new artist biographies

15 Engrossing Artist Biographies and Memoirs to Read Now

We spotlight a selection of our favourite artists’ autobiographies and biographies, from the empowering to the scandalous, for your summer reading inspiration

Summer is upon us and this year, more than ever, it feels pertinent to pick holiday reads that will uplift and inspire. Where better to turn to, then, than artists’ memoirs and biographies – filled as they are with tales of overcoming life’s hardships, fights for justice and recognition in and outside of the art world, the quest to forge a legacy through art, and, more often than not, a juicy scandal or two to keep the reader’s interest piqued. Here, we’ve selected 15 of our favourites for your perusal, spanning the empowering, the ephemeral, the political and the downright provocative (Diego Rivera, we’re looking at you).

1.   We Flew Over the Bridge: The Memoirs of Faith Ringgold

Faith Ringgold is one of America’s most renowned artists and activists, whose inherently political, exquisitely executed work – from “story quilts” to paintings – tackle civil rights and gender inequality head on. But Ringgold has had to fight hard for her successes, a story she shares in her stunning, illustrated memoir We Flew over the Bridge . In it, Ringgold details the many prejudices she’s battled and the challenges she’s faced in balancing her thriving artistic career with motherhood, sharing words of advice and empowerment along the way. It makes for magical reading; in the words of Maya Angelou: “Faith Ringgold has already won my heart as an artist, as a woman, as an African American, and now with her entry into the world of autobiography (where I dwell), she has taken my heart again. She writes so beautifully.”

2.  Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney by Beauford Delaney and David Leeming

Amazing Grace paints a poignant picture of the celebrated African American artist Beauford Delaney, a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance, and later – following a move to Paris in the 1950s – a noted abstract expressionist. Delaney’s tale is both remarkable and heartbreaking: he was a much loved character, who counted Henry Miller and James Baldwin among his close friends, yet he often felt isolated and underappreciated, struggling with mental illness throughout his life. His wonderfully vibrant paintings boast an extraordinary psychological depth, betraying the hardships he faced and his determination to keep going no matter what. “He has been menaced more than any other man I know by his social circumstances and also by all the emotional and psychological stratagems he has been forced to use to survive; and, more than any other man I know, he has transcended both the inner and the outer darkness,” Baldwin once wrote.

3.  Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs by Sally Mann

A memoir quite unlike any other, this book by American photographer Sally Mann weaves together words and images to form a vivid personal history, revealing the ways in which Mann’s ancestry has informed the themes that dominate her work (namely “family, race, mortality, and the storied landscape of the American South”). Mann decided to write the book after unearthing a whole host of unexpected family secrets – “deceit and scandal ... clandestine affairs, dearly loved and disputed family land ... racial complications, vast sums of money made and lost, the return of the prodigal son, and maybe even bloody murder” – while sorting through boxes of old family papers and photographs. In gripping prose, she allows us to follow her on her resulting journey of self-discovery, shedding pertinent light on her image-making practice at every turn.

4.  Close to the Knives by David Wojnarowicz

David Wojnarowicz ’s beloved collection of creative essays, Close to the Knives , remains a vital work – “a scathing, sexy, sublimely humorous and honest personal testimony to the ‘Fear of Diversity in America’” (as per its inside flap). It’s an intensely powerful memoir that guides the reader across the American artist’s life – from his violent suburban childhood through a period of homelessness in New York City to his ascent to fame (and infamy) as one of America’s most provocative creators and queer icons – inciting action and self-examination on every page. In the words of Publishers Weekly : “ What Kerouac was to a generation of alienated youth, what Genet was to the gay demimonde in postwar Europe, Wojnarowicz may well be to a new cadre of artists compelled by circumstance to speak out in behalf of personal freedom.”

5.  Diane Arbus by Patricia Bosworth

Patricia Bosworth’s fantastic  Diane Arbus biography takes a deep dive into the turbulent life of the seminal American imagemaker, whose unflinching photographs of marginalised groups sought to challenge preconceived notions of “normality” and “abnormality” – with extraordinary results. Through Bosworth’s shrewd investigation, and interviews with Arbus’ friends, colleagues and family members, we learn of the ideas and inspirations that drove her, the fears and anguish that plagued her, her pampered childhood and passionate marriage, and the tragic turn her life took – in spite of growing artistic acclaim – resulting in her suicide in 1971.

6.  Ninth Street Women: Five Painters and the Movement That Changed Modern Art by Mary Gabriel  

This book is the brilliant tale of five brilliant women artists: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler, who burst onto the male-dominated New York art scene in the 1950s, smashing down gender barriers along the way. Each was an indomitable force in their own right – Krasner, an assertive leader and hellraiser; de Kooning, a great thinker; Hartigan, a fiercely determined housewife-turned-painter; Mitchell, a vulnerable soul with a steely exterior and prodigious talent; Frankenthaler, a well-schooled New Yorker, who shunned a traditional career path to follow her dreams. But together, “from their cold-water lofts, where they worked, drank, fought, and loved”, they changed the face of postwar American art and society forever.

7.  Voices in the Mirror: An Autobiography by Gordon Parks

Gordon Parks ’ autobiography Voices in the Mirror is a compelling and empowering read. It traces the American photographer’s difficult early life in Minnesota – where he became homeless, following his mother’s death – through his groundbreaking and meteoric rise as an image-maker (the first Black photographer at Vogue and Life , no less) and thereafter as a Hollywood screenwriter, director and novelist. Parks was a man of great compassion and courageous vision, whose work spanned “intimate portrayals of Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini; of the Muslim and African American icons Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad and Muhammad Ali; of the young militants of the civil rights and black power movements; and of the tragic experiences of the less famous, like the Brazilian youngster Flavio”. Suffice to say that incredible stories and  words of wisdom abound.

8.  Hanging Man: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei by Barnaby Martin

Ai Weiwei  has spent his entire career creating very beautiful, deeply political works that challenge and confront his country’s totalitarian regime – to global acclaim. But rising the ranks to become China’s most famous living artist and activist has come at a price. In April of 2011, just six months after his vast, thought-provoking sculpture Sunflower Seeds was installed in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall , Weiwei was arrested at the Beijing Capital International Airport and detained illegally for over two months in dire conditions. Shortly after his release, Barnaby Martin travelled to Beijing to interview the artist about his imprisonment and to discover more about “what is really going on behind the scenes in the upper echelons of the Chinese Communist Party”. Hanging Man is the result – a highly informative and stirring account of “Weiwei’s life, art, and activism”, as well as “a meditation on the creative process, and on the history of art in modern China”.

9.  Gluck: Her Biography  by Diana Souhami

In Gluck , author Diana Souhami examines the radical life and work of British painter Hannah Gluckstein (1895-1978), who took on the name Gluck, with “no prefix, suffix, or quotes”, in her twenties to reflect her gender non-conforming identity. Famed for her masculine, undeniably chic style of dress, her passionate affairs with society women, and her emotive portraits, flower paintings and landscapes, Gluck was provocative and tender, fierce and gifted in equal measure – and decades ahead of her time. This excellent biography “captures this paradoxical ... woman in all her complexity”, to page-turning effect.

10.  Interviews with Francis Bacon by David Sylvester

As its title suggests, this book is not a biography as such, but a series of nine interviews with the inimitable figurative painter, Francis Bacon . They were conducted by the late art critic and curator David Sylvester over the course of 25 years, from 1962 to 1986, and thereafter compiled into what has long been heralded a classic, offering an illuminating glimpse into one of the great creative minds of the 20th century. In it, the British painter contemplates the fundamental problems involved in making art, as well as his own “obsessive thinking about how to remake the human form in paint” (to quote the book’s back cover), revealing a great deal about his radical practice and storied past in the process. Cited by David Bowie as one of his all-time favourite books, it is essential reading not just for Bacon fans, but for anyone in search of creative impetus.

11.  My Art, My Life: An Autobiography Novel by Diego Rivera and Gladys March

My Art, My Life by Diego Rivera is a wild read, offering juicy first-person insight into the world of the larger-than-life Mexican painter. Rivera recounted his life’s story to the young American writer Gladys March over the course of 13 years, leading up to his death in 1957. The book sheds fascinating light on Rivera’s radical approach to modern mural painting, his strong political ideology and his equally unerring devotion to women (he married  Frida Kahlo not once but twice, you’ll remember). In the words of the San Francisco Chronicle : “There is no lack of exciting material. A lover at nine, a cannibal at 18, by his own account, Rivera was prodigiously productive of art and controversy.”

