Useful Articles · For artists
Portfolio, CV, Biography: How an Artist Can Tell Their Story
Tatiana Knyazhitskaya · 2026
They say the only place in Paris from which you cannot see the Eiffel Tower is the Eiffel Tower itself. In much the same way, an artist finds it hard to see their own work and life story from anywhere but inside their own experience, rather than through the eyes of an outside observer. Yet to tell your story, you have to step outside that system and become an observer of your own path.
What is more, the professional world demands not one such view but several. A gallery asks for a portfolio, a competition for a CV, a journalist for a short biography; a website needs an “About” text, and an exhibition an artist statement.
All too often, an artist sends the same file for every purpose. As a result, the portfolio turns into an inventory of everything made over a lifetime, the biography into a list of dates, and the text about the work into a cloud of vague words.
Portfolio
A portfolio shows what you create. It is not an archive of everything you have ever made, but a considered selection of works arranged in a deliberate sequence. A gallery, a competition, an exhibition or a client may each require a different version of the portfolio.
CV
A CV shows how you are represented in the professional field. It lists your education, exhibitions, residencies, awards and publications, as well as the museum and private collections that hold your work. There is no need to explain the meaning of your art here: what matters is fact, precision and a clear structure.
Biography
A biography answers the question of how your creative path has unfolded. It weaves events, encounters, works and periods into a coherent story. This is no longer a list of achievements but an account of how the artist came to be.
Résumé
A résumé is needed above all for seeking employment — as a teacher, designer or conservator, for instance. Here the emphasis falls on skills, experience and professional competencies. An independent artist dealing with a gallery usually needs a CV, not a résumé.
The “About” text
An “About” text briefly introduces you to a website visitor, a catalogue reader or a follower. It should quickly convey who you are, what you do and what sets your work apart.
Artist statement
An artist statement — a text about your creative practice — speaks not of your biography but of the art itself: which themes preoccupy you, how you work with material, imagery and space, and why you have chosen this particular artistic language.
Other professional texts
You may also need descriptions of series and projects, and texts for exhibitions, catalogues, applications and the press.
These materials should not simply repeat one another. Together they form a system in which the artist appears in full dimension: through the works, the professional facts, the ideas and the personal story.
In the articles that follow, I will look closely at the different formats for presenting an artist and show concrete examples.
And if you find it hard to look at your own work from the outside and decide what truly needs to be said about it, I can help you build your positioning and prepare a professional set of texts. Write to me.