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.
Chill Out
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 95×95 cm (overall size with stretching 105×105 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This painting is about the importance of slowing down and allowing ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,500
Nearer Than Skin - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern Men
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This work began as an exploration of how we carry ourselves, not only within the physical body, but within the quieter, less visible layers beneath it. Each face was initially concei...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,911
In My Heart, Contemporary Oil on Canvas Landscape Painting, Framed, 21st Century
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Sonja Brussen – In My Heart Oil on canvas 40 x 100 cm Framed in a white wooden frame Overall dimensions with frame: 42 x 102 cm Frame included in the price In My Heart is an orig...
Oil, Canvas
Waiting for a Miracle- 21st century Contemporary Figure painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Ksenya Istomina – Waiting for a Miracle Oil on linen, 105 x 70 cm In Waiting for a Miracle, Ksenya Istomina captures a moment of quiet contemplation and anticipation. A young woman ...
Linen, Oil
$1,720Sale Price|20% Off
Beauty from Within 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women, Fabrics
By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Bakare Babatund...
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
AV NOVA by Ramon Enrich - Architecture and Landscape Painting
By Ramon Enrich
Located in Paris, FR
AV NOVA is a painting by Spanish contemporary artist Ramon Enrich. Acrylic on canvas: H 39.4 × L 51.2 in inches / H 100 × L 130 cm. The artwork is sold framed (brown floating frame)...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,120Sale Price|20% Off
Ancestral Throne - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women, Fabrics
By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Bakare Babatund...
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
3 CASES by Ramon Enrich - Architecture and Landscape Painting
By Ramon Enrich
Located in Paris, FR
3 CASES is a painting by Spanish contemporary artist Ramon Enrich. Acrylic on canvas: H 39.4 × L 51.2 in inches / H 100 × L 130 cm. The artwork is sold framed (brown floating frame)...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,750Sale Price|25% Off
TURNING INTO STONE 3 surreal original oil/canvas Paula Craioveanu large 30x38in
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Turning into Stone 3 " . Original, unique painting. oil on canvas, 30x38in. Shipped stretched ready for display in the US, and shipped rolled in a tube to Europe and to the rest of...
Canvas, Oil
$3,500Sale Price|30% Off
Lady with Books 2 original painting by Paula Craioveanu 39x23in FRAMED
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Lady with Books 2", 39x23in / 100x60cm. Original painting. Shipped as it is, stretched, ready for hanging, framed. Framed size 41.5x25.7in. Free shipping with 1stDibs code This p...
Canvas, Acrylic
In the Moment
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 95×95 cm (overall size with stretching 105×105 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled Series: Chill Out «In the Moment» This painting is about the simple ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$640Sale Price|20% Off
Blue Bull Original Oil Painting on Canvas, Signed, 84x80 cm
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
“Blue Bull 2” is an original oil painting on canvas by Colombian artist Luis Xiua, whose work integrates figurative and abstract elements inspired by nature, symbolism, and Construct...
Oil, Acrylic, Cotton Canvas
In a May Garden
By Jacob Burda
Located in Zofingen, AG
In a May Garden captures a quiet moment of connection hidden within the richness of nature. Surrounded by deep green foliage and blooming pink forms, two figures sit together at a sm...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,960Sale Price|20% Off
State of Mind 15 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Women, Floral
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
The artist's expressive strokes, rendered with bold acrylics, bring to life a figurative portrait that speaks volumes about resilience and aspiration. The interplay of colors and tex...
Canvas, Acrylic
TORRUB by Ramon Enrich - 59 In Wide Square Painting, Red Tones
By Ramon Enrich
Located in Paris, FR
TORRUB is a unique acrylic on canvas painting by contemporary artist Ramon Enrich, dimensions are 150 × 150 cm (59.1 × 59.1 in). Dimensions of the framed artwork are 154 cm x 154 cm ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,280Sale Price|20% Off
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
Where Time Stood Still
Located in Zofingen, AG
Where Time Stood Still (From the "Synchronicity of Souls" series) "Where Time Stood Still" is a visual manifesto of safety, unconditional trust, and the mental connection between hum...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,911
To Leave or Stay: Contemporary Figurative Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
This sophisticated contemporary figurative painting examines the psychological atmosphere of civilian life during the war in Ukraine through a carefully orchestrated symbolic interio...
Lacquer, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Thorns Before Roses - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern Men
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This work questions what happens after arrival. When the life once desired is finally attained, soft, beautiful, without struggle, why does the mind remain unsettled? Thorns Before ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Magic tree
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this work I will continue to weave archetypal images of ancient times. The work enters into a dialogue with the symbolism of long-standing visual memory, which appears in various...