12.  Sophie Calle: True Stories by Sophie Calle

First published in French in 1994, and since expanded and printed in English, True Stories , by the French conceptual artist Sophie Calle , is a real gem. Calle’s idiosyncratic oeuvre comprises controversial explorations of “the tensions between the observed, the reported, the secret and the unsaid,” in the words of the book’s cover, spanning photography, film, and text. Many of her pieces revolve around the documentation of other people’s lives, and the insertion of herself into them (think: her 1980 work Suite Vénitienne , where she followed a stranger from Venice to Paris), but True Stories is entirely focused on Calle herself. Through a montage of typically poetic and fragmented autobiographical texts, and photographs, the artist “offers up her own story – childhood, marriage, sex, death – with brilliant humour, insight and pleasure”.

13.  Everything She Touched: The Life of Ruth Asawa by Marilyn Chase

This book centres on the late Japanese American artist Ruth Asawa – best known for her breathtaking hanging-wire sculptures and bold, urban installations and fountains. Asawa survived an adolescence spent in World War Two Japanese-American internment camps, before securing a place at the revolutionary art school Black Mountain College. There she discovered her signature medium as a lyrical means of challenging the conventions of material and form. Later, Asawa would become a pioneering advocate for arts education in her adopted hometown of San Francisco, while raising six children, battling lupus and continuing to work. By incorporating Asawa’s own writing and sketches, photographs, and interviews with her loved ones, Marilyn Chase conjures up a fully rounded image of a visionary creator, who “wielded imagination and hope in the face of intolerance and transformed everything she touched into art”.

14.  Hannah H öch : Life Portrait: A Collaged Autobiography by Hannah Höch and Alma-Elisa Kittner

German Dadaist and collage artist Hannah Höch’s esteemed career spanned two world wars and most of the 20th century, and by the age of 83, she was ready to reflect. The result was her final, largest photo-collage, Life Portrait (1972-3), comprising 38 sections and measuring nearly four by five feet. It is a self portrait-cum-memoir, alluding to the different periods of Höch’s life and work, while “ironically and poetically commenting on key political, social and artistic events from the previous 50 years.” It also includes imagery of her favoured themes and inspirations (“fashion imagery, news photographs, African art and pictures of plants and animals”) as well as multiple pictures of herself, identifiable by her signature bob haircut. This unique book presents the collage section by section, alongside relevant quotes and explanatory texts by Alma-Elisa Kittner, acting as a brilliant meditation on “Höch’s final masterpiece, and the life’s work it represents”.

15.  Georgia O’Keeffe by Roxana Robinson

Roxana Robinson’s acclaimed  Georgia O’Keeffe biography is a sensitive and enthralling investigation into the life and work of the so-called “mother of American Modernism”. It takes an in-depth look at O’Keeffe’s influences, from abstraction and photography to Asian art, and how she assimilated these into her singular painting practice – “the red hills, the magnified flowers, the great crosses and white bones”. It also shines a light on the many intense relationships the artist forged throughout her life, from her marriage to the revered photographer Alfred Stieglitz to her scandalous relationship with Juan Hamilton, a man six decades her junior. Best of all, it includes plenty of O’Keeffe’s own words – in the form of her letters and writings – allowing the artist herself to play a key role in the telling of her own multifaceted, infinitely inspiring story.

Subscribe to the weekly AnOther newsletter

• Entertainment
• Rex Reed Reviews
• Awards Shows
• Climate Change
• Nightlife & Dining
• Gift Guides
• Leaders in A.I.
• Business of Art Leaders
• Leaders in Nightlife & Dining
• Top PR Firms
• About Observer
• Advertise With Us

The Best New Biographies and Memoirs to Read in 2024

This year sees some riveting and remarkable lives—from artist ai weiwei to singer-songwriter joni mitchell—captured on the page..

A life story can be read for escapist pleasure. But at other times, reading a memoir or biography can be an expansive exercise, opening us up to broader truths about our world. Often, it’s an edifying experience that reminds us of our universal human vulnerability and the common quest for purpose in life.

Sign Up For Our Daily Newsletter

Thank you for signing up!

By clicking submit, you agree to our <a href="http://observermedia.com/terms">terms of service</a> and acknowledge we may use your information to send you emails, product samples, and promotions on this website and other properties. You can opt out anytime.

