Used to refer to a time rather than an aesthetic, Contemporary art generally describes pieces created after 1970 or being made by living artists anywhere in the world. This immediacy means it encompasses art responding to the present moment through diverse subjects, media and themes. Contemporary painting, sculpture, photography, performance, digital art, video and more frequently includes work that is attempting to reshape current ideas about what art can be, from Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s use of candy to memorialize a lover he lost to AIDS-related complications to Jenny Holzer’s ongoing “Truisms,” a Conceptual series that sees provocative messages printed on billboards, T-shirts, benches and other public places that exist outside of formal exhibitions and the conventional “white cube” of galleries.
Contemporary art has been pushing the boundaries of creative expression for years. Its disruption of the traditional concepts of art are often aiming to engage viewers in complex questions about identity, society and culture. In the latter part of the 20th century, contemporary movements included Land art, in which artists like Robert Smithson and Michael Heizer create large-scale, site-specific sculptures, installations and other works in soil and bodies of water; Sound art, with artists such as Christian Marclay and Susan Philipsz centering art on sonic experiences; and New Media art, in which mass media and digital culture inform the work of artists such as Nam June Paik and Rafaël Rozendaal.
The first decades of the 21st century have seen the growth of Contemporary African art, the revival of figurative painting, the emergence of street art and the rise of NFTs, unique digital artworks that are powered by blockchain technology.
Major Contemporary artists practicing now include Ai Weiwei, Cecily Brown, David Hockney, Yayoi Kusama, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Kara Walker.
Find a collection of Contemporary prints, photography, paintings, sculptures and other art on 1stDibs.
$3,000
Princess /// Contemporary Street Pop Art Painting Grace Kelly Abstract Colorful
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Jack Graves III (American, 1988-) Title: "Princess" Series: Eclecticism *Signed by Graves lower left. It is also signed, titled, and dated on verso Year: 2024 Medium: Origi...
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
Mobile Shapes on Pink, Mid Century Style Triptych, Organic Floating Forms, Blue
Located in Barcelona, ES
Details: Title: Mobile Shapes on Pink Medium: Acrylic on Paper Size: 40x83 inches (each panel measures 40x28 inches), 100x210 cm (each panel measures 100x70 cm) Year: 2026 * Frame ...
Acrylic, Handmade Paper
$775
Hidden Secrets - Abstract 'I Love You' Textured Word Graffiti Inspired Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Yellow Desert, Contemporary Abstract Oil Painting, Signed, 33 x 48 In
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
This contemporary figurative abstract painting presents a fantasy landscape where nature, human figures, animals and geometric forms coexist. The composition combines vibrant yellows...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
Story of the Family Dog - Colorful Figurative Abstract Textural Mixed Media Art
By Olympio
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This textural mixed-media painting on canvas by Togolese artist Olympio delivers an unfiltered glimpse into the artist's soul through a powerful blend of texture, energy, and abstrac...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
"Beat, Beat. Plus Outro (Linea Pictura — Diptych)" Abstract Diptych with String
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Beat, Beat. Plus Outro (Linea Pictura — Diptych)" is an original artwork by Hyland Mather made of acrylic, ink, string, pins on drop cloth, in tray frames. It measures approx 43”h x...
Canvas, Thread, Acrylic, Pins
$2,325
Yellow Drip II - Vibrant Contemporary Abstract Figurative Sculptural Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Nebraka-based Jamie Burmeister is a sculptural artist known for his original artworks incorporating original small bronze and aluminum figures, standing at just up to 4 inches tall. ...
Metal
Yellow Dream Oil Painting on Canvas, Abstract Geometric, Signed, 30x31
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
This original oil painting on canvas presents a composition that combines geometric forms, human figures, and references to the animal world through a visual language that moves betw...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
$400Sale Price|20% Off
"My Horizon - Barcelona" Color Field Painting on Paper Insured by Mark Rothko
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
An acrylic and oil on heavy weight paper piece with bright use of color and texture. We are focused on the simplicity of beauty in the moment as Shaoul creates a translucent but very...
Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$775
Open Your Heart - Abstract Blue Graffiti Inspired 'Love You' Mixed Media Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$1,990
Abstract Fiesta, Modern Shapes, Playful Contemporary Painting on Canvas, 2024
Located in Barcelona, ES
Abstract Fiesta is a modern, festive painting on canvas by Perrine Honoré. Her work is distinguished by its youthful aesthetic and elegant interplay of shapes, through which she crea...
Acrylic, Canvas
Light as Air: Gold Leaf Abstract Painting, Minimalist, 100x160 cm
Located in DE
Katharina Hormel creates minimalistic landscape paintings featuring everyday scenes of life. Her art often portrays people engaged in their daily activities, such as taking a leisure...
Gold Leaf
Shared Being. Series " Primordial Garden. Mythology "
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this work, the Primordial Garden emerges as a space where human, animal, and tree have not yet become separated from one another, but exist within a shared rhythm of life. Their p...
Acrylic
Sun No.11 - Abstract Folk Art Inspired Figurative Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Meredith Walker creates vibrant original artworks that merge the enduring charm of folk art with a contemporary sensibility shaped by nature, memory, and visual storytelling. Inspire...
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
$2,323
The future is calling us for - Contemporary Architecture Pool House Oil Painting
By Lilly Muth
Located in DE
Lilly Muth's architectural paintings transport viewers on a visual journey to a different world, where imagination knows no bounds and the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur...
Canvas, Oil
Green Becomes Red Abstract Painting by Marc
Located in Carmel, CA
`Green Becomes Red Abstract Painting by Marc Zimmerman Weaving, energetic, twisting and flowing ribbons of color create this lively oil painting Marc Zimmerman creates playful p...
Canvas, Oil
$545
Sun No.8 - Abstract Folk Art Inspired Figurative Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Meredith Walker creates vibrant original artworks that merge the enduring charm of folk art with a contemporary sensibility shaped by nature, memory, and visual storytelling. Inspire...
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
$1,943Sale Price|30% Off
The Sun Born Over and Over, Abstract Oil on Linen, Signed, 150x80 cm
Located in Silverthorne, CO
A soaring, dramatic, golden sunset flaming across the sky. The golden light. The pink hues of hope. The planet we live on, all of us, spinning on its axis around our warm living sun...
Linen, Oil
$545
Rule of Threes - Abstract Folk Art Inspired Mixed Media Painting on Raw Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Meredith Walker creates vibrant original artworks that merge the enduring charm of folk art with a contemporary sensibility shaped by nature, memory, and visual storytelling. Inspire...
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
"Beat, Minus Verse, Outro (Linea Pictura — Diptych)", Minimalist White Abstract
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Beat, Minus Verse, Outro (Linea Pictura — Diptych)" is an original artwork by Hyland Mather made of acrylic, ink, string, pins on drop cloth, in tray frames. It measures approximate...
Canvas, Thread, Acrylic, Pins
Jack Straw - Abstract Minimal Color Beige Textured Mixed Media Artwork on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$890
Nine Skies, Geometric Interpretations Grid, Bauhaus Landscape Tiles, Color Field
Located in Barcelona, ES
“Nine Skies” by Natalia Roman is a contemporary geometric abstraction that evokes shifting atmospheres through a refined language of color and form. Organized in a rhythmic grid, eac...
Acrylic
Threshold- Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By Matt Higgins
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This abstract painting explores movement, tension, and the interplay of solid and empty space. Bold blue forms overlap and flow across the canvas, creating a sense of depth and conti...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,800
Blue Dots IV - Pink Tone Contemporary Abstract Figurative Sculptural Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Nebraka-based Jamie Burmeister is a sculptural artist known for his original artworks incorporating original small bronze figures, standing at just up to 4 inches tall. His unique fi...
Metal
$594Sale Price|30% Off
Homecoming - Bright Ethereal Green Abstract Painting, Signed, 50x50 CM
Located in Silverthorne, CO
My first painting back in the Italy Studio, where the nature around me is still veiled by winter, but the tiny buds on the tree branches and the primrose carpeting the forest floor a...
