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.
$7,500
Diana Kurz - unique signed Award winning pet dog painting renowned female artist
By Diana Kurz
Located in New York, NY
Diana Kurz Dix/Dixie, 2020 Oil on linen painting Hand signed on the front, side and back: with initials on the front; full signature on the back, and on the side 10 × 8 × 1 1/2 inche...
Oil
$8,200
Old Hemlock Stand and New Growth - Brown Green Virginia Forest Landscape Trees
Located in Kent, CT
The densely treed forest and mountain ledges of Hennen's Virginia home are the subject of this rich, highly detailed landscape painting in oil on panel. An enormous boulder presiding...
Oil, Panel
$4,218
Passage des Volumes – Contemporary Abstract Geometric Painting, Architectural
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Title: Passage des Volumes Artist: Sophie Dumont Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 65 x 54 cm (25.6 x 21.3 in) Framed dimensions: approx. 72 x 61 cm (28.3 x 24 in) Year: 2025 Conditi...
Oil
Summer Vibes. Original Figurative Acrylic Painting, Woman Geometric Rabbit.
Located in Oslo, NO
"Summer Vibes" is an original acrylic painting on canvas that combines contemporary figurative painting with geometric abstraction. A young woman, immersed in music, gently holds a c...
Canvas, Acrylic
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Culture Identity 5 - 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
Threshold Bird Oil Painting on Canvas, Abstract Surrealism, 25x33"
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
Threshold Bird is an original oil painting that explores the meeting point between nature, memory, and imagination. A fantastical bird with violet and magenta plumage emerges from a ...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
The sound of water between us - Contemporary Architecture Pool 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
Pear Blush Pocket Painting 10c, original painting, still-life
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Blush Pear 10c (canvas size 5x7cm) is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, with a ...
Canvas, Oil
The Power of Healing
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting "The Power of Healing," a profound addition to the "Lights of the Universe" series, captures the transformative moment of spiritual and physical restoration. The central...
Canvas, Acrylic
Carnival Suburbian / 2008 framed figurative painting
By Kim Frohsin
Located in Burlingame, CA
Blue and grey with peach abstracted figurative painting in neutral cool colors from Kim Frohsin's "Figures WIth Edges" series. Frohsin, third generation Bay Area Figurative artist—fr...
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Gouache
$2,240Sale Price|20% Off
Just a Girl Painting: Oil and Acrylic on Canvas, Contemporary Art
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Just a Girl is an original painting by Olaosun Oluwapelumi. Oluwapelumi created Just a Girl with Oil and Acrylic on a 36W by 48H-inch primed canvas. Just a Girl portrays a young gir...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$562Sale Price|20% Off
A Journey - Contemporary Oil Painting, Colorful
By Monika Rossa
Located in Warsaw, PL
MONIKA ROSSA studied painting at the University of Arizona, in the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris and at the Escuela de Diseno in Barcelona. She practices drawing and easel painting....
Canvas, Oil
$1,480Sale Price|20% Off
Untitled IV - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Impasto, Impressionism
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, Oil
Orange Horizon
Located in Burlingame, CA
Orange Horizon- The painting was created in 2024 by celebrated American realist artist Willard Dixon, who has captured the undeniable beauty of the west for the past 35 years. Dixon’s work can be found in numerous distinctive private and public collections, as well as the San Francisco...
Oil, Canvas
Red Coat - figurative painting of a woman in a red trench coat
Located in Burlingame, CA
Amber in electric blue with yellow by David Shevlino whose female figures beautifully link traditional representation with abstraction. Through Shevlino’s sensuous application of pai...
Wood Panel, Panel, Oil
Contemporary portrait "It's Cold"
Located in Zofingen, AG
Today marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of our wedding. Thirty-five years together. I dedicated a painting to this date. The subdued tones and soft light highlight a timeless bond, ...
Lacquer, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
$1,171
Lush Summer I – Vibrant Contemporary Mountain Landscape in Pink, Blue and Lime
By HELEN MOUNT
Located in Zofingen, AG
Vibrant mountain artwork in pink, blue, and green tones, contemporary nature-inspired painting. This painting was inspired by the richness of summer landscapes when colors appear mor...