Biographies and memoirs charting remarkable lives—whether because of fame, fortune or simply fascination—have the power to inspire us for their depth, curiosity or challenges. This year sees a bumper calendar of personal histories enter bookshops, grappling with enigmatic public figures like singer Joni Mitchell and writer Ian Fleming , to nuanced analysis of how motherhood or sociopathy shape our lives—for better and for worse.

SEE ALSO: The Best Addiction Memoirs for the Sober Curious

Here we compile some of the most rewarding biographies and memoirs out in 2024. There are stories of trauma and recovery, art as politics and politics as art, and sentences as single life lessons spread across books that will make you rethink much about personal life stories. After all, understanding the triumphs and trials of others can help us see how we can change our own lives to create something different or even better.

Zodiac: A Graphic Memoir by Ai Weiwei and illustrated by Gianluca Costantini

Ai Weiwei , the iconoclastic artist and fierce critic of his homeland China, mixes fairy tales with moral lessons to evocatively retrace the story of his life in graphic form. Illustrations are by Italian artist Gianluca Costantini . “Any artist who isn’t an activist is a dead artist,” Weiwei writes in Zodiac , as he embraces everything from animals found in the Chinese zodiac to mystical folklore tales with anamorphic animals to argue the necessity of art as politics incarnate. The meditative exercise uses pithy anecdotes alongside striking visuals to sketch out a remarkable life story marked by struggle. It’s one weaving political manifesto, philosophy and personal memoir to engage readers on the necessity of art and agitation against authority in a world where we sometimes must resist and fight back.

Alphabetical Diaries by Sheila Heti

Already well-known for her experimental writings, Sheila Heti takes a decade of diary entries and maps sentences against the alphabet, from A to Z. The project is a subversive rethink of our relationship to introspection—which often asks for order and clarity, like in diary writing—that maps new patterns and themes in its disjointed form. Heti plays with both her confessionals and her sometimes formulaic writing style (like knowingly using “Of course” in entries) to retrace the changes made (and unmade) across ten years of her life. Alphabetical Diaries is a sometimes demanding book given the incoherence of its entries, but remains an illuminating project in thinking about efforts at self-documentation.

Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story by Leslie Jamison

Unlike her previous work The Empathy Exams , which examined how we relate to one another and on human suffering, writer Leslie Jamison wrestles today with her own failed marriage and the grief of surviving single parenting. After the birth of her daughter, Jamison divorces her partner “C,” traverses the trials and tribulations of rebound relationships (including with “an ex-philosopher”) and confronts unresolved emotional pains born of her own life living under the divorce of her parents. In her intimate retelling—paired with her superb prose—Jamison charts a personal history that acknowledges the unending divide mothers (and others) face dividing themselves between partners, children and their own lives.

Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring by Brad Gooch

Whether dancing figures or a “radiant baby,” the recognizable cartoonish symbols in Keith Haring ’s art endure today as shorthand signs representing both his playfulness and politicking. Haring (1958-1990) is the subject of writer Brad Gooch ’s deft biography, Radiant , a book that mines new material from the archive along with interviews with contemporaries to reappraise the influential quasi-celebrity artist. From rough beginnings tagging graffiti on New York City walls to cavorting with Andy Warhol and Madonna on art pieces, Haring battled everything from claims of selling out to over-simplicity. But he persisted with work that leveraged catchy quotes and colorful imagery to advance unsavory political messages—from AIDS to crack cocaine. A life tragically cut short at 31 is one powerfully celebrated in this new noble portrait.

The House of Hidden Meanings by RuPaul Charles

In The House of Hidden Meaning , celebrated drag queen, RuPaul , reckons with a murky inner world that has shaped—and hindered—a lifetime of gender-bending theatricality. The figurative house at the center of the story is his “ego,” a plaguing barrier that apparently long inhibited the performer from realizing dreams of greatness. Now as the world’s most recognizable drag queen—having popularized the art form for mainstream audiences with the TV show RuPaul’s Drag Race —RuPaul reflects on the power that drag and self-love have long offered across his difficult, and sometimes tortured, life. Readers expecting dishy stories may be disappointed, but the psychological self-assessment in the pages of this memoir is far more edifying than Hollywood gossip could ever be.

Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne

Patric Gagne is an unlikely subject for a memoir on sociopaths. Especially since she is a former therapist with a doctorate in clinical psychology. Still, Gagne makes the case that after a troubled childhood of antisocial behavior (like stealing trinkets and cursing teachers) and a difficult adulthood (now stealing credit cards and fighting authority figures), she receives a diagnosis of sociopathy. Her memoir recounts many episodes of bad behavior—deeds often marked by a lack of empathy, guilt or even common decency—where her great antipathy mars any ability for her to connect with others. Sociopath is a rewarding personal exposé that demystifies one vilified psychological condition so often seen as entirely untreatable or irreparable. Only now there’s a familiar face and a real story linked to the prognosis.

Ian Fleming: The Complete Man by Nicholas Shakespeare

Nicholas Shakespeare is an acclaimed novelist and an astute biographer, delivering tales that wield a discerning eye to subjects and embrace a robust attention to detail. Ian Fleming (1908-1964), the legendary creator of James Bond, is the latest to receive Shakespeare’s treatment. With access to new family materials from the Fleming estate, the seemingly contradictory Fleming is seen anew as a totally “different person” from his popular image. Taking cues from Fleming’s life story—from a refined upbringing spent in expensive private schools to working for Reuters as a journalist in the Soviet Union—Shakespeare reveals how these experiences shaped the elusive world of espionage and intrigue created in Fleming’s novels. Other insights include how Bond was likely informed by Fleming’s cavalier father, a major who fought in WWI. A martini (shaken, not stirred) is best enjoyed with this bio.

Knife: Meditations after an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie

Salman Rushdie , while giving a rare public lecture in New York in August 2022, was violently stabbed by an assailant brandishing a knife . The attack saw Rushdie lose his left hand and his sight in one eye. Speaking to The New Yorker a year later , he confirmed a memoir was in the works that would confront this harrowing existential experience: “When somebody sticks a knife into you, that’s a first-person story. That’s an ‘I’ story.” Knife: Meditations after an Attempted Murder is promised to be his raw, revelatory and deeply psychological confrontation with the violent incident. Like the sword of Damocles, brutality has long stalked Rushdie ever since the 1989 fatwa issued against the author, following the publication of his controversial novel, The Satanic Verses . The answer to such barbarity, Rushdie is poised to argue, is by finding the strength to stand up again.

The Art of Dying: Writings, 2019–2022 by Peter Schjeldahl (Release: May 14)

Peter Schjeldahl (1942-2022), longstanding art critic of The New Yorker , confronted his mortality when he was diagnosed with incurable lung cancer in 2019. The resulting essay collection he then penned, The Art of Dying , is a masterful meditation on one life preoccupied entirely with aesthetics and criticism. It’s a discursive tactic for a memoir that avoids discussing Schjeldahl’s coming demise while equally confirming its impending visit by avoiding it. Acknowledging that he finds himself “thinking about death less than I used to,” Schjeldahl spends most of the pages revisiting familiar art subjects—from Edward Hopper ’s output to Peter Saul ’s Pop Art—as vehicles to re-examine his own remarkable life. With a life that began in the humble Midwest, Schjeldahl says his birthplace was one that ultimately availed him to write so plainly and cogently on art throughout his career. Such posthumous musings prove illuminating lessons on the potency of American art, with whispered asides on the tragedy of death that will come for all of us.

Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell by Ann Powers (Release: June 11)

Joni Mitchell has enjoyed a remarkable revival recently, even already being one of the most acclaimed and enduring singer/songwriters. After retiring from public appearances for health reasons in the 2010s, Mitchell, 80, has returned to the spotlight with a 2021 Kennedy Centers honor , an appearance accepting the 2023 Gershwin Prize and even a live performance at this year’s Grammy Awards . It’s against this backdrop of public celebration of Mitchell that NPR music critic Ann Powers retraces the life story and musical (re)evolution of the singer, from folk to jazz genres and rock to soul music, across five decades for the American songbook. “What you are about to read is not a standard account of the life and work of Joni Mitchell,” she writes in the introduction. Instead, Powers’ project is one showing how Mitchell’s many journeys—from literal road trips inspiring tracks like “All I Want” to inner probings of Mitchell’s psyche, such as the song “Both Sides Now”—have always inspired Mitchell’s enduring, emotive and palpable output. These travels hold the key, Powers says, to understanding an enigmatic artist.

