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Contemporary Portrait Paintings

CONTEMPORARY STYLE

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.

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Style: Contemporary
Color:  White
SCHEMING
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This figurative black and white painting titled "SCHEMING" is an original acrylic on canvas painting by Jasjyot Singh Hans measuring 60"h x 48"w. Jasjyot Singh Hans is an illustrato...
Category

2010s Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

BANGS
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This black and white figurative painting titled "BANGS" is an original acrylic on canvas painting measuring 60"h x 48"w by Jasjyot...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

The bi-polar nature of every instance
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Acrylic
Category

2010s Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Mock Practice, Men practicing shooting, Brown, Sepia color, Watercolor on Paper
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Prasanta Sahu , Title : Mock Practice : Size : 11 x 15 inches (unframed size) Mixed Media on paper Inclusive of shipment in a roll / flat form. About the Artist & his work : Bor...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper, Mixed Media

Molly: Oakland to Los Angeles, CA (Positive)
Located in New Orleans, LA
medium: silver gouache on paper The artist says of the inspiration in her latest work . . . Moving to Washington, DC in 2016 changed me. The unraveling of this country's leadershi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Molly: Oakland to Los Angeles, CA (Negative)
Located in New Orleans, LA
medium: silver gouache on paper The artist says of the inspiration in her latest work . . . Moving to Washington, DC in 2016 changed me. The unraveling of this country's leadershi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Gouache

2306G, original art, line drawing, nude, still-life, affordable art
Located in Deddington, GB
2306G [2020] original Ink on paper Image size: H:36.5 cm x W:28 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:36.5 cm x W:28 cm x D:0.1cm Sold Unframed Please note that insitu images are...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Ink

Man on the Island w/ White Linen Towel_America Martin_Oil/Acrylic_Figurative
Located in 326 N Coast Hwy. | Laguna Beach, CA
America Martin "Man on the Island with White Linen Towel" Acrylic on Pink Linen 88.5 x 52.5 in. Framed Exploring the identity of both her namesake and cou...
Category

2010s Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Linen

Memories of Love III (The Girl behind the White Picket Fence) - Polaroid, Color
Located in Morongo Valley, CA
Memories of Love III (The Girl behind the White Picket Fence) - 2013 20x20cm, Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on a Polaroid. Certificate and signatur...
Category

2010s Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid

Male Portrait
Located in Wien, 9
Oswald Oberhuber's art was rich in diversity of expression, as well as in the media he used. This work, coloured pencil and pencil on paper, shows a portrait of a man, reduced to few...
Category

20th Century Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Paper, Pencil, Color Pencil

"Bound by Love" by Anne Siems, Portrait painting with tattoo drawing, on paper
Located in Dallas, TX
Anne Siems has created this stunning watercolor on Strathmore Cold press paper. All archival materials. Paper size: 44x44 inches Silver wood Frame size: 50x50x1.25 inch ANNE SIEMS (b. 1965, Germany) Artist Statement I was born in Berlin, Germany. From 1969 to 1971 I lived near Buenos Aires, Argentina. My first extended stay in the US was as an exchange student in 1986. Then in 1991, after finishing my MFA in Berlin, I moved to Seattle, WA. My work has moved from semi-abstract, room-filling plant and insect drawings...
Category

2010s Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper

Diana (Spencer), Princess of Wales. From The Series "All About Eve"
Located in New York, NY
Listing includes framing with UV plexi, free shipping to the continental US and a 14-day return policy. Diana (Spencer), Princess of Wales from the series “All About Eve...
Category

2010s Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Archival Paper

Bloom II
Located in Nashville, TN
"Bloom II" is a painting by Cuban artist Carlos Gamez de Francisco using watercolor and acrylic on canvas. Francisco painted this piece live at the opening event for Chauvet Arts' ex...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Watercolor

Forest Lover by Anne Siems, Portrait painting with tattoo drawing, on paper
Located in Dallas, TX
Anne Siems has created this stunning watercolor on Strathmore Cold press paper. All archival materials. Paper size: 24x18 inches Suggested Frame size: 30x24x1.5 inch ANNE SIEMS (...
Category

2010s Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper

"Forest 1" by Anne Siems, Portrait painting with tattoo drawing, on paper
Located in Dallas, TX
Anne Siems has created this stunning watercolor on Strathmore Cold press paper. All archival materials. Paper size: 24x18 inches Suggested Frame size: 30x24x1.5 inch ANNE SIEMS (...
Category

2010s Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper

Looking for new experiences - mw4mw - 2925 (San Francisco)
Located in New Orleans, LA
paint chip sample mosaic on panel and vintage swing frame Born in 1971 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Carlton Scott Sturgill received his Masters of Arts (Fine Art) from London’s Chelsea Coll...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