Acrylic
Vivid Blossoming Arcs II Triptych, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 2025
Located in Barcelona, ES
“Vivid Blossoming Arcs II” is a striking triptych that channels the spirit of the Bauhaus movement through precise geometric composition and a masterful command of color. Each panel ...
Paper, Oil, Acrylic
$3,120Sale Price|20% Off
Degree of independence Abstract Yellow Art Textured Giclee on Canvas 40Hx 60W"
By Irena Orlov
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Degree of independence Abstract Yellow Art Textured Giclee on Canvas 40Hx 60W" State-of-the-art HAND EMBELLISHED ∽ MUSEUM QUALITY ∽ DISPLAY READY Giclee Reproduction Each limited e...
Canvas, Varnish, Archival Ink, Acrylic, Digital, Inkjet, Giclée
The newborn light that is me - Atmospheric dreamy pink & green abstract painting
Located in Silverthorne, CO
A rapturous pink and green ode to water and light. When I paint, I use cloth rags taken from daily life. For this painting, I used one of the discarded head coverings I was forced to...
Oil
$1,120Sale Price|20% Off
Today is a Gift 1 -Contemporary, 21st Century, Figurative Portrait, Africa Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Learn from the past, Live in the present, Hope for the future, Do your best today, Never give up, Improve your tomorrows. Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nige...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,150
"And Belonged to Otherwise Memory" by Shelli Langdale, Oil Painting of Horse
Located in Denver, CO
Shelli Langdale's "And Belonged to Otherwise Memory" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a white horse reflected in a rear view mirror with a pink sunset in the distan...
Oil, Panel
Female Nude - Contemporary Figurative Painting, New Expressionism
Located in Hallein, AT
The artwork on paper will be sent unframed to you. Maciej Olekszy was born in 1982, Poland. Graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan, Poland in 2007. Faculty of Painting i...
Paper, Ink
Growth, portrait, contemporary, original painting
Located in Deddington, GB
This beautiful folk art style portrait by Kerry Louise Bennett contemplates the idea of personal growth, the journey towards contentment and the notion of being comfortable in your o...
Acrylic
Tea and Cookies, Oil Painting
By Art Tatin
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A floral-patterned mug stands beside a gleaming metal teapot accompanied by a plate of buttery, sweet palmier cookies. The polished stainless steel reflects t...
Oil
Plum Juicy Pocket Painting 2c, original painting, oil paint, still life, nature
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Juicy Plum 2c is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, with a nod to baroque still ...
Canvas, Oil
Summer Garden I - Tropical Flora Palms Green Plants Red Flowers, 2017
Located in Kent, CT
This colorful contemporary painting in oil on linen of plants and flowers in a backyard is from Francis Sills' ongoing series of Flora Paintings. The verdant shades of green are comp...
Linen, Oil
$750
Field Painting June 19 - Contemporary Landscape Oil Painting Flowers, 2023
Located in Kent, CT
In this contemporary landscape painting in oil on panel, a peaceful summer scene is set, beautifully capturing the idyllic feel of a field of wildflowers in June. Signed, dated and t...
Oil, Panel
Nude. Figurative and abstract acrylic painting, Body, Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Contemporary acrylic on canvas painting depicting a nude by Polish artist Michal Bajsarowicz. The artwork is an artistic take on human body with abstract elements. Composition is ske...
Canvas, Acrylic
Contemporary still life composition of flowers in a vase acrylic on paper
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This vibrant artwork " Summer flowers bouquet by the window" features a dynamic still life composition of flowers in a vase. Bold brushstrokes bring energy and movement to the canvas...
Paper, Acrylic
Magpies Love 3, Over the Moon, Bird, Nature, Animals, Original painting
By Anya Simmons
Located in Deddington, GB
We are so blessed with such a variety of beautiful bird species within the UK. I feel inspired and 'Over The Moon' with joy, watching them and listening to their quirky chatter. Thes...
Mixed Media, Board
"Frontier" - Contemporary Acrylic Barn Painting on Canvas
Located in Denver, CO
Justin Wheatley was born and raised in Clinton, Utah. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Utah State University with an emphasis in drawing and painting, and a Masters of Arts fro...
Oil, Canvas
Egg Blackbird's Greenish Pocket Painting 3c, original painting
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Greenish Blackbird's Egg 3c is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, with a nod to ...