Oil
In The Presence of Fragrant Bliss - Abstract Landscape Mixed Media Art on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Small Square Pink Abstract Canvas Art Study, Framed, Signed, Dated 2026
Located in Preston, GB
Small Square Pink Abstract Landscape Canvas Art Study by Contemporary Artist, Angela Wakefield Art measures 6 x 6 inches Frame measures 11.5 x 11.5 inches This original small-scal...
Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Board
$1,450Sale Price|34% Off
Summer Rain (Gestural Abstract, Vibrant, Lush, Green Atmospheric)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Katherine Bello Summer Rain Oil on Canvas 2023 Size: 30 x 30 x 1.5 inches (76.20 × 76.20 × 3.81 cm) Signed, dated and titled by hand COA provided *On Stretcher Frame, Gallery-wrappe...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
$4,066
Trees 2 June 15:42 - Modern Nature Painting, Landscape, Forest, Contemplativ
Located in Hallein, AT
Robert Motelski's paintings are exceptional visions of nature, visions of space which surrounds us. They tell about being, fate and passing. They depend on the season of year, the ti...
Canvas, Oil
Untitled
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Kristine Moran, oil on wood panel, signed and dated verso
Oil, Wood Panel
$675
Love Tide Washes In - Mixed Media Street Graffiti Inspired Artwork on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Held in Light
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this work, light is no longer just a condition — it becomes the central event. It does not simply illuminate form; it brings it into being, pulling it out of space, making it vis...
Canvas, Acrylic
French Contemporary Art by Paul Gallaud - Acrylic Osmose 12
By Paul Gallaud
Located in Paris, IDF
Glossy acrylic glass & inkjet print Paul Gallaud is a French visual artist born in 1984 who lives and works in Croix, near Lille, France. After graduating with a BAC STI Applied...
Acrylic, Inkjet
$450
Africa Motifs 2 -21st Century Contemporary, Abstract Expressionism, Design
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Acrylic
Gale - Contemporary Abstract Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Framed, 32x26 in
By Sandra Goldie
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary abstract acrylic painting was inspired by nature. Sandra Goldie’s artwork has been praised by one of Quebec’s leading abstract artists. Leopold Plotek described th...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,350
Golden Shade of Love - Large Scale Mixed Media Graffiti Inspired Art on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$2,962
Between 2 Shores Modern French Abstract Landscape Painting, Contemporary Coastal
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Between Two Shores is an original oil on canvas by French contemporary artist Sophie Dumont. Inspired by the ever-changing landscapes of the Normandy coast, this work captures the f...
Oil
$3,050
Nature's Beauty - Large Scale Mixed Media Graffiti Inspired Artwork on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Spray Paint, Acrylic
French Contemporary Art by Jeremie Faivre - Middle Ground
Located in Paris, IDF
Acrylic on stretched canvas Jeremie Faivre is a French artist born in 1977 who lives and works in Paris, France. He is graduated from Massachussetts College of Art & Design in Bosto...
Acrylic, Canvas
Slowly Changing, Contemporary Abstract Landscape Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Inspired by the drama of nature and light, Cynthia creates abstracted landscapes with oil on canvas. Signed on the back.
Canvas, Oil
$1,225
The Long Way West - Abstract Figurative Cowboy and Horse Painting on Paper Map
By Jesse Black
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jesse’s imagery often merges playful and gritty elements, blending floral patterns, vintage-inspired designs, and bold outlines with a touch of whimsy. His artwork exudes a sense of ...
Paint, Paper, Acrylic
$2,400
"Extra In, Field Flagship (Linea Pictura — Diptych)", Geometric Abstract
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Extra In, Field Flagship (Linea Pictura — Diptych)" is an original artwork by Hyland Mather made of acrylic, ink, string, pins on drop cloth, in tray frames. The diptych measures ap...
Canvas, Thread, Acrylic, Pins, Wood
$2,850
Unspoken Bond - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist The...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$2,788
The horizon feels like home - B.Schaumann Contemporary architectural Painting
Located in DE
Barber Schaumann is a contemporary artist known for her vibrant, abstract interpretations of the female form. Her work combines bold colors with modern, geometric shapes, blending el...
Canvas, Oil
When the time slowed for us - Contemporary Architecture House Oil Painting
By Lilly Muth
Located in DE
Lilly Muth's architectural paintings transport viewers on a visual journey to a different world, where imagination knows no bounds and the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur...
Canvas, Oil
$3,050
Colossal Happiness - Large Scale Mixed Media Graffiti Inspired Art on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Spray Paint, Acrylic
“Spiral movement”
Located in Zofingen, AG
Red fish move towards each other, forming a closed circle — a spiral — a space of eternal movement, interaction, equilibrium and balance. This is an image of cyclicality, reciprocity...
Canvas, Acrylic
Rush, Contemporary Monochromatic Abstract Painting
By Matt Higgins
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This painting examines the interplay between spontaneity and stillness through expressive black-and-white gestures. Layered brushstrokes reveal abstract floral forms, creating a spac...
Canvas, Acrylic
$10,000
Grass Blue Wild Flower - Sky Blue Periwinkle Magenta Abstract Painting, 2022
By Josette Urso
Located in Kent, CT
Thoughtfully combined sections of varying textures and areas of pattern, stripes, circles, dots and undulations in cheerful, exuberant color. Little moments in luminous shades of sky...
Canvas, Oil
One Flower at a Time
Located in Zofingen, AG
At first glance, the flowers gather into a single bouquet. But when the gaze slows down, the whole begins to separate into individual forms — small circles, folds, traces of pink, gr...
Canvas, Acrylic
2024 I – 2 by Christiane Maurer - Textile art, vivid color, geometric, handwoven
Located in Paris, FR
2024 I – 2 is a unique textile (double weave, handwoven cotton stretched on frame) artwork by contemporary artist Christiane Maurer, dimensions are 112 × 53 cm (44.1 × 20.9 in). The...
Textile, Cotton
Between the Landscape and Geometry - Modern Woven and Painted Abstract Artwork
Located in Hallein, AT
Between the Landscape and Geometry, hand weaving, linen yarn, wool, acrylic textile paint, 70 x 65 cm, 2024. There is a second painting from this series - my other article here, mat...
Textile, Cotton, Linen, Yarn, Acrylic, Wool
$675
Taupie - Abstract Gold 'I LOVE YOU' Graffiti Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Ink
When I See You I Smile - Large Original Beige Abstract Graffiti Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Dotted Clover - Warm Abstract Folk Art Inspired Botanical Painting on Raw Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Meredith Walker’s "Dotted Clover" is a bold and meditative piece of contemporary folk art that highlights her ability to blend simplicity with symbolic resonance. This original acryl...
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
Untitled #94019 and Untitled #94020 Contemporary Mixed Media Painting
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Capelán's work stands out for its rigorous handling of diverse artistic techniques and procedures, ranging from drawing to installation, including painting, printmaking, photography,...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$2,091
Beneath the bougainvillea balcony Contemporary Architecture House Oil Painting
By Lilly Muth
Located in DE
Lilly Muth's architectural paintings transport viewers on a visual journey to a different world, where imagination knows no bounds and the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur...
Canvas, Oil
Bounce II - Perfect for entryway, narrow, colorful, tall, teal
Located in Woodstock, GA
Stunning addition to shorter walls or small sections of wall on either side of a door opening! “Bounce II” is a vibrant, vertical abstract painting by contemporary artist Michelle T...
Canvas, Acrylic
'Veil' Acrylic Painting on Panel, Contemporary Landscape, 21st Century
Located in Burlingame, CA
Elizabeth Geisler is best known for her dazzling contemporary water reflection paintings that bridge realism with abstraction. Up close, the paintings appear ambiguous and loose, yet...
Acrylic, Panel
Liquify - Soft Abstract Blue Original Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Elisabeth Grace, a visionary artist based in Denver, CO (USA), is renowned for her immersive large-scale paintings, collages, murals, and installation art. With a BA in oil painting ...
Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Color Pencil, Canvas