THE REVIEW CHAIN

ART CHAIN INDIA︎

A democratic peer-support resource for visual artists in India, working with all media.

View available works at #ArtChainIndia︎

CURRICULUM VITAE & BIO

Curriculum Vitae or CV

A CV is a document that lists your artistic professional history and achievements. Unlike a resume (used to talk about jobs, positions held and skill sets), the CV should be a chronological listing of these without any flourishes or details about skill sets etc.

• Try to keep your CV short (preferably two pages long). It should have a small file size so that you are able to email it to anyone without any difficulty.

• Always begin with the basic contact information- name, phone numbers, email address, and a website/online portfolio link (if you have one). You may also add nationality, as many applications/opportunities have it as a criteria.

• Age: While it isn’t necessary to state your age, most evaluators want to know how long you have been practicing your art. If you would not like to share your age, don’t do it unless the application requirements state or ask for it.

• Your CV should cover your:

    Contact information 

    Education 

    Shows (solo and group shows)

    Residencies or projects

    Talks, conferences, workshops  or seminars

    Awards and other achievements

    Press and publications

• Following a chronology is important as it helps the reader trace your journey- you can begin with the latest event or the earliest one- both have their merits but whatever you choose, stick to it throughout!

• Try to not oversell your experience by doubling information. For example, if you participated in a residency which culminated in a studio night, mention this in one place instead of writing it under residencies and then again under exhibitions.

• Do not overcrowd or complicate the layout and design, as it can unnecessarily confuse the reader.

• Annually or bi-annually edit and update your CV

Here are some useful links to additional resources we found online:

https://zety.com/blog/artist-cv-example
https://www.artquest.org.uk/how-to-articles/artist-cv/
https://www.agora-gallery.com/advice/blog/2018/07/16/the-artist-cv/
https://thepracticalartworld.com/2011/02/12/how-to-write-an-artists-cv-in-10-steps/






Biography

A bio is a summary of your CV in prose format as it weaves the artists career credentials with their achievements and interests. While CV’s are for internal circulation, typically a bio would be shared on public platforms like websites and magazines.

Try to think of your bio as an extension of your practice and instill with the same voice.

In that sense it is similar to your artist statement, except that a bio should  also mention your career achievements. 

Typically a Bio should be around 200 words but sometimes a very short or an expanded one can also be asked.

Here are a few example formats, feel free to come up with your own, and try out various formats to see what best suits your practice.



Example format 1

[Full Name] (b.[year]) lives and works in [city], [country] where [pronoun] has studied [discipline] at the [university/college/institution name], [year or graduation].

[Last name] had solo shows at [name of gallery], [city], [year]; [name of gallery], [city], [year]; and [name of gallery], [city], [year] (for as many shows as you like); and group shows at [name of gallery], [city], [year]; [name of gallery], [city], [year]; and [name of gallery], [city], [year] (for as many shows as you like).

[Last name] previously won [award], [institution], [year]; and received [any achievement you would like to mention], [institution/university/foundation], [year].


Example format 2

[Full name] works across [these] disciplines, and [pronoun] has been described as [list- cultural workers/media practitioner/ activist etc]. [Pronoun] work, which has been exhibited widely in [locations], often takes the form of [medias or list ways in which people may encounter your work]. [Pronoun] live and work in [city].

[Last name] is a member of or aligns with [ideology, or spaces you would like to reference that your practice may communicate too.]



Example format 3

[Full name] (b.[year of birth], [city], [year]) currently lives and works in [city].

Working across diverse media such as [if you have an interdisciplinary practice, list the mediums you use]. [Last name] positions work within [your concepts/ideas]. [Pronoun] works have focused on topics of [add a sentence or two that describe your practice].

[Last name]’s works have been shown at [name of gallery/institution(year)]; [name of gallery/institution(year)]; and [name of gallery/institution(year)] among others. (here you can add as many as you like, though keep in mind to make the entire Bio should be around 200 works unless otherwise stated by an application requirement)

Recent shows include [Title of show, name of space, city/country, year]; and upcoming shows include [name of space, year].