Iconic Creatives: 8 Queer Artists You Should Know Who Are Still Celebrated Today

There are many illustrious queer artists you should know, and it’s time to give them their flowers!

For most, creating art either served as a therapeutic outlet for generational trauma or a visual representation of life’s experiences. These masterminded individuals had a unique ability to use their imaginations to paint their ancestors’ wildest dreams and the realities they were birthed into because of them.

Additionally, their work offered visibility in an era where the LGBTQIA+ community was deemed “taboo.”

Let’s look at a few rainbow pioneers who certainly earned their stripes in the art industry.

A List of Queer Artists You Should Know & Celebrate

1. Andy Warhol

The late, gay phenomenon Andy Warhol is considered one of the greatest visual artists of all time. Most of the Pennsylvania native’s work explored pop culture and was deemed controversial for its audacious theme. Warhol’s illustrative career began during the 1940s and 1950s. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in pictorial design in 1949. By the 1960s, Warhol would go on to create some of his most genius projects, including the “Campbell’s Soup Cans” (1961), “Marilyn Diptych” (1962, inspired by icon Marilyn Monroe), and “Ladies and Gentlemen” drag/transgender series.

2. Roni Horn

LGBTQIA+ drawer Roni Horn is famous for creatively challenging the scopes of nature, self-identity, and emotional perception through her contemporary-styled catalog. At 19, she graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, later receiving a Master of Fine Arts in sculpture from Yale University in 1978.

Horn was in a solidified class, from drawings to photographic installations. The New Yorker is celebrated for her photobook collection “To Place” (1990), inspired by her voyages to Iceland.

3. Marie Laurencin

Fallen French painter Marie Laurencin rose to prominence for her hyper-femininity-focused drawings in the early 1900s. At 18, she studied porcelain painting in Sèvres — a Paris-based commute notable for its porcelain production–before eventually finishing an education in oil painting at the Académie Humbert. The Parisian reportedly pulled inspiration from her romances with women to fuel the soft, queer theme that the majority of her work embodied.

Laurencin was (seemingly) bisexual. She also partook in Cubism and became a top figure on the art scene. “Woman Painter and Her Model” (1921) is one of her popular pieces.

4. Julie Mehretu

Julie Mehretu reached Time 100’s ‘Most Influential People’ list in 2020 for her grand contribution(s) to the art world. The lesbian artist graduated from Kalamazoo College — earning a Bachelor of Arts — before being granted a Master of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1997. She is widely recognized for her contemporary, abstract canvases of urban landscapes that evoke societal dialogue. The Ethiopia-born success’ “Empirical Construction, Istanbul” (2003) piece is globally acclaimed.

5. Robert Rauschenberg

Departed artist/sculptor Robert Rauschenberg was a multidimensional creative who specialized in bridging the gap between art and life. Honored for his Neo-dada-themed depictions, it wasn’t long before Rauschenberg became a household name in the 1950s. The Texan gained knowledge of the arts through studying at the Kansas City Art Institute, Académie Julian in Paris, France, and ultimately the Black Mountain College in 1948. He was praised for his “White Painting” series and the “Combines,” a collection of Rauschenberg-made masterpieces constructed from everyday objects. It appears that Rauschenberg was bisexual.

6. Paul Yore

Queer Australian artist Paul Yore is praised for his political, religious, and LGBTQIA+ concepts within his contemporary artistry. Yore, born in Melbourne, graduated from Monash University with a fine arts degree in 2010 — his areas of talent range from tapestries to quilts and more. Yore’s “WORD MADE FLESH” monograph is an expansive, talked-about display of his projects and the elements that have gone into his esteemed practice. He is often noted as one of the leading creators out of Australia.

7. Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi is a non-binary visual activist from South Africa. A self-proclaimed “art practitioner,” Muholi captivates their audience through imagery, delving into various facets of the human experience. They’re trained in Advanced Photography and hold a Master of Fine Arts (documentary media) from Toronto’s Ryerson University. Muholi’s creative archive comprises laudable projects containing African origins, gender expression, and sexuality. The 52-year-old is often their own muse. Some of their famed works include “Visual Sexuality: Only Half the Picture” (2004) and “Brave Beauties” (2014).

8. Greer Lankton

Trans trailblazer Greer Lankton was an artistic magnate in 1980s New York City. She grew notoriety through crafting handmade dolls that mirrored some of her life struggles. Lankton was diagnosed with schizophrenia at 19 and battled sexual and substance abuse in her early years. She began her studies at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1975 but later graduated from Pratt Institute with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1981. The late sculptor’s legacy continues to live on… even to this day.

Which of these queer artists you should know did you ALREADY know? Comment below!