30 Artists to Follow on Instagram for Inspiration

You open Instagram looking for fresh art. Instead, you get feed fatigue from a barrage of influencer reels and sponsored posts. Finding good artists to follow is now a needle-in-a-haystack problem. And you don’t have a magnet.

Instagram used to be a haven for artists. Today, it takes real effort to find the ones who are quietly redefining things.

This curated list pulls the signal back through the noise. From rising illustrators to heavyweights like Beeple and Kusama, these 30 visionaries will put edge and energy back into your feed. Their posts are packed with drop teases, studio flexes, carousel bombs, and swipebait for the soul.

What Makes an Artist Worth Following on Instagram?

A great Instagram artist doesn’t just post art. The best accounts add storytelling to put it all in context. For example, Petra Collins uses caption craft to tell a story with her dreamy, hyper-feminine photography.

The most follow-worthy artists know that Instagram is more than a portfolio. It’s a conversation and a classroom. They’ll respond to your comments, share their insights, and create a mood that sets them apart in the ever-growing digital art space.

Why It’s Hard to Find Artists to Follow on Instagram

The sad answer is that Instagram has changed its algorithm. It prioritizes art “influencers” and big-name creators. That change pushed lesser-known talent to the margins. Even when you follow small art accounts on Instagram, their work gets buried under trending posts. The resulting “grid lag” makes finding a cool artist feel a little like roulette.

Hashtags used to help, but many now work with only the most popular posts. That makes it even harder for emerging artists to break through. And without a centralized discovery tool, you’ll find yourself wandering around alone again. Still, accounts like Tschabalala Self (@tschabalalaself) prove that strong engagement and consistent storytelling work.

After you exhaust our list, find new artists to follow on Instagram by trying niche hashtags and following small gallery pages. There’s still a vibrant art scene out there. You just have to dig a little deeper.

@beeple_crap	@banksy	@yayoikusama_
@jamesjeanart	@obeygiant	@stevezafeiriou
@petra_cortwright	@okudart	@glennligon
@bosslogic	@seth_globepainter	@fayeweiwei
@felipepantone	@mrbrainwash	@jadefadojutimi
@jonburgerman	@shagey_	@artbyahmedumar
@cj_hendry	@samsmythart	@arturo_kameya
@zhcomicart	@ryanjgander	@deborahsegunart
@sopopomo	@lordeeyp	@dyaniwhitehawk
@loladupre	@gracemetzler	@taherjaoui

Best Digital Artists to Follow

These Gridworthy artists are bold and impossible to scroll past. From glitch aesthetics to cinematic pop-culture, they’re restoring what makes Instagram art tick.

Beeple (@beeple_crap) – The NFT Magi

Mike Winkelmann (Beeple) broke new digital ground with his “Everydays” series. His satirical work helped launch the NFT art wave. His digital collage, “Everydays: The First 5000 Days” (2021) sold at Christie’s for $69.3 million and was the first NFT to sell at a major auction house.

James Jean (@jamesjeanart) – Dreamlike Surrealism

James Jean’s work is a mesmerizing fusion of fine art and comics. His otherworldly illustrations have made him one of the most respected digital artists working today. On Instagram, his process videos and sketchbook pages show the layers behind his visual storytelling.

Petra Cortright (@petra_cortwright) – Experimental Digital Art

Petra Cortright kicked off the push for lo-fi digital artwork. She magics everyday digital tools into stunning, unconventional art. Her glitch-inspired, painterly compositions challenge traditional notions of fine art, making her a fan favorite in experimental circles.

Bosslogic (@bosslogic) – Pop Digital

Bosslogic is a go-to artist for pop culture and superhero art. His high-impact, cinematic fan art on Instagram caught the eyes of Marvel and DC fans. He shot out of fanart and into the canon with his official promotional poster for Avengers: Endgame.

Felipe Pantone (@felipepantone) – Futuristic Abstraction

Felipe Pantone’s neon-drenched work feels like a futuristic dreamscape. His movement and digital-analog fusion are popping off in galleries and Instagram feeds. His posts often share behind-the-scenes videos and large-scale mural reveals. His feed is a nonstop ride through high-tech design.

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Illustrators & Comic Artists to Watch

There’s an incredible range of illustrators and comic artists on Instagram who are pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling. The five artists below are stealing scenes with their innovation and unique styles.

Jon Burgerman (@jonburgerman) – Playful Doodles

Jon Burgerman’s work is a burst of color and spontaneity. His playful doodles blend fine art with street culture in bold strokes. The cartoonish style you’ll see in his Instagram feed has drawn comparisons to Takashi Murakami’s pop-art splash.

CJ Hendry (@cj_hendry) – Hyperrealistic Colored Pencil

CJ Hendry’s astonishingly detailed colored pencil drawings are a little mind bending. You’ll think you’re looking at photos until you see her pencil poised over her work. Hendry’s “studio flex” posts show off the meticulous process behind her pieces.