Canvas, Oil
Misty No. 3 Oil Painting, Contemporary Landscape, Signed, 21st Century
Located in Columbia, MO
Original oil painting by Mark English, signed recto. Mark English (American, 1933 – 2019) was a prolific illustrator turned fine‑art painter whose career spanned six decades and ...
Oil
$3,750
"Happily Ever After", Contemporary, Urban, Geometric, Blue, Mixed Media Painting
By Peter Knapp
Located in Franklin, MA
"Happily Ever After" is an original contemporary mixed media painting on panel by Peter Knapp, measuring 30 x 24 inches. Framed by the artist in a custom hand-crafted natural oiled c...
Archival Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Color Pencil, Wood Panel
Haze - warm, gestural, contemporary, landscape, acrylic on canvas
By Sasha Rogers
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This golden light-filled contemporary painting is by Sasha Rogers. The Canadian artist is captivated by the effect of creating what appears to be a ‘horizon’ line in her work that di...
Canvas, Acrylic
Antirhinums and Wildflowers, Original painting, Abstract Landscape art
Located in Deddington, GB
This large canvas is inspired by the wonderful Lower Flower Farm in Hampshire. It was begun in August when the green leaves of the flower beds were beginning to fade and the wildflow...
Canvas, Oil
Still-Life in Studio - 21st Century Contemporary Oil Painting by Ksenya Istomina
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Still-life in Studio 85 x 100 cm (framed in a black wooden frame 95 x 110 cm) Oil on canvas Ksenya Istomina graduated in 2018 at the 'Imperial Academy of Arts in St Petersburg'. S...
Oil, Canvas
Plum Juicy Purple Pocket Painting , original painting, contemporary
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Rusty Wild Pear 2 is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, with a nod to baroque st...
Oil
On The Town: San Francisco / restaurant scene oil on canvas
By Mimi Jensen
Located in Burlingame, CA
'On The Town: San Francisco', depicts a scene from a night in the town in San Francisco, from a series of paintings that depict dining - food and drink experiences by artist Mimi Jen...
Oil, Canvas
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Flamingos by a Pond under a Pink Tree, Naïve Dreamlike Landscape
Located in Genève, GE
Signed "Abiéniste" in the lower left corner. This poetic and visually striking oil painting presents a dreamlike landscape where two flamingos stand gracefully beside a still, refle...
Canvas, Oil
You Always Did Cry Wolf (Western, Cowboy, Horse)
Located in Bozeman, MT
David Rathman, born in 1958 in Choteau, MT, is known for his delicately rendered paintings of stereotypically male motifs from American history and contemporary culture. He focuses o...
Acrylic, Panel, Oil
$1,781Sale Price|28% Off
Interior with Minotaur original painting Neo Mythology 23.5x31.5in FRAMED
Located in Forest Hills, NY
“Minotaur in Interior”, 80x60cm / 31.5×23.6in Shipped stretched, as it is, ready for hanging and FRAMED. Shipping from my studio in Bucharest Romania to the US by DHL and to Europe a...
Canvas, Oil
$1,496Sale Price|20% Off
Abstraction. Contemporary Abstract Oil Painting, Colorful, Dynamic, Polish art
By Monika Rossa
Located in Warsaw, PL
Abstract painting by Polish artist living in USA Monika Rossa. Painting in style of gestural abstraction with dynamic brush strokes and shapes. Main color is red balanced with yellow...
Canvas, Oil
$7,200
Red Fiesta, Bright Orange, Red Still Life, Grapes, Lemons, Blue and White Vase
Located in Kent, CT
A bright and inviting interior scene with a still life arrangement of lemons in a blue and white painted fruit bowl beside a green, leafy plant in a blue and white vase on a striped,...
Canvas, Oil
$15,000
"Love for Meadow V", Colorful Bright Abstract, Textured Mixed Media Painting
Located in Carmel, CA
Sveta Hessler (Russian, born 1973) "Love for Meadow V" 2025 Acrylic paint and mixed media on canvas, stretcher bars Signed on verso. In "Love for Meadow V", Sveta Hessler masterfull...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
$4,049Sale Price|20% Off
Red Shoes. Large contemporary figurative painting, woman in red heels, red
Located in Oslo, NO
This painting depicts a young woman trying on bright red high heels. Dressed in a black dress with lipstick on, she may be preparing for an important event — perhaps the very first o...
