Pakistani-American Artist Named on TIME’s List of 100 Most Influential Art Figures

Pakistani-American artist Salman Toor has secured a place on TIME Magazine's list of 100 most influential art figures shaping the future. The TIME100 Art 2026 list, unveiled on Friday, features Toor in the Icons section alongside painters, photographers, sculptors, curators, philanthropists, and museum leaders. The magazine's description of Toor's work highlights his paintings of "young brown men in states of convergence and isolation" set against diverse backdrops.

Since his debut at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 2020, Toor's paintings have fetched over $1 million at auctions, his solo exhibitions have traveled to four museums, he has participated in the Venice Biennale, and a sold-out two-part gallery show of his work has been held. An upcoming debut of his first solo European exhibition is slated to open at London's Courtauld Gallery in October.

This is not the first time Toor has received recognition from TIME, as he was previously named on the TIME100 Next list in 2021. Born in Lahore, Toor currently resides in New York City.