Which artists are on the brink of the big time in 2025? Each year, we ask art world insiders to share the artists on their radar. Read on to see who these eight curators, dealers, and advisors think is poised for a breakout.

Juliana Góngora Rojas (b. 1988) 

Juliana Góngora Rojas, Cuerpo de Leche (Body of Milk) (2020) Courtesy the artist and Galería Espacio Continuo. Installation view, 23rd Biennale of Sydney, rīvus, 2022, The Cutaway at Barangaroo. Photo: Document Photography.

Juliana Góngora, a Colombian artist and educator, explores materials as a form of community knowledge exchange. Using organic materials such as soil, spider threads, salt, and stones, her work navigates the tactile and symbolic realms, exploring sculptural conditions like pressing, waiting, and suspending. Collaborating with artisans, farmers, and Indigenous communities, she emphasizes the transformative power of daily actions and advocates for a shift away from purely theoretical discourses.

“What draws me to Juliana Góngora’s work is the profound care she invests in her materials and processes,” said Jaime A. Martinez, the head of ARTBO art fair in Bogotá. “Her ability to transform simple, organic elements like soil or spider threads into something both poetic and powerful feels deeply human and incredibly moving.”

Her work has been included in several major group shows in recent years, such as the Biennale of Sydney in 2022 and “Sembrar la duda” at MAMU Bogotá in 2023, as well as joint exhibitions in Paris and San Francisco’s Kadist this year.

Martinez said that 2025 marks a “significant milestone” in her career given that she is having her first U.S. solo exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago, curated by Anna Burckhardt. She will also participate in the 36th São Paulo Biennial, opening in September; the theme of the exhibition this year addresses how humans engage with one another. “Through these high-profile exhibitions, Góngora firmly establishes herself as an influential figure in contemporary art, committed to exploring the intersections of materiality, ecology, and community,” Martinez said.

Janaina Tschäpe (b. 1973) 

Janaina Tschäpe, Flaming Summer Meadow (2024). ©️ Janaina Tschäpe. Photo: Brad Farwell. Courtesy: the artist and Sean Kelly, New York/Los Angeles

German-Brazilian artist Janaina Tschäpe’s star is firmly on the rise and her works are already included in museum collections, such as the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan. Her major solo show at Sean Kelly in New York this fall also coincided with an extensive new monograph on the artist’s work, including an essay by art historian Joachim Pissarro.

Gladys Lin, an art consultant based between Taipei and New York describes Tschäpe’s paintings as “lyrical abstractions” that are “rich with context and open portals to ancestral landscapes.” She also noted that, Tschäpe’s works are increasingly attracting the attention of collectors outside of the Americas.

“Her recent nine-panel work, shown at Art Unlimited in Art Basel in June, was widely praised, further solidifying her reputation on the global stage,” Lin said, adding that Asian collectors have also taken note. “[Many] appreciate the flowing beauty and meditative qualities of her art, resonating with traditional Eastern aesthetics.”

Lin said that the artist’s market is showing stable growth, which is “appealing to collectors who are seeking long-term value.”

Tennant Creek Brio (formed in 2016)

The work of the Tennant Creek Brio is seen in the Turbine Hall on Cockatoo Island during the 22nd Biennale of Sydney NIRIN media preview on March 10, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. Photo: Jenny Evans/Getty Images.

Tennant Creek Brio is an artist collective based on Warumungu Country, uniting contemporary artists from Northern Central Australia and Melbourne/Naarm. Founded in 2016 through an outreach program at the Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation, the Brio includes key members such as Fabian Brown Japaljarri, Lindsay Nelson Jakamarra, Rupert Betheras, and others, who work collaboratively to challenge stereotypes and reclaim cultural narratives.

In 2024, the collective presented their first major survey exhibition, “Juparnta Ngattu Minjinypa Iconocrisis,” at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) in Melbourne/Naarm. “This landmark exhibition highlighted their innovative approach to reimagining cross-cultural identities and confronting post-contact histories through an audaciously punk attitude and a spirit of collaboration,” said Alexie Glass-Kantor, curator of Encounters, Art Basel Hong Kong, based in Sydney/Gadigal and former director of Artspace.

The collective’s practice spans painting, sculpture, installation, and performance, re-inscribing their experiences and cultural identity onto salvaged materials—pokie machines, car hoods, and oil barrels. Haunted by histories of intervention and mining, their work weaves ancestral knowledge with contemporary energy and “larger-than-life storytelling,” according to Glass-Kantor. “Stressing an urgent need for truth-telling, future-thinking, and collectivity, their art offers a layered social critique while celebrating resilience and cultural renewal.”

Coumba Samba (b. 2000) 

Coumba Samba, Turtle Tank, (2023). Photo: Cedric Mussano. Courtesy the artist and Drei, Cologne.

Coumba Samba is an interdisciplinary artist based in London working with sculpture, painting, installation and performance. With artist Gretchen Lawrence, she is also one half of the London-based girl-pop duo called New York.

