her name at the same museum — made her one of the most talked-about artists working today. Her Instagram is filled with more of her iconic text-based works, alongside the occasional user-submitted tattoo of her art.

Have you ever wondered what Peter Doig does when he isn’t painting? Judging by his Instagram, he likes to view current art exhibitions, listen to calypso records and attend carnivals on his former home island of Trinidad.

The Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson likes to share photos and videos of his immersive, mind-bending works. Exploring his fascination with light, colour and the environment, these works have involved filling galleries with ice sheets, waterfalls and lakes covered in duckweed. The artist also documents his latest openings, which in 2024-25 alone included shows at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Istanbul Modern, Singapore Art Museum and Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.

It’s been nearly 30 years since Tracey Emin first made her name in the art world, but by the look of her Instagram account she is busier than ever. Expect daily updates about her newest work, beloved cats, namesake foundation and TKE Studios residencies in her home town of Margate, as well as her ongoing recovery from cancer.

Scrolling through Yoshitomo Nara’s grid offers insight into his working practice. He shares photographs of unfired clay sculpted into faintly sinister heads, portraits still wet on the walls of his studio, and huge drawings made on the floor of a log cabin in Hokkaido. He also uploads behind-the-scenes shots of his exhibition installations.

Including everything from custom electric guitars to visits to the zoo and his wildflower garden, George Condo’s Instagram follows no rules. There are also uploads of rainbows, old photos of the artist hanging out with Basquiat, and, of course, the latest of his signature ‘psychological Cubism’ paintings.

The Ghanaian painter Amoako Boafo has been compared to Egon Schiele for the way in which he has mastered the impasto brushstroke — or in Boafo’s case, finger-stroke. As a result, his works, which can fetch prices of more than $3 million, have earned him a string of solo shows, been featured in a Dior menswear collection, and even been launched into space. His Instagram page is the place to keep up to date with his latest news.

Celebrated for works that explore ideas of performance and popular culture — from ancient folklore to acid raves — Jeremy Deller helped mark the bicentenary of London’s National Gallery with ‘The Triumph of Art’, a year-long public programme of events across the UK that will run until summer 2025. Check out his Instagram to see what’s in store next.

On Instagram, the Los Angeles-based painter Jonas Wood shares three of his biggest passions: painting, pot plants and basketball — as well as the fruits of his labour when these worlds collide.

A profile in The New Yorker in December 2024 described Rashid Johnson as being ‘in the midst of a groundbreaking career’. Follow his page as he prepares for a major mid-career retrospective at New York’s Guggenheim, open until 2026, bringing together almost 90 works — from paintings made with black soap to site-specific installations and performances.

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