• SEE ALSO : ‘The Penguin’ Review: A Fun Gangster Series, No Interest in Superheroes Required

We noticed you're using an ad blocker.

We get it: you like to have control of your own internet experience. But advertising revenue helps support our journalism. To read our full stories, please turn off your ad blocker. We'd really appreciate it.

How Do I Whitelist Observer?

Below are steps you can take in order to whitelist Observer.com on your browser:

For Adblock:

Click the AdBlock button on your browser and select Don't run on pages on this domain .

For Adblock Plus on Google Chrome:

Click the AdBlock Plus button on your browser and select Enabled on this site.

For Adblock Plus on Firefox:

Click the AdBlock Plus button on your browser and select Disable on Observer.com.

12 Thought-Provoking Artist Biographies

This article recommends a selection of artist biographies that offer deep insights into the lives and works of various artists, including Frida Kahlo, Caravaggio, and Artemisia Gentileschi, among others. These biographies not only explore the artists’ creative processes but also their personal struggles and the historical contexts in which they worked.

Reflection Questions

• How can the personal and professional challenges faced by these artists inform current artistic practices?
• What impact do the historical and cultural contexts have on the artists’ works and lives?
• How do these biographies change or deepen your understanding of the artists and their art?

Journal Prompt

Choose one artist biography from the list that intrigues you the most. Reflect on how learning about the artist’s life, challenges, and accomplishments could influence your own perspective on art and creativity. Consider what lessons or inspiration you can draw from their story.

Exploring the lives of artists through biographies offers a unique window into the worlds they navigated, blending personal struggle, artistic triumph, and historical context. From the vivid storytelling of Frida Kahlo’s tumultuous life to the groundbreaking journeys of artists like Ruth Asawa, these narratives not only illuminate the individuals behind the masterpieces but also reflect the broader tapestry of cultural and societal shifts. Each biography serves as a testament to the resilience, creativity, and vision that define the artistic spirit, inviting readers to delve deeper into the rich histories that have shaped the landscape of art. Read on for our recommendations!

“Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo” by Hayden Herrera

Although this book was published in the 1980s, we could not leave it off our list. “Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo” by Hayden Herrera is a comprehensive exploration of the life of the iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Herrera delves deeply into Kahlo’s personal and professional life, offering insights into her complex relationship with Diego Rivera, her struggles with physical health issues and mental illness, her lifelong artistic ambitions, and how these experiences influenced her vibrant, often pain-filled artwork.

The biography is well-researched, drawing on Kahlo’s own letters, diaries, and interviews with those who knew her, painting a detailed portrait of a fiercely independent and revolutionary artist whose work continues to inspire and provoke.

“The Art of Rivalry: Four Friendships, Betrayals, and Breakthroughs in Modern Art” by Sebastian Smee

“The Art of Rivalry: Four Friendships, Betrayals, and Breakthroughs in Modern Art” by Sebastian Smee explores the dynamic and complex relationships between four pairs of renowned artists: Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon, Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, and Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning.

Smee delves into how these friendships influenced their artistic development, led to creative breakthroughs, and at times, resulted in personal and professional rivalries. The book provides a fascinating look at how competition and camaraderie can coexist, shaping the trajectory of art history.

“Child of the Fire: Mary Edmonia Lewis and the Problem of Art History’s Black and Indian Subject” by Kirsten Pai Buick

One of the best biographies on this list is “ Child of the Fire: Mary Edmonia Lewis and the Problem of Art History’s Black and Indian Subject ” by Kirsten Pai Buick. This biography offers a critical examination of the life and work of Mary Edmonia Lewis, the first African American and Native American sculptor to achieve international recognition.

Buick addresses the challenges Lewis faced in the art world due to her racial and gender identity, and critiques the art historical narrative that has often marginalized or simplified her contributions. This book seeks to reposition Lewis within the broader contexts of American and art history, highlighting her significance as an artist who navigated complex cultural identities.

“We Flew Over the Bridge: The Memoirs of Faith Ringgold” by Faith Ringgold

“We Flew Over the Bridge: The Memoirs of Faith Ringgold” is an autobiography by one of the greatest women artists of our time: Faith Ringgold. In this book, Ringgold shares her life story, offering insights into her journey as an artist, activist, teacher, and writer.

She discusses her experiences growing up in Harlem, her personal struggles, and her professional achievements, including her pioneering work in quilt painting. Ringgold’s memoir is not only a recount of her own life but also a vivid portrayal of the social and cultural shifts in America during her lifetime.

Fuel your creative fire & be a part of a supportive community that values how you love to live.

subscribe to our newsletter

*please check your Spam folder for the latest DesignDash Magazine issue immediately after subscription

“Tamara de Lempicka: A Life of Deco and Decadence” by Laura Claridge

While this biography of one of Poland’s greatest female artists was published in 2001, we could not leave it off the list! “Tamara de Lempicka: A Life of Deco and Decadence” by Laura Claridge is a biography that explores the life of the Polish Art Deco painter Tamara de Lempicka.

Claridge delves into de Lempicka’s glamorous lifestyle, her rise to fame in the art world, and her role as a symbol of the roaring twenties’ opulence. The book portrays de Lempicka not just as an artist but also as a complex figure whose personal life and professional career were marked by boldness, innovation, and controversy.

“Raphaël: Genius of the Renaissance” by Stefano Zuffi

“Raphaël: Genius of the Renaissance” by Stefano Zuffi is a comprehensive biography that delves into the life and work of the Italian master painter and architect Raphael. The book provides an in-depth analysis of Raphael’s artistic contributions and his role in shaping the Renaissance period.

Zuffi examines Raphael’s most celebrated works, his techniques, and the historical context in which he created his art, offering readers a vivid portrait of a genius whose work continues to influence the art world centuries after his death.

“Caravaggio: The Prodigious Criminal” by Yannick Haenel

One of the greatest artists of all time, Caravaggio led a troubled life. “Caravaggio: The Prodigious Criminal” by Yannick Haenel is a captivating exploration into the tumultuous life of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, focusing on his revolutionary contributions to art alongside his notorious behavior and legal troubles.

Haenel delves into Caravaggio’s dynamic use of chiaroscuro, his dramatic realism, and how his personal life — marked by violence, exile, and a tragic early death — intertwined with his artistic genius, leaving an indelible mark on the world of art. This biography offers a nuanced view of Caravaggio as both an artist and a figure of controversy.

“Artemisia Gentileschi: Revenge of the Humiliated Student” by Alexandra Lapierre

Despite her heartbreaking social circumstances, her depictions of the human form and mythological references to her own life set Gentileschi apart from many artists celebrated throughout history. “Artemisia Gentileschi: Revenge of the Humiliated Student” by Alexandra Lapierre is a detailed biography that explores the life and art of Artemisia Gentileschi, a pioneering female painter of the Baroque era.

The book delves into Gentileschi’s personal and professional struggles, including her experiences with gender discrimination in the art world and her resilience following a traumatic assault. Lapierre provides a nuanced portrayal of Gentileschi’s determination to succeed as an artist, highlighting her contributions to art history and her role as a symbol of feminist empowerment.

“Niki de Saint Phalle: The Mentor of Feminist Artists” by Dominique Osuch and Sandrine Martin

“Niki de Saint Phalle: The Mentor of Feminist Artists” by Dominique Osuch and Sandrine Martin is a graphic biography that illuminates the life and work of Niki de Saint Phalle. The book captures Saint Phalle’s journey as an artist and her influential role in feminist art movements.

It delves into her groundbreaking “Shooting” performances, the creation of her famous Nanas sculptures, and her commitment to addressing societal injustices through her art. This visual narrative showcases Saint Phalle’s vibrant, colorful work and her impact on advocating for women’s rights in the art world.

“Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney” by Beauford Delaney and David Leeming

“Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney” by David Leeming is a biography that explores the life of Beauford Delaney, an important figure in American art known for his vibrant colors and abstract compositions. The book details Delaney’s journey from the South to becoming a key part of the Harlem Renaissance and later, his expatriate life in Paris. It also delves into his friendships with prominent figures of his time and his struggles with mental health, offering a nuanced portrait of his life and artistry.

Fans of James Baldwin will also enjoy this book as Baldwin often credited Delaney with being a significant influence on his life and work, viewing him as a guiding figure and mentor. In his writings, Baldwin reflected on Delaney’s profound impact on his understanding of art, life, and the struggle for identity, emphasizing Delaney’s role in shaping his perspective and consciousness.

“Lee Krasner: A Biography” by Gail Levin

Gail Levin’s “Lee Krasner: A Biography” delves into the life of Lee Krasner, an influential Abstract Expressionist painter and the wife of Jackson Pollock. Levin’s comprehensive research illuminates Krasner’s significant yet often overshadowed contributions to the art world, her tumultuous relationship with Pollock, and her persistent struggle for recognition in a male-dominated art scene. The biography provides a detailed portrait of Krasner’s artistic evolution, her resilience, and her impact on American art

“Everything She Touched: The Life of Ruth Asawa” by Marilyn Chase

“Everything She Touched: The Life of Ruth Asawa” by Marilyn Chase is a biography that chronicles the life of Ruth Asawa, a renowned sculptor known for her intricate wire sculptures. The book explores Asawa’s journey from her childhood in a Japanese-American internment camp during World War II to her development as a groundbreaking artist in San Francisco and beyond. Chase highlights Asawa’s dedication to education and community art projects, showcasing her legacy as an influential figure in the art world and a pioneer for Asian American artists.

Design Dash

Join us in designing a life you love.

Get to Know the DesignDash Team Through a Q&A at Our 2024 Holiday Party!

From favorite traditions to proudest moments, get to know the team and what inspires them for the new year by reading our 2024 holiday Q&A!

Your Digital Footprint: Why Entrepreneurs Need to Think Beyond Social Media

Social media is great for today, but creative entrepreneurs need a lasting online presence. Learn how to expand your digital footprint with websites, newsletters, and features that showcase your work for years to come.

Winter Capsule Wardrobe: Staying Stylish This Season with Just 10 Pieces

Simplify your mornings and elevate your style with our guide to creating a winter capsule wardrobe!

10 Simple Winter Wellness Habits to Boost Your Mood All Season

These 10 simple winter wellness habits will help you stay energized, nurture your health, and bring moments of joy to the colder months.

The Time-Turner Effect: How to Juggle Multiple Projects Without Losing Your Sanity

Is it possible to juggle multiple projects without burning out? Yes! Learn how to prioritize tasks, manage your time, and stay organized.

How to Parent as an Introvert and Recharge When You’re Always ‘On’

We promise, introverted parents can balance family life, social demands, and creative careers while protecting their energy. Here’s how.

Related Posts

15 Tips for Retaining Creative Employees in Today’s Market

We're all searching for tips and tricks to retaining employees who emb

15 Signs an Employee is Not a Good Fit for Your Interior Design Firm

Struggling with team dynamics? Here are 15 signs an employee isn't the

Our Networking Tips for Creative Entrepreneurs

Banish networking anxiety and make valuable connections no matter wher

Design Your Life with Intention: A Letter from Our Founders

Curiosity. Creativity. Connection. Beauty. Wonder. Growth.

Dealing with Imposter Syndrome as a Creative Woman

Never let self-doubt hold you back.

How to Balance Perspectives and Personalities at Your Design Firm

Balance perspectives and personalities so your firm thrives and no one

We believe that all creatives must pursue their curiosity, wherever it takes them. Satisfy your wanderlust with a curated journal of the beauty that surrounds us in art, travel, wellness, and design.

Sign up for Newsletter

Not a member? Register

Repeat Password

Already a member? Log In

Become a part of the DesignDash community.

Register with us to:.

Respond to Journal Prompts

Build Your DD Profile

Gain Exclusive Access to the Latest Articles

Your privacy is important to us. All entries in your private journal are securely stored and are never accessed, shared, or sold to any third parties. We are committed to ensuring your personal thoughts remain confidential and protected at all times.

• Discussions
• Reading Challenge
• Kindle Notes & Highlights
• Favorite genres
• Friends’ recommendations
• Account settings

Best Biographies and Memoirs About Artists

A book’s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.

People Who Voted On This List (43)

Post a comment » Comments

Related news.

• Create New List
• Lists I Created
• Lists I've Voted On
• Lists I've Liked

Anyone can add books to this list.

Saving My Votes

Friends votes, how to vote.

To vote on existing books from the list, beside each book there is a link vote for this book clicking it will add that book to your votes.

To vote on books not in the list or books you couldn't find in the list, you can click on the tab add books to this list and then choose from your books, or simply search.

Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account.