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.
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
diphtych "Where Peace Finds You"
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 95×95 cm (overall size with stretching 105×105 cm) – size of each picture Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled from the series “Trust: In Space” This dipty...
Canvas, Acrylic
$25,000
'California Sunset, Drake's Bay', San Francisco, PSA, Extra Large Oil Landscape
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower right, 'Wakeham' for Duan Wakeham (American, born 1931) and dated, verso, 1997. Additionally titled, 'Estero, Drake's Bay'. Previously with: Hackett Freedman Gallery, San Francisco. Framed dimensions: 73.5 H x 2.25 D x 61.5 W inches Born in Michigan, Wakeham attended Meinzinger Art School, Detroit, and later earned degrees in painting from Michigan State University (1959) and Stanford University (1961). During this time, he also traveled and painted in Europe for two years, living the second year in Florence, Italy. A teacher, Wakeham taught drawing and painting at Stanford and art history and oil painting at College of San Mateo. He has conducted workshops, taught master classes, and juried exhibitions in California, Nevada, New Mexico, Hawaii, New York, Washington, D.C., and Ontario, Canada. An active member of the Pastel Society of America, he taught a workshop for the society (1997) and performed demonstrations (2001, 2004, 2005) and assisted in hanging “Pastels Only” each year since 1998. In 2000, Wakeham was elected to the Pastel Society of America's Hall of Fame in 2000 and, in 2009, named Pastel Society of the West Coast Pastel Laureate. In 1995 he was named Master Pastelist, PSA and Distinguished Pastelist, Pastel Society of the West Coast. He is a member of PSA Board of Governors, the IAPS Board of Directors and the Editorial Advisory Board of The Pastel Journal. Duane Wakeham...
Canvas, Oil
$4,096
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
Will You Be My Lobster?
Located in Zofingen, AG
Some people spend a lifetime searching for proof that they belong to someone. Others quietly become a home for themselves. This lobster isn’t waiting by the sea. It has already found...
Canvas, Acrylic
"The Fish Bowl", Building Facade with Fish and Landscape Mixed Media
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"The Fish Bowl" is a one-of-a-kind piece created by Eustace Mamba. This original artwork made of oils and acrylics on sewn mixed media measures 12”h x 12”w. It ships with a gallery-...
Canvas, Paint, Oil, Other Medium, Fabric
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
Blue Face
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Denver, CO
Since 1977, Hunt Slonem has had more than 350 exhibitions at prestigious galleries and museums internationally. Globally, more than 250 museums include his work in their permanent co...
Wood, Oil
$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
Pink Ascension Beyond The Moon & Stars
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Hunt Slonem, American, included in 250+ museum collections Unique oil on canvas painting, artist's antique frame, signed and dated verso Inspired by nature and his 60 pet birds, Hu...
Gold Leaf
"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
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
"Red bulI"
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
Green Silence
By Jacob Burda
Located in Zofingen, AG
Green Silence Series: Birds Green Silence captures a solitary white heron standing quietly within a lush, dreamlike landscape of deep greens and reflected light. Emerging softly fro...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,984
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
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
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
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
"Blue Grasshopper"
Located in Zofingen, AG
Blue Grasshopper is about freedom of movement and freedom of choice; unity with the Universe and individuality of experience. It is about beauty in different rhythms. It is about the...
Canvas, Acrylic
Time Keeper. Large Acrylic Painting, Blue Orange Geometric Rabbit.
Located in Oslo, NO
An original acrylic on canvas depicting a young woman holding a geometric rabbit with a melting pocket watch, combining contemporary figurative painting with geometric abstraction. T...
Canvas, 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
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
$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
$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
Contemporary Landscape Diptych Painting with Pine Trees by Carol Moreno
By Carol Moreno
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
The total size of the two works is 90x180 cm. At Escat Gallery we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork i...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,650
Man and Time -21st Century, Contemporary Figurative Portrait, Art Deco Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This piece is talking about time and the journey of mankind, which no one knows and is unpredictable. That is why the clock he is holding is not speaking about certainty or a specifi...
Canvas, Oil, 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
Pomegranate Red Shiny Pocket Painting 252, original painting, still-life
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Shiny Red Pomegranate 252 (canvas size 7x7cm) is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintin...
Canvas, Oil
$5,266
Reflections of summer . X-large figurative painting . Modern Contemporary.
