Seeking inspiration in the age of technology? Ditch the boring, superficial, avocado toast-filled Instagram accounts of yesterday. These eight artists are providing followers’ feeds with dazzling feats of creativity. Broken down into three categories, here are the curators, the photographers, and the illustrators we can’t get enough of.
The Curators
@post.vision | Nicole Ruggiero and Tighe Rzankowski
Delving into the best from early naughts’ aesthetic and eschewing the trucker hats and Juicy Couture sweatpants, this art collective incorporates imagery of hot pink flip phones and throwback J.Lo albums into its digital works. The resulting pieces are perfect for scrolling through as you listen to your favourite PC Music song.
@love.watts | Aureta Thomollari and Jordan Watson
Imagine your favourite Tumblr blog was all grown up and you’ll most likely envision an account pretty similar to @love.watts. A mixup of contemporary, modern, classical and everything in between, this essential profile has already garnered more than 900,000 followers and received attention from major publications including W Magazine.
@art_psycho
Remember the innocent Disney characters from your youth? Looks like it was all an act–as this account features many humorous artworks which reveal those picture perfect princesses true behaviour.
@ppennylane | Ruken Elif
This Aussie-based Instagrammer gained popularity for her curation of images intersecting fashion and art. We enjoy the nostalgia-steeped Sex and the City screen grabs, and it’s always a pleasure to watch her Instagram take-overs on accounts such as @vera_london.
The Artist Photographers
@petrafcollins | Petra Collins
A talent in-front of the camera as well as behind, Petra made her big-time modelling debut for Gucci’s AW16 campaign. The Canadian photographer was once banned from the popular photo sharing website after posting an unwaxed bikini snapshot, an event which she publicly criticised in an essay published by Huffington Post.
@christto_andrew | Christto and Andrew
Christto and Andrew are a Qatar-based photography duo whose bright hues and striking imageries provide political and social commentary on their adopted home in the Persian Gulf. Jet setting fans of the pair can see works IRL until September at Dubai’s EastWing Gallery, while those of us unable to make it will have to rely on Instagram for filling the void.
@gangculture | Trevor Hernandez
Depicting life in arid Los Angeles, Trevor’s minimalist photos showcase the abstract beauty of everyday existence. It’s everything Instagram is meant to be: beautiful documentation of ordinary occurrences.
The Illustrators
@christianespangsberg | Christiane Spangsberg
Utilising the one-line technique made famous by Picasso, Christiane is obsessed with faces. The artist’s abstract works have caught attention from the fashion-set, with her illustrations included in the most recent issue of New York independent fashion magazine Unconditional.
@t_ipy | Xian Zhong
Utilising the internet to transform static drawings into dynamic animations, Xian’s feed gives life to her neatly drawn involving characters.
@camillamengengstrom | Camilla Engstrom
Born in Sweden and based in New York, Camilla is a painter, illustrator and textile with a studio in Brooklyn. Her drawings are often accompanied by lighthearted and comical captions that are sure to brighten your day.
@artbabygirl | Grace Miceli
Creator of the online collective Art Baby, Grace is a feminist creative coalescing equal amounts of sass and pop culture to create works that are sure to trigger a chuckle or two. A girl power-fuelled friendship with previously aforementioned artist Petra Collins means double the fun, as the two often make cameos on one another’s feeds.