Who gets to be seen as an artist?

Georgia Green

While researching my dissertation on barriers in the art world, I kept returning to a simple but uncomfortable question: why does art - a space often associated with freedom and expression - still feel inaccessible to so many people? The more I explored this, the clearer it became that success in the art world is rarely determined by talent alone. Instead, it is shaped by who you are, how you are perceived, and whether institutions choose to legitimise your work.

One of the most visible barriers is gender. Despite decades of progress, femininity in art is still undervalued. Work made by women is more likely to be labelled as emotional, decorative, or personal, rather than innovative or serious. This bias doesn’t just affect how work is received, it influences how women value their own practice. Many female artists internalise these attitudes, under-pricing their work or hesitating to claim space within professional art settings.

Guerrilla Girls (1988)

Cultural background creates another layer of exclusion. Artists working from non-Western traditions or culturally embedded practices are often categorised separately from what is considered “fine art.” Their work may be praised for its aesthetic or cultural significance, yet denied the same critical or commercial recognition. This expectation that artists of colour must explain, translate, or perform their identity reinforces a narrow, euro-centric view of what art is allowed to be.

Perhaps the most subtle barrier of all is the question of who gets to be called an artist. During my research - and more recently in my professional work as a creative projects assistant - I’ve encountered many people who create consistently and passionately, yet hesitate to claim that title. For some, legitimacy feels tied to galleries, income, or formal recognition. For others, art feels like something they do, not something they are. These narrow definitions quietly exclude a huge number of creatives from seeing themselves as artists at all. 

@crochetingmoonfairy (2024)

What connects these barriers is not a lack of ability, but a system built around hierarchy and gatekeeping. Galleries, institutions, and markets continue to shape whose work is valued and whose voices are amplified. As a result, many artists (particularly women and those from marginalised backgrounds) are left navigating not just creative challenges, but structural ones. Questioning these systems matters. When we broaden our understanding of what art looks like, who it belongs to, and who is allowed to claim authorship, we don’t dilute the art world, we strengthen it. Art becomes richer when more people are seen, heard, and valued on their own terms.

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Georgia has joined the Everyday team through the Curious Minds Curious Works Placement Programme.