Zachary Hsieh (@zhcomicart) – Comic Inspired

Zachary Hsieh, better known as ZHC, fuses traditional comic book styles with modern digital techniques. His work often uses vibrant storytelling elements and superhero motifs. Hsieh’s Instagram feed is swipebait candy for fans of action-packed illustration.

Dan Lam (@sopopomo) – Otherworldly Textures

Dan Lam’s hyper unreal sculptures and illustrations use fluid, drippy forms that look organic and surreal. Her work gives a warm hug to the lo-fi vibe, with her pieces often feeling like they just popped in from an alternate universe.

Lola Dupre (@loladupre) – Surreal Portraits

Lola Dupre’s surreal collages reassemble familiar faces into striking, fragmented forms. Her slow art pieces invite viewers to spend time engaging with her work. She’s a great artist to follow on Instagram if you want to see experimental art with sketch previews and zoomed-in process shots.

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Street & Contemporary Artists You Need to Follow

Contemporary and street art challenge norms by merging activism and pop culture. These five artists bring fresh energy to public spaces and digital platforms in a way that breaks the feed.

Banksy (@banksy) – The Elusive Legend

Banksy’s politically charged street art sparks worldwide conversation. His stenciled work critiques power structures and consumer culture. He made waves when a framed version of his “Girl with Balloon” sold at Sotheby’s for $1.4 million, then self-destructed with a shredder hidden in the frame. (It later resold for $25.4 million.)

Shepard Fairey (@obeygiant) – Political Art

Best known for his “Hope” poster of Obama, Fairey uses styles from old-school propaganda to promote activism. His bold graphics turn street walls into powerful messages. Fairey’s main thrust is to shape contemporary political visual culture.

Okuda San Miguel (@okudart) – Vibrant Geometrics

Okuda’s technicolor murals turn buildings into kaleidoscopic wonders. His surreal, geometric animals and figures feel mood-matched with the Y2K aesthetic. He’s an excellent artist to follow on Instagram if you’re interested in massive public art projects and international collaborations.

Seth Globepainter (@seth_globepainter) – Dreamlike Street Murals

Globepainter’s childlike, melancholic murals ooze nostalgia. His dreamy compositions in the slow art movement make viewers slow down and think hard. His Instagram offers global mural drops, travel shots, and poetic glimpses into how public art can transform a city’s emotional landscape.

Thierry Guetta (@mrbrainwash) – Pop Art with a Street Twist

Guetta, famously featured in Banksy’s documentary, mixes Warhol-esque pop art with street culture. His chaotic, calculated art is raw reel roulette. His “Life Is Beautiful” exhibit drew in over 50,000 visitors. On Instagram, he shares behind-the-scenes footage and in-progress murals.

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Emerging Artists Making Waves

The next generation of artists is flipping the script on visual storytelling with new perspectives and techniques. These rising stars are buzzing in social media just as much as in the paint-and-canvas world.

Sara Hagale (@shagey_) – Honest Illustration

@shagey_ uses muted palettes and fragile lines to make emotionally raw illustrations. Her work is soft and approachable, and shares quiet moments in a vulnerable way. Follow her on Instagram for a gentle reminder that art doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful.

Sam Smyth (@samsmythart) – Bold Color Fields

Sam Smyth’s work is crisp geometry with an emotional edge. His fun, brightly colored compositions feel like studies in balance. Each canvas vibrates with control and chaos. His instagram feed is a master class in how abstraction can be playful without losing depth.

Ryan Gander (@ryanjgander) – Thought Provoking

Ryan Gander’s work pushes boundaries with clever, conceptual storytelling. His art plays with lighting to guide the viewer’s focus while creating depth and intrigue. Follow him to get a front-row seat to one of contemporary art’s sharpest minds.

Noah Powell (@lordeeyp) – Survivalist Energy

Noah Powell’s collages and sculptures turn salvaged materials into visceral statements. His posts feel handmade and immediate. This is the perfect Instagram feed for artists craving unpolished, intentional work.

Grace Metzler (@gracemetzler) – Soft Yet Eerie

Grace Metzler’s art is tender and unsettling. Her figurative pieces feel like visual essays. They embrace the chaos of life, speckled with solitude and connection. Metzler is a compelling, emotional artist to follow on Instagram. Her “Make-Out Hole + Runners” stands out for its eerie normalcy.

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Artists Pushing the Boundaries of Mediums

Artists who play with expectations challenge us to rethink the limits. From performance artists to sculptors, these visionaries are reworking how art interacts with form.

Yayoi Kusama (@yayoikusama_) – Immersive Installations

Known for her polka-dot-drenched installations, Kusama creates hypnotic, immersive environments. Part of the slow art movement, she pushes deeper engagement instead of quick consumption. Her feed features museum installations and the surreal work that made her a global icon.

