How to Write an Artist Biography for a Portfolio
Learn how to write a short artist biography for a portfolio PDF. Understand what information curators expect and how to structure a clear, professional bio.
What an artist biography should include
An artist biography is not a personal narrative and not an artist statement. It is a short, factual document — written in third person — that gives curators and reviewers the basic facts of your career and practice.
A good portfolio biography covers: where you are based, what medium or discipline you work in, your educational background, and one or two significant highlights from your professional history (exhibitions, residencies, collections or press). Nothing more is needed.
The biography serves a different purpose from the statement. The statement explains your thinking. The biography confirms your professional context. Curators use it to quickly understand where you are in your career and whether your level of practice matches the opportunity they are reviewing for.
Length, tone and placement in a portfolio PDF
Most artist biographies in portfolio PDFs are between 80 and 150 words. This is short enough to read in under 30 seconds, which is exactly how long a reviewer spends on it in a first-pass read.
Tone: factual and direct. Avoid the third-person equivalent of casual first-person writing ('Laura loves to explore...'). Avoid purely academic language that makes the biography feel like an abstract. Aim for the register of a gallery press release — clear, professional, non-promotional.
Placement inside the portfolio PDF: after the artist statement, before the CV. This sequence moves the reader from your conceptual intentions to your professional history. Some portfolios omit the biography entirely — this is acceptable if the CV and statement together provide sufficient context, and the submission guidelines do not require one.
What to leave out of an artist biography
A portfolio biography should not include personal narrative beyond what is professionally relevant. Your childhood influences, personal motivations, and emotional relationship with your practice belong in the artist statement — not the biography.
Do not include: teaching positions below art school level, informal or community exhibitions used to pad the list, personal relationships or family context, or anything that would not appear in a gallery press release.
If you are early in your career and your biography is short, that is correct. A two-sentence biography with real information is always preferable to a padded one with inflated or vague entries.