Instagram is the ultimate directory of up and coming artists. If you scroll past the beauty bloggers and influencers on endless summer holidays, you’ll find a thriving encyclopedia of emerging artists working across every artistic medium imaginable.
It’s a great space to get to know an artist’s oeuvre and kick off your own art collection, from the comfort of your smart phone and far away from the stark and stuffy white cube commercial galleries. While nothing will ever replace experiencing art in-situ, scrolling art on Insta gives you direct access to an artist, their practice, their story and their broader style. Artist’s prize their presence on social media too—some have even mastered the 3x6 grid as a medium all of its own.
To get you started on your Instagram art journey, here are six artists you should absolutely follow (and sometimes shop) on Instagram.
Ward Roberts
Melbourne born, New York-based artist Ward Roberts creates stills of cities washed in chalky gelato hues. While his work centres on themes of loneliness and isolation in an urban world, his Instagram feed is a serene, meditative escape, far away from bright lights, crowds and noise. His collection of beautiful coffee table books, each packed with his dreamy images, is available to shop here.
Anna Pogossova
Sydney based photographer Anna Pogossova creates some of the most dreamlike still life compositions we’ve ever seen. She’s a master of crisscrossing unexpected textures with stunning colour gradients, creating real beauty out of everyday items and otherwise ordinary vignettes. As well as her editorial work with sneaker brands, beauty labels and fashion magazines, Pogossova exhibits with Jerico Contemporary. Her latest solo show, X Satellite was a sci-fi infused exploration of the hidden mythologies in objects.
George Greeves
Bristol-based illustrator George Greeves is inspired by Matisse, Magritte and M.C. Escher. His graphic illustrations are a window into a dream-like world, where architecture weaves into nature in bold colourways. He’s collab’d with Tom Dixon, Dr Martens and Mr Porter and you can shop prints (including signet rings, wall hangings and digital prints) online from Printed Goods, the graphic design studio Greeves also founded. Check it out here.
Sara Shakeel
Imagine a sunset dripping in diamonds or a stacked burger and Macdonald’s fries encrusted with crystals. Such is the creative hunch of Sara Shakeel, the Pakistani dentist-turned-conceptual-collage-artist who’s sparkly images have totally exploded on Instagram across the last four years. Her style’s been mimicked and recreated, but she claims to be the “original crystal artist”. She’s worked with Swarovski (obviously), Emirates and Bally and her feed, filled with glittery everyday objects and places, will no doubt add a little shimmer to your scroll time. Some prints are available on her website, but sell out very quickly.
Hey Reilly
Collage is being called out as the medium of the moment—and one of the artists leading the charge with a set of subversive (and hilarious) fashion world and pop culture mash-ups is Scottish artist Hey Reilly. He’s been labelled an Instagram artist—and it’s here that he was picked up by Silvia Venturini Fendi, who enlisted him to design a capsule collection after eyeing his now iconic merger of the Fendi and Fila logos. He’s also produced collage work for Moncler, Sesame Street and Marc Jacobs, and you can shop tees and prints right here.
George Byrne
LA-based photographer George Byrne has a brilliant way of making Hollywood’s concrete sidewalks, car parks, painted asphalt and faded suburbia feel bright, creamy and textural. He’s originally from Sydney (yes, he is actor Rose Byrne’s brother), and he hosts regular exhibitions, selling framed editions of his photographs at Olsen Gallery in Paddington. But for now, you can soak up all the sunny goodness of his work through his Instagram feed.
Did you know Random International's Rain Room installation is headed to Australia? Head here for all the details.
Image credit: Ward Roberts.