Steve Zafeiriou (@stevezafeiriou) – Technology Meets Concept

Fusing digital media and immersive environments, Steve Zafeiriou uses technology to explore how we perceive ourselves. His glitchy work gives “medium” a whole new meaning. His Instagram shares his latest installations and glimpses of his digital and physical art.​

Glenn Ligon (@glennligon) – Cultural Resonance

Ligon’s powerful text-based shine a light on identity and history. His works mood-match urban culture. He’s a good artist to follow on Instagram for major exhibitions and sharp, minimalist visuals that feel quietly intense.

Faye Wei Wei (@fayeweiwei) – Romantic Symbolism

Wei Wei’s lush, large-scale paintings mix romance and mythology in a poetic way. Her pieces are fan favorites in moodboards, where they inspire designers and artists who want to create a dreamy feel. Her pencil drawing “I Tangled Your Legs in Mine” turned heads for its lyrical intimacy.

Jadé Fadojutimi (@jadefadojutimi) – Explosive Color

Fadojutimi’s large-scale paintings explode with fun and color. Drawing on anime and music, her work feels abstract and energetic. She’s an expansive artist to follow on Instagram if you want to see some vibrant, large-scale paintings that blur the lines between abstraction and figuration.

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Lesser-Known Artists to Discover

The underrated talents below are re-drawing the creative boundaries. From collage to graffiti fusion, their innovative work is a must-follow for art lovers hunting inspiration.

Ahmed Umar (@artbyahmedumar) – Spiritual Identity

Umar’s work blends cultural heritage and personal stories. His mix of installation and performance is rich in symbolism and emotion. Follow him on Instagram to see his latest artworks and updates on his exhibitions. You’ll get some insight into his use of identity and cultural heritage.​

Arturo Kameya (@arturo_kameya) – Political Dreamscapes

Kameya creates hazy, surreal scenes of social commentary. His soft color palette and experimental imagery carry an accessible heft. He’s a good artist to follow on Instagram if you’re into soft visuals that mask cultural critique. His painting “Sanguchito de Pollo” was featured in the 2023 Whitney Biennial.

Deborah Segun (@deborahsegunart) – Figurative Abstraction

Segun’s work reworks the human form in bold shapes and colors, for compositions that are dynamic and introspective. Her paintings explore themes of identity and personal experience in an abstract style. Follow her on Instagram for a glimpse into her evolving techniques and upcoming exhibitions.

Dyani White Hawk (@dyaniwhitehawk) – Indigenous and Contemporary

White Hawk blends Lakota visual language with geometric abstracts. Her feed is an elegant fusion of beadwork and pattern that bridges past and present. She’s a great artist to follow in Instagram for a deeper connection to Indigenous aesthetics.

Taher Jaoui (@taherjaoui) – Energetic Abstraction

Jaoui’s bold paintings are an explosion of color and form. His process videos often show acrylic gouache, giving insight into his artistic method. Following him on Instagram gives you insight into his graffiti-inspired street art.

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How to Find More Artists on Instagram

To find fresh voices on Instagram, you’ll need to use a mix of strategy and curiosity. Here are a few techniques:

• DTIYS challenges: Join “Draw This In Your Style” prompts where artists reinterpret popular pieces.
• Tag-trails: Explore chains of tagged artists in collaborative posts or shoutouts.
• Small gallery accounts: Check out local galleries and art school pages that feature emerging talent.
• Art discovery platforms: Use tools like artsy.net to find and follow independent creators.
• Visual dumps: Search hashtags like #visualdump or #artdump to find artists sharing experimental sketches, scanned textures, or process scraps.
• Engagement: Go beyond likes. Comment, share, and save posts to boost your algorithm karma and build genuine connections in the art community.

You can also follow niche hashtags like:

• #artistsoninstagram
• #lowbrowart
• #contemporaryillustration
• #slowartmovement
• #artreels
• #illustragram
• #digitalcollage
• #sketchbooktour
• #moodygramsart
• #visualculture
• #undergroundart
• #digitalillustration

 

Beyond Instagram: Inspire Your Art

Instagram is still a powerhouse for artistic discovery. You’ll find galleries of inspiration there, despite the recent algo fails that can make you feel alone. Whether you’re into glitchy digital surrealism or conceptual fine art, the right creators can turn your daily scrolling into flow.

Inspire Your Art at Sessions College

Surround yourself with creativity. Sessions College is a community of artists building and learning together. Whether you’re an illustrator, painter, or designer, our expert-led online classes will help you grow your skills. Start your journey today.

For more inspiration and a Basquiat-level skill set, join our Sessions College expert-led art classes!

• Illustration: Build your storytelling skills through character design and composition.
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Your next creative breakthrough might start with a class that gives you a new way to see.