Canvas, Acrylic
Mistress of the Autumn Garden
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, the artist creates the image of a woman as the keeper of the harvest, of space, and of the rhythms of nature. Her figure rises from the earth as naturally as the ap...
Canvas, Acrylic
After the Game (Figurative Painting, Two Men in Athletic Uniforms by Mark Beard)
By Mark Beard
Located in Hudson, NY
Academic style figurative portrait painting of a handsome young men "After the Game", By Mark Beard as Bruce Sargeant (pseudonym in homage to the fashion photographer, Bruce Weber, a...
Canvas, Oil
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
Soft Souls - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Expressionism, Africa Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"There is a language spoken only in the space between us— a calm that holds our truths without demanding words. In that quiet, we find understanding, we find safety, we find each oth...
Canvas, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
With You - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern, Africa
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 Tos...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Protected Truth -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Mixed Media
By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Bakare Babatund...
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Culture Identity 1 - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative Modern Women Painting
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
Lou Dog - Abstract Quirky Figurative Dog Cowboy Inspired Painting on Paper
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, Acrylic, Paper
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Passport 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Neo-Expressionism, Modern
By Wisdom Uche
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Guy - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Neo-Expressionism, Africa, Love
By Wisdom Uche
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Pleasure - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa 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.
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$30,748
Cainemim by Ramon Enrich - 6.5-In Wide Geometric Landscape Painting, Earth Tones
By Ramon Enrich
Located in Paris, FR
Cainemim is a unique acrylic on canvas painting by Spanish contemporary artist Ramon Enrich, dimensions are 190 × 200 cm (74.8 × 78.7 in). The artwork is signed, sold unframed and co...
Canvas, Acrylic
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Culture Identity 9 - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative Modern Women Painting
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
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Nicole - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Neo-Expressionism, Africa, Love
By Wisdom Uche
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
In My White Boots - Colorful Abstract Feminine Figurative Still Life Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Southern California native Courtney Simone seamlessly blends her passion for abstract art with the exploration of everyday beauty, resulting in exuberantly inspired abstract figurati...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Muriel Chazalon, "End of day" Oil on canvas, Contemporary Landscape
Located in Montfort l’Amaury, FR
Muriel Chazalon (b. 1957) – Fin de journée (End of Day) Oil on canvas, 2023, 31½ × 47¼ in. (80 × 120 cm) signed on the back Fin de journée is a large-scale landscape painting by Mur...
Canvas, Oil
Pugna 061 by Chidy Wayne, Minimalist Style, Large Format
By Chidy Wayne
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Chidy Wayne (b. 1981, Spain) is an artist based in Barcelona. Over the years, he has established himself as a recognized figure in the art world, developing a personal artistic langu...
Mixed Media, Textile
$1,287
Landscape 20 - 21st Century Contemporary Impressionistic Landscape Painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frank Dekkers Landscape 20 15 x 20 cm (framed, included in price 20 x 25 cm) oil on Panel About the artist: Frank Dekkers, an outdoor painter, but not a "square painter" as we know...
Oil, Wood Panel
Summer - Contemporary Impressionistic Painting of a Landscape
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frank Dekkers Summer 140 x 200 cm (not framed) oil on canvas On the pictures we also show you the artist receiving the flowers on our opening of this exhibition september 3th 2023 i...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
Everyone Has Their Own Harbor
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 95×95 cm (overall size with stretching 105×105 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This painting is about the idea that everyone has their own harbor....
Canvas, Acrylic
$8,153
Green Iron Jungles N8 by Calo Carratalá - Round Painting, Amazon Landscape
Located in Paris, FR
Green Iron Jungles N8 is a unique round acrylic on aluminum and gloss varnish painting by Spanish contemporary artist Calo Carratalá, diameter is 120 cm (47.2 in). The artwork is sig...
Iron
Letting Go, Almost
Located in Zofingen, AG
Letting Go, Almost In this work, the figure appears in a state between holding and release. The body is no longer tightly controlled, yet it has not fully let go. This in-between st...
Canvas, Acrylic
Eduardo Azuaje Venezuelan Oil Painting Tropical Azul Latin American Modernism
Located in Surfside, FL
Eduardo Azuaje (Venezuela, born 1968) "Tropical Azul" (Tropical Blue) Oil on Canvas. Framed. Hand signed 2000 Frame measures: 27" high, 45" wide. without frame it measures 26 x 44 ...
Canvas, Oil
$2,120Sale Price|20% Off
Waiting To Blossom -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Mixed Media, Fabrics
By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Bakare Babatund...
