<img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-1599237" src="https://observer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/Jeffrey-Yin-2-1.png" alt='Professional portrait of Jeffrey Yin, CEO of Artsy, sitting down and smiling with his elbows on his knees. The image includes “Observer 2025 Art Index” branding with his name and title “CEO, Artsy” on the right side.’ width=”635″ height=”423″ data-caption=”With more art being bought online than ever before, the Artsy CEO discusses how data and design are building trust in the global market.”>
Jeffrey Yin, featured on this year’s Art Power Index, leads Artsy, the world’s largest online marketplace for fine art, at a moment when technology, transparency and global access are transforming the art world’s power structures. As CEO, Yin oversees a platform that connects millions of collectors with over a million available works through partnerships with more than 3,000 galleries and auction houses worldwide. Under his leadership, Artsy has expanded access and reshaped how art is discovered, valued and purchased.
In the past year alone, first-time buyers on Artsy have risen by nearly 30 percent, artwork sales are up 20 percent and total sales value has grown 10 percent. But the most revealing statistic might be geographic: the average distance between buyer and seller is now about 2,500 miles, a clear indicator of how technology is dismantling traditional boundaries and redistributing opportunity across the global art ecosystem. Yin attributes this growth to a fundamental shift in collector behavior, driven by transparency and access. A decade ago, few galleries listed prices publicly. Now, three-quarters of works on Artsy include visible pricing, and more than half are enabled for direct purchase. Those changes have built trust, democratized collecting and brought in a wave of younger and first-time buyers whose expectations—speed, personalization and transparency—are redefining the market.
Artsy is navigating that evolution by leveraging A.I. to make art discovery more personal, using data to strengthen gallery relationships and maintaining the human connection at the heart of collecting. The next frontier, as Yin sees it, will involve sustaining the next generation of collectors through curation, education and social discovery while ensuring technology amplifies the emotional experience that makes art matter.
What do you see as the most transformative shift in the art world power dynamics over the past year, and how has it impacted your own work or strategy?
The biggest shift I’ve seen is how transparency and access are transforming collector behavior. A decade ago, it was rare to see artwork prices listed online—now, 75 percent of artworks on Artsy include visible pricing. At the same time, the ability to buy online has grown dramatically: when we launched e-commerce in 2018, only 9 percent of works were enabled for direct purchase; today, it’s 53 percent. Together, those changes have built trust and made collecting more welcoming, especially for newer audiences.
This year alone, first-time buyers on Artsy are up by around 30 percent, and many start with an online purchase under $3,000 before moving into higher-value works. Additionally, artwork sales on Artsy are up 20 percent year-to-date; total sales value increased 10 percent last quarter; partner auctions grew nearly 20 percent; and new buyers on Artsy are increasing about 20 percent each month, sometimes more than 60 percent. This momentum isn’t being driven by the usual insiders—it’s coming from younger and first-time buyers.
For us, this has meant doubling down on tools that make discovery and purchase as seamless as possible, while keeping the gallery-collector relationship at the center. For example, a collector might discover a work through Artsy’s personalized recommendations, save the work, get an offer directly from the gallery and finalize the purchase online—all within a few days.
As the art market and industry continue to evolve, what role do you believe technology, globalization and changing collector demographics will play in reshaping traditional power structures?
Technology and globalization are redefining how the art world operates and who can participate. Younger collectors—82 percent of whom have purchased art online—expect immediacy, transparency and access. They’re more likely to discover a new artist through social media or an email newsletter than at an in-person fair. On Artsy, the number of artists with commercial activity has grown by 20 percent since 2020, and galleries are now selling works by 40 percent more artists.
These shifts have made the market far more global. A gallery in Mexico City can now place work with a collector in Seoul, or a buyer in London can discover a Lagos-based artist through Artsy and acquire the piece online. The average distance between buyer and seller on Artsy—about 2,500 miles—says a lot about how technology is expanding reach and redistributing opportunity across the art ecosystem.
Our focus is on continuing to build the infrastructure that supports that growth: connecting the right collectors with the right artworks, giving galleries the tools to thrive globally and ensuring technology strengthens, rather than replaces, the curation and personal relationships that make the art world unique.
Looking ahead, what unrealized opportunity or unmet need in the art ecosystem are you most excited to tackle in the coming year, and what will it take to make that vision a reality?
The biggest opportunity ahead is guiding the next generation of collectors—and sustaining their engagement over time. The foundation of transparency and global access is now in place; the next step is helping collectors navigate the overwhelming volume of art online in a personal, meaningful way. A.I. and personalization are allowing us to do that. By understanding a collector’s tastes and behaviors, we can surface works they’re genuinely likely to connect with—whether that’s a first-time buyer discovering an emerging painter or a seasoned collector seeking out underrecognized voices. At the same time, we’re investing in tools that make the collecting journey continuous, not just transactional: from discovery to education to consideration and purchasing.
Social platforms will also play a major role in that evolution. Seventy percent of consumers expect to shop primarily through social channels by 2030, and the art market is poised to meet that expectation. Our goal isn’t to automate or remove the human experience from collecting, but to meet people where they are—making art discovery as intuitive and inspiring as it is personal.
Artsy sits at the intersection of technology, art and commerce—three worlds that don’t always move at the same speed. How do you balance innovation with the traditional art world’s preference for discretion and personal relationships?
The art world has always been built on trust and personal relationships, and that’s something we deeply respect. At Artsy, we use technology to strengthen those values, not replace them. Our goal isn’t disruption for its own sake; it’s to build on what already makes the art world special and open it up to more people. We see technology as a bridge—helping collectors and galleries connect in meaningful ways without needing to be in the same city or have insider access. That might mean a collector in London discovering an artist in Mexico City, or a gallery in Seoul connecting with a buyer they’d never otherwise meet. Everything we do comes back to our mission: to expand the art world to support more artists and art in the world.
When we build new tools—like a feature that lets a gallery send a personalized offer to a collector who’s saved a work, or the ability to check out instantly with Apple Pay or Google Pay—the goal is simple: make it easier for people to discover art and live with art, whether they’re seasoned collectors or buying art for the first time. We look to use technology to remove the friction so that the human part—the artist and their story—can stand out.
You’ve emphasized making art more accessible to new buyers as part of Artsy’s five-year vision. The art market is still notoriously opaque. What concrete steps is Artsy taking to build more price transparency and trust among collectors, galleries and artists?
Our five-year vision is centered on making art accessible to a broader, more diverse group of collectors while maintaining integrity and trust for galleries and artists. Data supports this focus: our Art Market Trends 2025 report found that 69 percent of collectors say a lack of transparency keeps them from buying art, and only 17 percent believe the market serves them well.
That’s why we’ve made transparency a priority. A decade ago, collectors had to contact galleries or check auction results to get a sense of pricing; today, 75 percent of artworks on Artsy include prices. We know this matters—works with visible prices are six times more likely to sell. We share those insights with gallery partners to help shift the market toward greater openness, while giving them control over how they present their art and artists.
We’ve also focused on making buying easier. In 2018, only 9 percent of works on Artsy could be purchased directly online; today, it’s more than half. Collectors can now buy securely from their phones in seconds instead of spending days negotiating or wiring funds. And we continue to invest in context—like artist bios and editorial storytelling—so collectors can find the context they need to buy with confidence.
What patterns are you seeing in how younger or newer buyers behave differently from traditional collectors?
I think younger collectors are approaching art in new ways. They’re discovering artists through the people they follow, the places they travel, or what they see on social media. They might visit a show they’ve seen on Instagram, but they’re not necessarily flying across the world for an art week. For them, art sits alongside fashion, design and music—it’s another way to express who they are and what they value.
A lot of their energy is focused on emerging art. In our Art Market Trends report, 72 percent of collectors said they were most drawn to emerging artists, with the majority of purchases under $5,000. On Artsy, we’ve seen the same pattern: first-time buyers are up about 30 percent this year, and most begin with works at those price points. They’re thoughtful and curious, spending time learning about artists before they buy, and they expect transparency—clear pricing, accessible information and trust in the process.
Our role is to meet them where they are: helping new collectors discover artists who resonate with them, learn the stories behind the work and build lasting relationships with galleries. This new wave of collectors is expanding the market, not redefining it—they’re bringing fresh energy to the ecosystem as a whole.
How is Artsy thinking about A.I. and its implementation? Do you think it’s possible to translate artificially generated insights into curation without losing the serendipity and emotion of discovering art?
We think about A.I. as a way to make the art world work better for people. It’s not here to replace anyone’s eye or intuition—it’s about taking care of the busywork so gallerists and collectors can focus on what really matters. Sometimes that means making it easier for someone to discover an artist they’ve never heard of, or giving galleries a little time back through tools that handle repetitive tasks.
A.I. already shows up in useful ways on Artsy. It powers Discover Daily, our personalized feed that helps collectors see new artists they might love. It tags and captions artworks automatically, making them easier to find. It also helps us keep transactions secure. And for galleries, it helps with uploading and organizing inventory quickly, so less time can be spent on admin work and more on relationships. The goal isn’t to replace human curation. Curation, storytelling and taste will always depend on human judgment and emotion. A.I. just clears the path so those moments of discovery and connection can happen more often.
As a collector yourself, how involved have you been in shaping Artsy’s recommendation strategy? Do personal tastes ever inform the company’s approach to what gets surfaced on the platform?
As a collector, I certainly have my own taste—much of it shaped by discoveries I’ve made on Artsy. But what I love about Artsy is that no two people see the same art. We’ve invested heavily in personalization so that every collector’s experience reflects their own taste, not someone else’s idea of what’s “good.”
The art world has long been defined by a handful of gatekeepers; we’re doing the opposite. We’re giving collectors the tools to shape their own art world—with curatorial guidance built in for those moments when you want a spark of inspiration. And the more you use Artsy, the better it gets: the experience becomes more dynamic, more personal, and filled with artists whose works resonate with you.
Who are some of the artists you love that our readers should be following?
I can’t not mention the artists featured in The Artsy Vanguard 2026, our annual list of the most promising artists working today. Every year, I’m blown away by the talent our editorial and curatorial teams spotlight, and this group is no exception. I’m especially drawn to Emil Sands, whose paintings explore the body with so much honesty and tenderness, and Heidi Lau, who creates these incredible ceramics rooted in Chinese mythology and folklore.
In my own collection, I recently acquired a work by RF. Alvarez, an Austin-based painter who explores intimacy and belonging. He just gained representation with Megan Mulrooney Gallery in L.A., where he had a wonderful solo show this fall.
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