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In Abundance, Contemporary Figurative Painting, Mixed Media on Panel
Located in Austin, TX
Jasmine Zelaya is a multi- disciplinary first generation Honduran- American artist based in Houston, Texas. The daughter of parents who immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1970’s, much of the artist’s work references the aesthetics of that period. Zelaya’s work explores themes of identity, assimilation and the brown body through a familial narrative rich with symbolism. Zelaya received her BFA in Painting in 2006 from the Kansas City Art Institute. Her work has been included in exhibitions at the Blaffer Art Museum (Houston), Project Row Houses (Houston), The Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts (Lubbock), and was recently included in the 2021 Texas Biennial: A New Landscape, A Possible Horizon, at the San Antonio Art Museum. Recent public art projects in Houston include Twins for Art Blocks at the Main Street Marquee and Detroit Red at the Moody Center for the Arts. Her work has been featured on television media and in numerous publications, including as a cover artist for New American Paintings (#132). Zelaya has used portraiture to explore themes of identity throughout her career, specifically from the perspective of a first generation, Latinx artist. This newest body of work is heavily informed by memory, the awkwardness of youth, and the experience of assimilation. Graphic floral masks, a subtle head tilt, teary eyes, and explosive gradients of color all coalesce to capture the strong, mixed emotions of introspective teen years. **This work is on view at Ivester Contemporary...
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Materials

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Sad Girls 2, Contemporary Figurative Painting, Mixed Media on Canvas
Located in Austin, TX
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Once More, Contemporary Figurative Painting, Mixed Media on Panel
Located in Austin, TX
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Indonesian Contemporary Art by Kusbudiyanto - Real Love
Located in Paris, IDF
Kusbudiyanto is an Indonesian artist born in 1969 who lives & works in Jogjakarta, Indonesia. This painting tells woman that try to find true love. As we get older a woman will fall...
Category

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Materials

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Indonesian Contemporary Art by Kusbudiyanto - Real Relation
Located in Paris, IDF
Kusbudiyanto is an Indonesian artist born in 1969 who lives & works in Jogjakarta, Indonesia. This painting tells about a human relationship with the natural surroundings, a relatio...
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Materials

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Adele
Located in Mill Valley, CA
Raquel Baldocchi paints with acrylic mixed media on panel, incorporating layers of pigment, glue, paper and drawing material. Working with a variety of materials enables her to creat...
Category

2010s Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic, Panel

Max
Located in Mill Valley, CA
Raquel Baldocchi paints with acrylic mixed media on panel, incorporating layers of pigment, glue, paper and drawing material. Working with a variety of materials enables her to creat...
Category

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Die
By GIFC
Located in Kansas City, MO
GIFC Title: Die Year: 2017 Medium: Gouache on Paper Size: 11 x 8.5 inches Signed and dated by the artist COA provided
Category

2010s Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Die
Die
H 11 in W 8.5 in
Series of Four Portraits from a New York City Gay Underground Club
By Damien Smith
Located in London, GB
A series of four paintings - acrylic on stretched canvas - unframed, by Canadian artist Damien Smith (born 1969). This unique series depicts four characters in a New York City erotic gay bar...
Category

1990s Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"The Star", Figurative tarot painting by Olha Vlasova
Located in Sempach, LU
The edges are painted The painting was part of an exhibition 'Ancestral call' in Switzerland This canvas is infused with the energy and symbolism of tarot cards, especially the Star...
Category

2010s Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Supermodels in Vogue, Watercolor Fashion Painting
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Supermodels in Vogue, by Manuel Santelices Ink, watercolor, and gouache on paper Image size: 14 in. H x 11 in. W Unframed 2023 The worlds of fashion, society, and pop culture are ...
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21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

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Angie Dickinson and Burt Bacharach in Hollywood in 1968. Watercolor on paper
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Young Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakesh, by Manuel Santelices Ink and watercolor on paper Image size: 14 in. H x 11 in. W Unframed 2023 The worlds of fashion, society, and pop cultur...
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Previously Available Items
The White - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait Painting, Oil
Located in Barcelona, Catalonia
The Dutch multidisciplinary artist, Ger Doornink, specialises in painting, illustration and photography. Time spent living in Tokyo, Milan and currently Amsterdam, has heavily influe...
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21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Paintings

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My Girlfriend Ophelia
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Tony Scherman (b. 1950) is one of the most collected and cherished Canadian artists. He is renowned internationally for his work, typically executed in encaustic, a mix of wax and oi...
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Untitled (Uniformed Man with Green and Cream Vines)
Located in Denver, CO
In Forgetting is so long, Daisy Patton collects abandoned, anonymous family photographs, enlarges them past their familiar size, and paints over them. She uses paint to disrupt, to r...
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Awaken
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A figure stretches back as she awakes, already buzzing with movement, while red swathes symbolizing the warm sunrise surround her as she gets ready to start the...

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21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Paintings

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Awaken
Awaken
H 10 in W 8 in D 1 in
Gravida 7, Para 3 (study)
Located in New Orleans, LA
[ New Orleans, LA :: b.1959, Augsburg, Germany ] In 1959, Ruth Owens was born to a young German woman and a Black serviceman from Georgia. The nomadic military lifestyle of her chi...
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21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Paintings

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Casein

Contemporary portrait paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Contemporary portrait paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add portrait paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, purple, pink and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Nemo Jantzen, America Martin, Jack Graves III, and Timothy Archer. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Fabric and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Contemporary portrait paintings, so small editions measuring 2 inches across are also available. Prices for portrait paintings made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $88 and tops out at $430,743, while the average work sells for $4,000.

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