Canvas, Oil
Tumbling - Large Serene Ocean Landscape Skyscape Painting
By Jodi Miller
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jodi Miller captivates with her atmospheric landscapes, inspired by the vast skies of her prairie upbringing and her global travels in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Influenced by the...
Canvas, Acrylic
Untitled 16 - Series 2019, Contemporary Abstract Painting, Textile Lightness
Located in Hallein, AT
About Prymon’s Exhibition Dopaminum and his paintings: ”Dopaminum” - Tomasz Prymon Dopamine – colloquially referred to as the hormone of love and happiness. Why is this organic che...
Acrylic, Handmade Paper
$4,800
Large Abstract Wood Sculpture Colorful Wooden Painting John Okulick Wall Hanging
By John Okulick
Located in Surfside, FL
John Okulick, large colorful wood wall sculpture construction "Perfect Harmony" Hand signed and dated, 1999 Dimensions: H: 52 inches: W: 54 inches: D: 10 inches John A. Okulick...
Metal
"Worth The Wait" blues and teals, blue heron, hummingbird, songbirds, florals
Located in Edgartown, MA
"Worth The Wait" is painting with many shades of blue and teal. Featured are herons and songs birds, and a hummingbird. There are also blue plants and flowers. The background is a th...
Canvas, Plaster, Acrylic, Board, Color Pencil
$775
Bubble Gum Island - Abstract Textured Mixed Media Graffiti Inspired Hearts 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
Landscape – Original Painting on Canvas Contemporary Art Unique Art
Located in Agrigento, AG
Description: "Landscape" is an original painting on canvas (50x50 cm) by Marilina Marchica, a contemporary artist who explores the relationship between nature, material, and memory t...
Enamel
Pengfei Wu Original Oil Painting "Still Life-Blue 1"
By Pengfei Wu
Located in New York, NY
Title: Still Life-Blue 1 Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 15.5 x 15.5 inches Frame: Framing options available! Condition: The painting appears to be in excellent condition. Note: Th...
Oil
$2,000
"My Horizon - Santa Monica" Abstract Color Field Contemporary Painting on Canvas
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
An acrylic and oil on canvas 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 colorful pa...
Canvas, Acrylic, Oil
$15,429
Alpine forests N1 by Calo Carratalá - Landscape painting, mountain, snow, winter
Located in Paris, FR
Alpine forests N1 is a painting by contemporary Spanish artist Calo Carratalá. Dimensions are 140 × 200 cm (55.1 × 78.7 in). The artwork is signed, sold unframed and comes with a cer...
Canvas, Oil
Madrone Sunrise Acrylic Painting, Contemporary Landscape, 60 x 36 Inches
By Christine So
Located in Oakland, CA
The butter yellow glow of a summer sky at sunrise. The silhouette of one long graceful madrone branch hanging low. The darker olive green undercoat was painted thinly and allowed to ...
Canvas, Acrylic, Graphite
"Smell Da Flowers", Framed Face with Stitched Elements (Mixed Media Collage)
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Smell Da Flowers" is a one-of-a-kind piece created by Eustace Mamba. This original sewn mixed media in painted wood frame artwork measures 7.5”h x 9.5”w framed. It ships with a gal...
Canvas, Paint, Oil, Other Medium
$10,000Sale Price|20% Off
Female Figure, Gestural, Woman In The Sunset With Flowers by America Martin
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
America Martin "Woman In The Sunset With Flowers White & Crisp", 2011 Oil & Acrylic on Cotton Paper 40 x 30 in (101.6 x 76.2 cm) America Martin is an internationally represe...
Archival Paper, Oil, Acrylic
$2,280Sale Price|20% Off
Genesis 2 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Culture Africa Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This striking work explores African cultural identity as both personal and collective memory. Through the interplay of concealment and adornment, it presents the African body as a sa...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
The artist and activist is the subject of a new show at Washington, D.C.'s National Gallery of Art.
Manhattan's Acquavella Galleries is showing a group of the artist's monumental works that have never been seen together.
Koloman Moser smashed the conservative conventions of art and design in fin-de-siècle Vienna. On the 100th anniversary of his death, the Austrian designer is being celebrated for his radically modern creations.