Being an artist is no ordinary occupation. It demands a way of seeing, a kind of relentless attention that can’t be turned off.

In recent years, creatives have been forced to contend with the increasing commercialization of the cultural ecosystem, a stormy political landscape, and a wobbling economy. Between the MFA-to-solo-show pipeline and an emphasis on relentless social media self-promotion, our culture has never been more focused on the question of how to “make it” professionally as an artist. How to make a life as one isn’t as simple of a calculation.

CULTURED’s eighth annual Young Artists list arrives amid this existential maelstrom. The 27 makers featured here, all 35 or younger, are a testament to the resourcefulness and optimism required to choose not only the work, but also the life of an artist. They represent a wide range of geographies, mindsets, and mediums. Some have shown their work in august institutions; others operate entirely outside of the traditional gallery system. Some practice in a vacuum, while others would never dream of working alone. Some compare their work to committing a crime, others to creating an avatar.

While the Hong Kong– and Brooklyn-based Jes Fan works at the molecular level, New York native mosie romney uses eBay hauls and dreams as raw material. LA-based Jasper Marsalis sees his practice as a “suite of questions” to answer each day, while Houston-born Charisse Pearlina Weston regards hers as a way to interrogate systems of oppression. What unites them all is a commitment to their unique visions and an urge to follow their own compasses, no matter the weather.

Alex Tatarsky, 34, New York
Charisse Pearlina Weston, 35, New York
Cassi Namoda, 35, New York
Adam Alessi, 29, Los Angeles
Oscar yi Hou, 25, New York
Giangiacomo Rossetti, 34, New York
Isabelle Brourman, 30, New York
Emma Stern, 31, New York
Kahlil Robert Irving, 31, Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Saint Louis, Missouri 
Adraint Khadafhi Bereal, 25, New York
Theresa Chromati, 30, Baltimore
Julia Yerger, 30, Los Angeles
Connor Marie Stankard, 31, New York
Hardy Hill, 30, New York
Omari Douglin, 31, Los Angeles
mosie romney, 29, Queens and the Catskills
Willa Nasatir, 33, New York
S*an D. Henry-Smith, 31, Amsterdam and New York
Violet Dennison, 34, New York
Jo Messer, 33, New York
Jasper Marsalis, 27, Los Angeles
Aurel Haize Odogbo, 27, New York
Shuriya Davis, 27, Byram, Mississippi
Olivia van Kuiken, 26, New York
Oshay Green, 29, Dallas
Dominique Knowles, 27, Paris and Chicago
Jes Fan, 33, Hong Kong and New York