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Talking with You
By Jacob Burda
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting reflects a quiet moment shared by two people whose conversation seems untouched by time. They may be close friends or perhaps a couple — the kind of connection where wo...
Canvas, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Where the Light Stays 10 - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
In my world, colors aren't always reliable. I often struggle to tell where a deep blue ends and a purple begins, or where a red turns into wine, and deep yellows turn into oranges. I...
Canvas, Oil
Hummingbird (260307)
By Gwen Wong
Located in Atlanta, GA
Gwen Wong's work is both painterly and allegorical, caught somewhere in the middle between the representational painter and the narrator. "I am inspired by the idea of a childhood re...
Gold Leaf
$3,750Sale Price|25% Off
Philosopher Original Oil Painting Canvas Surreal 30x38in Signed Paula Craioveanu
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Philosopher" . Original, unique painting. oil on canvas, 30x38in. Shipped rolled in a tube from Europe to the USA using DHL or FedEx, no custom or import fees in the US. Shipped rol...
Canvas, Oil
Delight of Waves by Marylin Cavin - acrylic contemporary people painting
Located in DE
Marylin Cavin is a French-Swiss artist who completed her art studies in Paris, where she lived for about thirty years. For the past 25 years, she has regularly exhibited in galleries...
Canvas, Acrylic
![[Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Wrestler Standing](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/mark-beard-paintings-bruce-sargeant-1898-1938-wrestler-standing-for-sale/a_9323/a_180573421778706755230/Beard_Bruce_Sargeant_1898_1938_Wrestler_Standing_framed_master.jpg?width=240)
![[Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Wrestler Standing](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/mark-beard-paintings-bruce-sargeant-1898-1938-wrestler-standing-for-sale-picture-2/a_9323/a_180573421778706799093/Beard_Bruce_Sargeant_1898_1938_Wrestler_Standing_1200_master.jpg?width=240)
[Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Wrestler Standing
By Mark Beard
Located in New York, NY
Mark Beard [Bruce Sargeant (1898-1938)] Wrestler Standing, n.d. Signed, u.r. Oil on canvas 30 x 24 inches (76.2 x 61 cm) $5,000 + $350 framing
Canvas, Oil
$1,840Sale Price|20% Off
Roots and Rhythm - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Mixed Media, Fabrics
By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Bakare Babatund...
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Another Day Still Disable -21st Century, Contemporary Figurative Portrait Modern
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. (Issues b...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Mutual Trust
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 95×95 cm (overall size with stretching 105×105 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: Stretched, in reinforced cardboard packaging. This work is part of the T...
Acrylic, Canvas
Summer Birches - Atmospheric Nature Painting, Framed
Located in Hallein, AT
This painting is signed on the back, the frames are made of oak A few words of the artist about his art: When i painting landscapes, I usually choose simple geometric arrangements,...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
$2,175
Island Life - Abstract Colorful Feminine Figurative Acrylic Artwork Beach Scene
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Southern California native Courtney Simone seamlessly blends her passion for abstract art with the exploration of everyday beauty, resulting in exuberantly inspired abstract figurati...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
TROPIC 1 by Ramon Enrich - Landscape Painting, Earth Tones, Architecture
By Ramon Enrich
Located in Paris, FR
TROPIC 1 is a unique acrylic on paper mounted on wood painting by contemporary artist Ramon Enrich, dimensions are 94.5 × 134 cm (37.2 × 52.8 in). The artwork is signed, sold frame...
Wood, Paper, Acrylic
$1,000Sale Price|20% Off
Mixed Feeling 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
“Mixed Feelings” is a visual series that captures the emotional complexity of Black womanhood, strength, softness, pride, visibility, and invisibility. Each portrait in this series h...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Geometry 5 Acrylic Painting, Contemporary Style, Signed, 2010-
Located in Roma, IT
This one-of-a-kind painting by Anna Maria Caboni presents a refined geometric abstraction defined by balance, rhythm, and warm tonal contrasts. Executed in a harmonious palette of go...
Acrylic
Building My Cozy Hut
Located in Zofingen, AG
Building My Cozy Hut explores memory as a space of inner refuge. The title refers to the childhood experience of creating a secret shelter - a place existing between reality and imag...
Canvas, Oil
Here and There
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Here and There is a stunning oil painting on linen of a seated figure in a room. This piece is in Leigh Cunningham's signature style of blurry abstracted realism.
Linen, Oil
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
Peaceful Synergy - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Africa Women, Blue
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 Sam...
Canvas, Acrylic, Charcoal