Contemporary Figurative Paintings
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.
1970s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Board
1950s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Wool, Canvas, Thread, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Encaustic, Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Panel
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
1990s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Linen, Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Paper, Tempera
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Pastel, Acrylic, Vinyl, Watercolor, Pigment
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Linen, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Canvas, Cotton Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
A stylized portrait of a woman emerges from a stark black background. Colorful dots construct her face and upper body, forming subtle contours and shadows tha...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Jute, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Linen
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Sandstone
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Gouache
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Panel, Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Gesso, Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1980s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Wood, Cotton Canvas, Ink, Acrylic, Pencil
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Color Pencil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Jute, Wax, Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Graphite
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil