8 Artists from Around the World to check out at SXSW | Blog
SXSW is full of performers, filmmakers as well as comedians, who take center stage at their respective festivals. However, outside of the spotlight the other artists from across the globe show up to showcase their talents and knowledge. Spanning nearly every medium, it's the perfect place to find inspiration no matter what kind of artistic you happen to be.
Do not miss this lesser-known creative well at SXSW--and read on to learn about some of the artists that you won't be able to resist.
About SXSW
SXSW (which means South by Southwest) is an annual event and festival held at Austin, TX that gathers the most innovative and most innovative people in the fields of tech, film, music, education and the arts and culture. Over the span of 10 days, you'll be able to enjoy events, panel discussions, celebrations, and plenty of opportunities to connect with other creative individuals. Given that SXSW's purpose is to help creative people realize their potential, it's the spot to attend every year in March, whether you're looking to begin your journey as an artist or just need to ignite your creativity spark.
8 Artists You Should See at SXSW
1. Shantell Martin
Shantell Martin's trademark line drawings in black and white have shown up in solo shows at renowned artworks, in murals all over the globe and on wares of iconic brands such as Puma, Nike, Max Mara, Tiffany & Co, Warby Parker, and The North Face. Based on her experience with relationships like this, she'll be speaking about the ways companies and artists can cooperate in a way that fosters creativity and pushes the industry forward--without exploitation.
2. Beeple
Beeple, the artist name of Mike Winkelmann, is a digital artist that creates hyperrealistic landscapes with techniques like rendering in VR/AR, 4D and loops of VJ. The most well-known of his works is his "everydays" project in where he's designed a picture that he's posted online every day for the past 10or more years. On SXSW, Beeple will engage with Laurie Segall, founder of Dot Dot Dot, a media business that is focused on taking its content into the mass media into the age of Web3.
3. Marina Amaral
Marina Amaral is an Brazilian digital colorist renowned for her job of "breathing new life into old photos" through the addition of color to images that were black and white. Her process involves historical research to determine the correct colors and masterful editing skills to make the final work look true to life. Watch her speak at the panel discussion on the ways brands can tell more compelling narratives through digital art which she'll be joined by digital artist Sutu.
4. Cruz Ortiz
American artist Cruz Ortiz works in a variety of media, including screen prints, figurative abstract portraiture, dream-like landscape paintings, temporal guerrilla installations Hand-carved wood art, large-scale public art--to explore the connections we have to the natural world, our hopes, healing, beauty, perseverance, and the universe. At SXSW Ortiz will take part in a panel about the relationship between activism and art.
5. Emi Hariyama
Emi Hariyama is an Japanese ballerina known for her unique improvisational style. At SXSW, she'll be performing and speaking with jazz pianist and STEAM teacher Sachiko Nakajima, as they talk about their experiments integrating physical senses as well as cutting-edge technology as well as culture into the projects they carry out.
6. Zoe Si
Zoe Si is an Canadian cartoonistand illustrator, and children's book author that has earned a fan base because of her fun and simple line drawings of everyday the world around her. Zoe Si will be talking on an audience with some of the best cartoonists aroundthe world -- Emma Allen, Liza Donnelly, and Navied Mahdavian--all about how single-panel cartooning is a necessity in the modern world of today.
7. Pplpleasr
Pplpleasr, is a digital creator that has taken the web (at at least, web3) by storm with her work in the NFT sector. When she attends SXSW, she'll be joining SVP for Content, Community & Brand Carmen Hamilton-Morales in empowering the next generation of artists to take advantage of this new market. From finding success as an NFT artist to creating content for the Web3 creator economy and decentralized content, this presentation will deep dive into the world of NFTs and how they'll transform creativity and communities in the coming years.
8. Desiree Vaniecia
Desiree Vaniecia is a painter of the present who hails from Dallas who will be showing up in her home state to make an artwork for SXSW. Her unique style is a challenge to a stereotypical image of Black women that is crafted in the media. the exhibit isn't any different "Offer Them Comfort. Provide Them Rest." She'll be capturing the anxieties of being a mother and confronting situations she has no influence over.
Find More Artists to Explore on SXSW (or at Home!)
Of course, this is just the most important part in terms of the artists you can catch during SXSW. Make sure to check out the other arts exhibitions as well as talks, or just explore around town to see what other happenings you find! (Check out our guides to SXSW to learn more about what to do.)