Saatchi Art’s 2022 International “Rising Stars” Artists

‘Traditionalist’ Jasmine Mills

Saatchi Art, the world’s leading online art gallery for emerging artists, debuts this year’s “Rising Stars” list featuring 37 trailblazing artists hand-selected by its curation team. The prestigious list released each fall showcases promising artists at the beginning of their careers, many of whom have recently graduated from BFA and MFA programs around the globe. The selection process evolves over the course of a year, as Saatchi Art’s team of curators reviews and evaluates hundreds of artist portfolios.

“Supporting emerging artists is core to Saatchi Art’s founding mission. Our curators are constantly on the lookout for new voices and fresh perspectives that we can share with collectors,” says Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator at Saatchi Art.

‘Builder’ Thomas Hjelm

‘Activist’ Nitashia Johnson

For this year’s edition, curators identified five overarching trends and thematic focuses that unite many of the artists’ practices, providing unique insight into the 2022 art landscape. “The Builders” includes artists using novel and varied materials; “The Trendsetters” highlights those embracing technology to facilitate expression; “The Activists” comprises artists who are engaging with the social and political moment; “The New Traditionalists” features those putting a fresh spin on historical techniques and forms; and “The Rule Breakers” brings together artists who are creating work that challenges the status quo.

While united by these shared interests, the featured artists are creating distinctive works informed by their diverse backgrounds and individual experiences. London-based textile artist and Wimbledon College of Arts graduate Llinos Owen makes tapestries that are narrative explorations of memories and past relationships. Bethanya Abebe, an alumna of Pratt Institute’s MFA program, borrows forms and hues from her childhood in Ethiopia to depict highly-detailed scenes of everyday life. And Los Angeles–based multidisciplinary artist Mich Miller, who recently obtained their MFA from Yale, creates work informed by color theory and queer histories.

“‘Rising Stars’ introduces some of the most talented emerging artists around the world, and gives our collectors an early opportunity to discover their works,” notes Wilson.  

To view Saatchi Art’s “Rising Stars” 2022 list and see works by this year’s featured artists, visit SaatchiArt.com.