9 Leading Advisors, Dealers, and Art-World Insiders Tell Us Which Artists They Think Are Poised to Break Out in 2020

It’s the art world’s favorite game: guessing which artists are
about to become the buzzworthiest new stars.

And what better time to play than on the precipice of a new year
(and decade) with a guaranteed schedule of biennials, art
fairs, gallery exhibitions, and auctions on the horizon.

Artnet News asked nine taste-makers for their thoughts on which
artists will be hot in 2020—and why. Here’s what they told us.

Tunji
Adeniyi-Jones

I think Tunji Adeniyi-Jones will be the breakout star of 2020.
He’s a young British-Nigerian artist who makes vibrant figurative
paintings inspired by his Yoruba heritage. His second New York solo
exhibition just opened at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, and he is one
of 16 artists, from over 700 applicants, to be selected for
Kehinde Wiley’s Black Rock Senegal residency.

—Molly Krause, arts consultant

Jean Claracq

Jean Claracq’s work is [tied to a] tradition of Flemish painting from the 15th and 16th centuries, but
with a very contemporary iconography taken from the internet of
Instagram and gay dating sites. There is an attention to very fine
details and a meticulousness in the realization of the work that
stands out in relation to how young artists are painting today.
Technically, he is very strong, and his style is recognizable. But
he paints very little and the waiting list is already long. His
recent buyers have proven to be women, which has given us great
pleasure. His work is not [being received as a] “gay image,” but as
painting that has a broader scope.

—Guillaume Sultana, founder,
Galerie Sultana

Kathia St.
Hilaire

Kathia St. Hilaire’s tapestry-like figurative paintings stopped
me in my tracks. The Haitian-American artist creates densely
layered paintings that poignantly capture everyday scenes from her
upbringing. She engages with her printmaking background to create
an innovative support for her paintings: she first employs
printmaking techniques onto everyday packaging materials, such as
sugar boxes, which she then paints. This process results in a rich,
sculptural surface that brings her narratives to life. The
artist is finishing her MFA at Yale and will have a debut solo show
at Derek Eller Gallery in New York in summer 2020.

—Anne Bruder, founder, Anne Bruder Art

Zachary
Armstrong

My wife Masha and I were first introduced to Zachary Armstrong’s
art years ago by Jack Tilton, who had a rare eye for
talent. Since then, we have closely followed Zachary and
witnessed how his already impressive oeuvre has further
matured. He will be the first young artist to have a solo show at
Faurschou Beijing in March 2020. The exhibition he has prepared for
his debut in Beijing is stunning in every detail, which makes
us convinced it will be his breakthrough year.

—Jens Faurschou, founder, Faurschou Foundation

Vaughn Spann

Vaughn Spann’s colossal Rainbow painting at the Rubell
Museum held its own alongside contemporary masters Kehinde Wiley
and Glenn Ligon. A deeper dive into Spann’s oeuvre shows the
27-year-old Yale graduate already has multiple bodies of work, both
figurative and abstract. It is rare to see a young artist working
on such a sophisticated level so early on. Vaughn Spann is the real
deal and I anticipate his upcoming gallery show at Almine Rech in
New York in January will be his breakout moment.

—Nilani Trent, founder, Trent Fine Art Advisory

Vera
Molnár 

Vera Molnár, now 95 years old, has conquered adversity as a
female artist, immigrant, and user of computers in artwork as early
as 1968. Her exquisite Constructivist work in both traditional and
digital media has been increasingly recognized for its exceptional
quality. She will be included in four major institutional shows in
2021, and I am confident that 2020 will start to bring
well-deserved mainstream attention to this female pioneer.

—Anne Spalter, digital artist and computer art
expert

Tong
Kunniao

Tong Kunniao stems from a new
generation of Chinese artists. He was born in 1990 and has grown up
with China ascending the world stage amid extreme digital
acceleration. His vision of art departs from what we have seen as
“Chinese” or “Asian” art and opens up new discourses on what we
perceive as socially relevant, what consumerism means in the art
world, and where we place physical meaning today. I find that
his reflections on society—both serious and at times ironic—give a
lasting impression of what being an artist really means today.

—Walter Gehen, director, Art Düsseldorf

Theaster
Gates

As a collection-builder, I’m looking closely at artists who
address issues and ideas that are drivers for change. Theaster
Gates is a game-changing artist whose work and life are dedicated
to social justice—an urgent need that Gates has proven art can
successfully address. His Rebuild Foundation has galvanized and
rejuvenated Chicago’s South Side through employment initiatives,
job training, and reinvestment in the community. Until now, he has
not been represented in New York, but that will change when
Gagosian shows a new body of work in spring 2020. With White
Cube representing the artist worldwide, Regen Projects in Los
Angeles, and Richard Gray in Chicago, Gates has stellar
representation, an essential market-making component. In these
times of social and political upheaval, Gates’s work makes a
powerful statement of unity and compassion.

—Wendy Cromwell, founder, Cromwell Art

Genesis
Tramaine

Genesis Tramaine is poised to break out in 2020. Her style
is rooted in Modern art, with strong ties to 1980s urban New York
graffiti, and her powerful imagery beckons memories of past
lives and glimpses of undiscovered futures. We presented her
abstract portraits—which layer historical moments and imagined
metaphors, often from the Bible and West African history—in a group
show called “Chorus” at our gallery in Paris during FIAC, and they
were enthusiastically received. We’re looking forward to presenting
her first solo exhibition in Europe in 2020.

—Almine Rech-Picasso, owner, Almine Rech Gallery

The post 9 Leading Advisors, Dealers, and Art-World Insiders
Tell Us Which Artists They Think Are Poised to Break Out in
2020 appeared first on artnet News.