“Don’t get caught out again at a dinner party”
All of us here at Artlyst find it daunting at times to correctly pronounce the names of the artists that appear daily on the Artlyst website. If you think you’re out of your depth, how do you think we feel when actually speaking to the artists in the flesh? Often we mispronounce their names to their faces. This is why we have compiled this ongoing list to help you through a tricky situation. Our team has put together a list of seminal names, but feel free to add to this list of commonly mispronounced names by leaving us a message at press@artlyst.com We will be updating this list regularly in the hopes that we can nip this sometimes comic problem in the bud.
Abraham Cruzvillegas – AH-bra-HAAM CRUUZ-vee-YAY-gaz
Albert Oehlen – UR-lin
Alfredo Jaar – Alfredo YAAR
Allen Ruppersberg – Allen ROOP-erz-BAYRG
Alexandre Singh – SING
Allora & Calzadilla – a-LO-ra & cal-za-DEE-ya
Anh Duong – AHN DWONG
Anish Kapoor – Ah-NEESH Kah-POOR
Annette Messager – MESS-ah-ZHAY
Anri Sala – ON-ree SAH-LA
Anselm Kiefer – ann-selm KEE-fur
Apichatpong Weerasethakul – a-PEE-shaat-pong We’re-ASS-it-a-cool (AKA “Joe”)
Ari Marcopoulos – Ari Mar-KOP-ah-liss
Artur Zmijewski – ar-TUR zhuh-MEE-eh-SKI
Asim Waqif – ah-SEEM wah-KEEF
Aziz + Cucher – a-ZEEZ + KUTCHER
Berthe Morisot – BEAR-t More-RI-zoh
Bouchra Khalili – BUSH-hra HCHA-lee-lee
Cai Guo-Qiang – TSAI gwo-CHIANG
Cao Fei – TSOW fay
Cildo Meireles – see-OOH-doh MEER-eh-les
Christian Jankowski – yang-COUGH-skI
Claes Oldenburg – KLOSS
Claude Monet – Claude Mon Ayee
Cyprien Gaillard – SIP-rien GAY-yar
Dan Flavin – FLAY-vin
Danh Vo – YON VOH
Denise Kupferschmidt – Denise KOOP-er-SCHMITT
David Altmejd – David AWLT-mayde
Daniel Guzman – dawn-YELL goose-MAWN
David Salle – SALLY
David Wojnarowicz – voy-nah-ROW-vitch
Diane Arbus – DEE-ahn
Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster – Gon-ZA-lez FORE-ster
Donald Baechler – BATCH-ler
Eadweard Muybridge – Edward MY-bridge
Eddie Martinez – mah-tea-nez
Ed Paschke – Ed PASH-key
Ed Ruscha – Roo-SHAY
Edvard Munch – ED-vard MOOnk
Edward Burtynsky – bur-TIN-skee
Edgar Degas – Edger De Gaa
El Anatsui – El ah-nah-TSOO-eee
Elle Muliarchyk – MOO-lee-ar-chick
Emily Jacir – jah-SEER
Enoc Perez – E-knock
Enrico Baj – En-REE-coh BUY
Erwin Wurm – ERR-vin VURM
Eva Hesse – AY-va HESS-uh (though in the U.S. she chose to pronounce it “Hess”)
Erik van Lieshout – Eric van lee-SHOOT
Fang Lijun – FONG lee-JUNE
Fischli/Weiss – FISH-lee/VICE
Francesco Clemente – fran-CHESS-ko kle-MEN-te
Gabriel Kuri – GAH-bree-elle KOO-ri
Gabriel Orozco – GAH-briel Or-ROZ-co
Gerhard Richter – Gair-hard Rick-tah
Ghada Amer – GAH-da ah-MARE
Gillian Wearing – JILL-ian WE’RE-ing
Glenn Ligon – LIE-gone
Guido van der Werve – GEE-do VAN der VAIRVE
Guillermo Kuitca – gee-YERR-mo KWEET-ka
Günther Förg – GUNE-tah FOURG
Haim Steinbach – HIGH-eem STEIN-baak
Harun Farocki – HAH-ruhn FAH-rrokey
Hermann Nitsch – HAIR-man NEE-tch
Hernan Bas – BAAS
Imi Knoebel – EE-MEE kuh-NOH-bell
Imran Qureshi – Im-RAN koo-RESH-ee
Jackson Pollock – PAH-luck
James Nares – NAH-res
James Winogrand – Winn-o-grand
Jannis Kounellis – Yah-nis Koo-nell-is
Jem Southam – GEM SUTH-um
Jenny Holzer – HOLE-zer
Jenny Saville – SAH-ville
Jesper Just – YES-per YOOST
Joan Miró – Joo-AHN Me-ROH
Joana Vasconcelos – Vas-con-say-loh-s
John Armleder – John ARM-lay-derr
John Baldessari – ball-de-SAH-ree
Jonas Mekas – JOE-nas MEE-kass
Joseph Beuys – BOYS
Josephine Meckseper – MEK-se-per
Juergen Teller – YUR-gen
Julie Mehretu – MARE-eh-too
Kalup Linzy – KAY-lup LIN-zee
Karen Kilimnik – kill-LIMN-nick
Käthe Kollwitz – KAY-tuh KOLL-vitz