Located in Oslo, NO
Golden light dances across a shimmering expanse of water. The scene captures a moment of leisure and serenity. Figures glide on paddleboards, their movements rhythmic and slow. Warm ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,404
New Stories/6 – Contemporary Abstract Mountain Painting in Blue Grey and Rose
By HELEN MOUNT
Located in Zofingen, AG
This new series marks a return to landscape painting, reinterpreted through a contemporary, abstract lens. Familiar horizons dissolve into layers of color, light, and emotion, creati...
Acrylic
Untitled
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Kristine Moran, oil on wood panel, signed and dated verso
Oil, Wood Panel
$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
$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
Horses - 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
$8,000
J.O.
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Denver, CO
Since 1977, Hunt Slonem has had more than 350 exhibitions at prestigious galleries and museums internationally. Globally, more than 250 museums include his work in their permanent co...
Wood, Oil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
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
diptych: Cow #1 & Cow #2
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 95×95 cm (overall size with stretching 105×105 cm) – size of each picture Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled Cow #1 & Cow #2 Part of The Decorative Se...
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
$2,360Sale Price|20% Off
Weightless - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern, Africa Men
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Weightless captures a suspended moment between control and release. His posture suggests not defeat, but acceptance, a letting go of tension, burden, and the unseen trials that pres...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
'Opening Flowers', watercolor on cotton, professionally framed
Located in Burlingame, CA
Internationally acclaimed watercolorist Gary Bukovnik has devoted his career to celebrating the beauty, abundance, and vitality of the natural world. Renowned for his exuberant flora...
Paper, Watercolor
The Blue Lagoon - Abstract Blue Tone Textured Mixed Media Graffiti Inspired 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
Being Present
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 95×120 cm (overall size with stretching 105×130 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled A white dog resting on a soft pink armchair becomes an image of q...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Highway 101", Surreal Redwood Highway Panting with Orcas and Car
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This piece titled "Highway 101" is an original artwork by Chris Austin and is made of gouache on wood. It measures 13"h x 17"w framed and is signed en verso by the artist. Chris Aus...
Wood, Gouache
"Framed" Man Taking Photo of Statue in Miniature Painting
By Tom Haugomat
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Framed" is an original painting by Tom Haugomat, made as part of his traveling artist residency with The Jaunt. Traveling from France to Philadelphia, Haugomat was inspired by his n...
Paper, Acrylic
New Girl in Town
Located in Zofingen, AG
New Girl in Town captures that delicate, almost imperceptible feeling of being slightly out of rhythm with the world around you — where everything seems settled, familiar, already un...
Canvas, 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
Hummingbird (260306)
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
Pure Elegance
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 100×80 cm (overall size with stretching 110×90 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled Series: Trust This painting is part of my “Trust” series, where an...
Canvas, Acrylic
Winter Stream - Contemporary Atmospheric Landscape Oil Pastel Painting
By Janusz Kokot
Located in Hallein, AT
Janusz Kokot was born in Kalisz in 1960. He studied at the Pedagogical University in Częstochowa at the Art Institute. He practices painting and drawing. In the years 1988 - 2020 he ...
Paper, Oil Pastel, Pencil
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
PAILL by Ramon Enrich - 5.7 ft wide painting, landscape and architecture
By Ramon Enrich
Located in Paris, FR
PAILL is a unique acrylic on canvas painting by contemporary artist Ramon Enrich, dimensions including the frame are 95 × 175 cm (37.4 × 68.9 in). The artwork is signed, sold frame...
Canvas, Acrylic
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
Dandylion Clock Pocket Painting 247, original painting, still-life
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Dandylion Clock 247 (canvas size 5x5cm) is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, wi...
Canvas, Oil
$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
Gold Owls
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Denver, CO
Since 1977, Hunt Slonem has had more than 350 exhibitions at prestigious galleries and museums internationally. Globally, more than 250 museums include his work in their permanent co...
Wood, Oil
Robin Redbreast Pocket Painting 246, original painting, still-life
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Robin Redbreast 246 (canvas size 5x5cm) is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, wi...
Canvas, Oil
$30,901
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
Point of Balance
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this work, flowers, a vase, and a fragment of an architectural form create a space of quiet co-presence. The objects do not construct a narrative or strive for symbolic completen...
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
$2,808
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
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.