17 queer artists you need to follow on Instagram right now
It's Pride Month, and millions are celebrating the LGBTQ community by participating in Pride Marches, donning the colors of the rainbow, or continuing to fight for rights through protests and different forms of resistance.
Another way to showing some love during Pride is through art, and it only takes a second to lift up and double-tap queer artists this June and beyond.
Some of these brilliant artists have worked with celebrities and appeared on magazine covers, while others are a bit lesser-known. But one thing they all have in common is their phenomenal work across a number of mediums, from paint to photography to yarn.
Check out the 17 visual artists below, and hit "follow" while you get ready to celebrate Pride however you please.
1. Bombchelle
@bombchelle's portraits are incredible and moving, and even when those aren't blessing your Instagram feed, you'll be able to discover a variety of other artists and friends of this Filipino artist.
2. Mohammed Fayaz / @brohammed
You may have seen @brohammed's artwork on posters for a wide variety of events, because they're a refreshing example of what event marketing should look like. Fayaz's work is memorable and necessary, now and forever.
3. Kate Just / @katejustknits
Don't believe the stereotype — knitting isn't just for the elderly. And if @katejustknits' works don't convince you of that, I'm not sure what will.
4. Will Varner / @willvarnerart
Varner's work provides a glimpse of the world of a gay Hapa, but that's not all. Varner is adept at illustrating intimate moments with hilarity and sincerity.
5. Mar Pascual / @Peony_Mar
All hail Mar Pascual, a non-binary queer femme who is out here creating vulnerable work and speaking their truth about "decolonization, gender nonconformity and fluidity, intimacy, living with mental illness, and trauma" through various mediums.
6. Ryan McGinley / @ryanmcginleystudios
McGinley has photographed your favorite celebrities, but beyond that, he has an incredible series of folks that he displays on the 'gram and is definitely worth following.
7. Favianna / @favianna1
With messages of global justice sprinkled throughout her work, there's no mistaking a Favianna piece. Each one makes you stop and think, a feat not many can pull off in today's age of rapid scrolling.
8. Amber Ibarreche / @amberibarreche
Hats, pins, patches — you name it, and Amber Ibarreche has written a very relatable, heartwarming, or hilarious phrase on it.
9. Hetty Douglas / @hettydouglas
Hetty Douglas' paintings are contemporary works of wonder, so much so that Vogue called her the "painter for the Instagram generation." If that's not an endorsement, what is?
10. Juno Birch / @junobirch
This UK-based trans illustrator doesn't hold back. Juno Birch's work is powerful and entertaining, and will provide a dash of brilliant pink throughout your feed.
11. Juliana Huxtable / @julianahuxtable
To put trans artist Juliana Huxtable in one box is to play yourself. Huxtable is a photographer, DJ, poet and more — and her art is a reflection of her vibrant life, all captured on her Instagram.
12. Grace Ahlbom / @sk8rmom420
Grace Ahlbom's art captivates, even through your cracked iPhone screen. Whether it's work in a zine or t-shirts or a spiral notebook, Ahlbom captures her world impeccably.
13. Kevalyn / @keviiboy
This recent Seattle University graduate's art is full of incredible detail and inspiring portraits that will make you want to pick up a pen and sketchbook, regardless of your own talent.
14. Hannah Grace Nissen / @hannahn.ssen
Hannah Grace Nissen's paintings and illustrations are delightful, and Nissen's use of color in their work is a phenomenal breath of fresh air.
15. Sam McKinniss / @wkndpartyupdate
The artist behind Lorde's iconic Melodrama artwork shares his other masterpieces on Instagram, and each one is more breathtaking than the last.
16. Ricardo Bessa / @rbessaaa
Ricardo Bessa's illustrations have so much life in them, you might find yourself gasping from time to time. His collaboration with Smirnoff is also worthy of a place on any Instagram timeline.
17. Mickalene Thomas / @mickalenethomas
While Mickalene Thomas' elaborate artwork is better seen in person, from time to time the incredible artist will throw them on Instagram for your viewing pleasure — and they're not all limited to just one medium. Paintings, portraits, collages, and more, right at your fingertips.
Topics Instagram LGBTQ Social Good