The Senagalese-American artist caught art dealer, collector, and president of the Swiss Art Trading Association Thomas Stauffer’s attention earlier this year at her solo show at DREI Galerie in Cologne, where she installed an aquatic tank. “One of the artist’s central interests is the deconstruction and staging of raw materials, which she expresses in the work Turtle Tank,” he said. “The installation feels like a symbol of a life-creating mini oasis.”

Samba’s practice also explores bold colors and their meanings, particularly in flags. She examines how colors like yellow, green, and red—common in many African flags—convey social and geopolitical messages, a theme central to her Stripe and Stripe Blinds painting series. “I believe her work is particularly relevant in this very moment in time given the current discourse surrounding identity, heritage, geopolitical conflicts and equality,” Stauffer said. In 2025, she will have her first institutional solo show in Germany at the renowned Kunstverein Hamburg, a solo exhibition at GTA Exhibitions (ETH Zurich) in Zurich, and a showcase at Kunsthalle Basel.

Pierrette Bloch (1928–2017) 

Pierrette Bloch, Untitled (1978). Photo @ Aurélien Mole.

Known for her rigorous and consistent use of simple materials like paper, cord, and horsehair, Pierrette Bloch was one of the most renowned French Post-War abstract and textile artists. According to Liberté Nuti, a London-based art advisor who is also a team member of the newly established advisory firm Wei and Associates, 2025 provide an opportunity to rediscover Bloch’s work.

“Overshadowed by her close friend, the renowned Pierre Soulage, Bloch’s time has arrived,” Nuti said, noting that a major retrospective of her work will open at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in St. Etienne, France in March 2025. The artist’s work is represented in major institutions such as the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum and MoMA in New York, and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Geneva.

Nuti believes that this will be the year that a new generation catches on to the artist’s brilliance. “As minimalism re-emerges as a breath of fresh air in the contemporary art world, Bloch’s profound sensibility and the inner beauty of her work will undoubtedly captivate collectors and critics alike.”

Orry Shenjobi (b. 1997) 

Orry Shenjobi, “A Wà ńbè: A Celebration of Community and Culture,” Venice, 2024. Courtesy Bayo Akande.

Nigerian-British artist Orry Shenjobi’s multidisciplinary practice integrates painting, textiles, photography, and film, weaving together themes of identity, community, and cultural heritage. Through layered textures and vibrant compositions, her work captures the essence of everyday life, delving into collective memory and shared experience, according to Bayo Akande, the co-founder of the London-based artist agency PieceUnique.

In 2024, Shenjobi’s solo exhibition in Venice, “A Wà ńbè: A Celebration of Community and Culture,” showcased a vibrant body of work documenting and historicizing the distinctly Nigerian Owambe party, which means extravagant parties that mark important occasions in life, especially among Yoruba people, and its enduring significance. Orry was also featured in the Coutts group exhibition, “Searching for Roots and Expression,” in London in October.

“Her dedication to preservation is reflected in her innovative use of diverse materials, creating works that embody artistic vision and meaningful community impact,” Akande said. “I expect to see exciting things from her in 2025.”

Ho Tam (b. 1962) 

Ho Tam, City Planting (2018-2022). Photo: Toni Hafkencheid. Courtesy Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto

The Hong Kong-born Canadian artist Ho Tam is one to watch in 2025, especially following his three-month “transformative” residency at 41 Ross in San Francisco, according to Abby Chen, head of contemporary art and senior associate curator, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Known for his multidisciplinary practice spanning photography, video, and artist books, Tam’s work explores themes of identity, migration, queer experience, and cultural memory. “His sense of humor and journalism-inspired aesthetic set his art apart, blending sharp critique with playful visuals that engage audiences on multiple levels,” Chen said.

She added that at 41 Ross, Tam connected with San Francisco’s Chinatown community, creating work rooted in local histories and collective memory. The residency added a new layer of site-specificity to his practice, while reinforcing his commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices. “His art often feels like a visual editorial, combining accessible storytelling with incisive social commentary.”

Tam’s poignant style, as seen in works like his early classical magazine styled artist journal Hot Asian Man (2014), to the recent “Animal Kingdom” series, bridges personal narrative with broader cultural critique. “By marrying wit with serious subjects, he invites viewers to reflect on complex issues without alienation,” Chen said. “With his ever-evolving practice and growing global visibility, Ho Tam is positioned to leave a lasting mark on contemporary art in 2025 and beyond.”

Zander Blom (b. 1982) 

Zander Blom, Untitled (from Monochrome Series) (2022). Courtesy of signs and symbols, NY.

Zander Blom is a painter who lives and works in Cape Town, South Africa. Known for his monochrome paintings, which he has been making since 2022, Blom has been finding inspiration from black and white photographic images and modernist sculpture, the movement of his paint evoking the corporeality of works by artists such as Henri Matisse and Henry Moore.

“Blom’s process driven work has edge and humor, with Franics Bacon as an important reference for him, suggesting figuration but with very little resemblance to the body,” said Steven Sergiovanni, an art advisor and executive member of the Association of Professional Art Advisors.

Blom’s third iteration of exhibition series, “Monochrome Paintings,” was on view earlier this month at Stevenson Gallery in Cape Town. In the States, he is represented by Signs and Symbols gallery in New York. A solo show at Stevenson’s Amsterdam gallery has is planned for the fall in 2025.