Kehinde Wiley – keh-HIN-day WHILE-ey
Keren Cytter – ker-REN TSEE-ter
Kutluğ Ataman – KOOT-loog ATA-maan
László Moholy-Nagy – Mo-HA-lee NADGE
Lawrence Weiner – WHEE-ner
Leon Golub – GO-lube
Liam Gillick – LEE-am GILL-ick
Lisa Yuskavage – yus-CAH-vitch
Luc Tuymans – LUKE TIE–mans
Lucy Skaer – Lucy SCARE
Luis Gispert – lew-EES JHUH-spare
Lygia Pape – PAH-pay
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye – Lynette YEE-AH-dom BOAH-chay
Marcel Broodthaers – BROT-hairs
Marcel Dzama – Marcel de-ZA-ma
Maria Lassnig – Maria LASS-nig
Marina Abramovic – ah-BRA-mo-vitch
Mark Dion – Mark DIE-on
Marianne Vitale – Marianne vi-TAH-lee
Marlene Dumas – mar-LANE doo-MAH
Martin Eder – Mar-TAN AY-der
Marisa Merz – ma-REE-za MERTZ
Matias Faldbakken – ma-TEE-ahs fald-BAK-ken
Maurizio Cattelan – more-REET-zio CAT-teh-LAN
Mircea Cantor – Meer-TCHA CON-tour
Miroslaw Balka – MEER-oh-SLAV BALKA
Mirza Haroon – Mer-za Hah-roon
Mona Hatoum – Mow-nah Hutoom
Naama Tsabar – NAH-ma tsa-BAR
Nam June Paik – Nahm June PAKE
Nathan Mabry – MAY-bree
Neo Rauch – NAY-yoh RAOWK
Olaf Breuning – BRUNE-ing
Olafur Elíasson – OLA-fur ELLE-ee-ah-SON
On Kawara – Own Ka-WA-ra
Os Gemeos – OSE ZHEM-e-os
Otto Piene – Otto PEEN-nuh
Oscar Tuazon – OSE-car Tua-ZON
Pae White – PAY White
Pat Steir – Pat STEER
Paul Klee – CLAY
Paula Rego – Ray-go
Pawel Althamer – PAH-vul ahl-TAMMER
Petr Pavlensky – Pee-ter Pah-v-len-ski
Peter Doig – D-oy-g
Philip Taaffe – TAYF
Pierre Huyghe – HWEEG
Piotr Uklański – Pee-OTE Uk-LAN-sky
Polly Apfelbaum – Polly AP-fell-BAUM
Rachel Whiteread – White-REED
Ragnar Kjartansson – RAG-nar KYAR-tans-son
Raymond Pettibon – PEH-tee-bahn
Rineke Dijkstra – REEN-eh-kuh DIKE-stra
Richard Misrach – Richard MIZZ-RACK
Richard Serra – Sair-ruh
Rirkrit Tiravanija – RIRK-writ tee-RAH-va-nit
Rivane Neuenschwander – ri-VAN-knee NOY-un-shwunder
Robert Rauschenberg – Raow-shin-Berg
Roger Caillois — Roger KALL-WAH
Roger Hiorns – Roger HIGH-orns
Romare Bearden – Roam-MARE
Ron Mueck – moo-ick
Ryan Trecartin – Ryan treh-CAR-tin
Salvador Dalí – da-LI
Sarah Sze – ZEE
Sebastião Salgado – Se-BASS-tee-ah-oh sal-GAA-do
Shirazeh Houshiary – SHARE-a-ZHAY HOOZH-ee-AARY
Simryn Gill – SIM-rin GILL
Tacita Dean – Tah-sit-ah Dean
Takashi Murakami – Tah-kah-shee Moo-rah-kah-me
Tavares Strachan – ta-VAH-res STRAWN
Théodore Géricault – tay-oh-DOOR jay-ree-KO
Thomas Demand – DAY-mond
Thomas Eakins – AY-kins
Thomas Ruff – TOE-mass ROOF
Thomas Scheibitz – TOE-mass SHAI-bits
Thomas Schütte – TOE-mas SHUTE-teh
Tino Sehgal – Tino seh-GAHL
Tom Nozkowski – Nahzz-COW-ski
Tomma Abts – TOE-ma Abts
Tony Feher – FAY-her
Udomsak Krisanamis – ooh-DUM-sack chris-ANNA-miss
Ugo Rondinone – OO-go Ron-di-NO-nay
Uri Aran – YOU-ree a-RAHN
Urs Fischer – Er-se Fish-er
Ursula von Rydingsvard – RIDINGS-vard
Valeska Soares – Su-A-res
Vija Celmins – VEE-ya Sell-muns
Vik Muniz – MOO-knees
Walead Beshty – wah-LEED BESH-tee
Walid Raad – wah-LEED RAHD
Wangechi Mutu – Wang-GAY-she Moo-too
Warren Neidich – Warren NIGH-dic
Wayne Thiebaud – TEE-bo
Willem de Kooning – Vill-hem de KOON-ing
Wolfgang Staehle – VOLF-gahng SCHTEH-luh
Xaviera Simmons – Zai-VEER-ria
Xu Bing – SHOO Bing
Xul Solar – SHOOL so-LAHR
Yayoi Kusama -Yu-yoy Koo-suh-muh
Yinka Shonibare – YEEN-ka show-knee-BAH-reh
Yutaka Sone – yoo-TAH-kah SOH-neh
Zhang Huan – JHANG HOO-ahn
Zhou Chunya – JOE choon-YAH
How to use phonetics
The phonemic chart contains the 44 sounds of spoken English. It is an excellent tool for both learning and teaching about English pronunciation, but there is no easy way to type the phonemes with a normal keyboard. Use this site to “type” the characters by clicking with your mouse.