#5 Artists I predict will break through this year

another from art collecting series

Who the next “hot” artist might be—or who is on the verge of a real breakthrough—is easily my favourite topic to explore. In my curatorial and advisory work, I always weave in artists who fall into this category. While it’s important to maintain a solid roster of somewhat established names, there’s something undeniably exciting—if slightly risky—about championing those who are still on the rise.

I’ve written about this before in my art collecting series (for instance: 2025 Emerging Art Discoveries: From My Notebook to Yours), and it’s a subject I find myself returning to often. Emerging artists represent a particularly compelling opportunity for collectors. For those who have already begun building a collection—and equally for those considering their first acquisition—the price points are often still relatively accessible. That window, however, rarely stays open for long.

The artists included here come from my most recent curatorial work, ongoing research, and many conversations with artists and collectors who serve, in many ways, as insiders to this world. Of course, predicting artistic success is never an exact science. The art market has its own rhythms and surprises. Still, there are certain indicators that can help point toward artists who may be on the cusp of wider recognition (something I explored in more detail in How to Find the Next Big Artist Before the Price Explodes).

For this list, I focused on two main aspects: what makes the work distinct from an artistic and conceptual perspective, and how each artist’s trajectory—exhibitions, institutional attention, and overall CV—suggests growing momentum.