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.
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
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
$4,107Sale Price|20% Off
Large Contemporary Abstract Painting Gestural Mixed Media Mediterranean Light
By Ángel Celada
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Large contemporary abstract painting with gestural marks and layered mixed media textures inspired by Mediterranean light and atmosphere. This work by Ángel Celada develops an open ...
Oil, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Board, Wax Crayon, Wax
$1,400
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
Tender Presence I
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 my “T...
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
Hibiscus Pink 229 & Lime Green Juicy Pocket Painting 228, diptych
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Pink Hibiscus 229 (canvas size 5x5cm) is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, with...
Canvas, Oil
Woman Abstracted Portrait, Floral, Bright, Megaphone Flower by Rebecca Jack
By Rebecca Jack
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Rebecca Jack "Megaphone Flower" Acrylic & Oil on Canvas 48 x 72 in (121.92 x 182.88 cm) __________________________ Rebecca Jack, an intuitive painter, creates vibrant, figurative wo...
Canvas, Acrylic, Oil
Open Sea
Located in Burlingame, CA
River Sequence Morning, by Brooks Anderson, created with oil on panel. 24 x 48 inches. Unframed and ready to hang and enjoy. Brooks Anderson is a contemporary painter whose oil lan...
Oil, Panel
"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
$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
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
"You Are Here: S Thing" Thread and Acrylic in Graffiti Letter
By Kelly Kozma
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This sculpture titled "You Are Here: S Thing" is an original artwork by Kelly Kozma made of thread scraps & acrylic on panel. The piece measures 4"h x 4"w x 1.75"d. Kelly Kozma ...
Found Objects, Acrylic, Panel
"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
Pink and Blue Dots II - Contemporary Abstract Figurative Sculptural Diptych Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Nebraka-based Jamie Burmeister is a sculptural artist known for his original artworks incorporating original small bronze figures, standing at just up to 4 inches tall. His unique fi...
Metal
$6,500
Animals and Figure on paper, Bold lines, Bull Fighter Collage by America Martin
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
America Martin "The Bull Fighter Collage III", 2015 Pencil & Ink on Collected Paper 18.5 x 25.25 in (46.99 x 64.14 cm) America Martin is an internationally represented Colombian...
Acrylic, Paper, Ink
$30,805
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
$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
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
$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
Large Canadian 20thC Oil Painting Still Life Of Irises Flowers - French Painter
Located in Cirencester, GB
Artist: André Bertounesque (1937-2005) French Title: "Cut Iris Flower on A Windowsill" Medium: oil on board Size: 106cm x 85cm inclusive of frame Notes: Born in Saint Livrarde Franc...
Oil
Every Body Is a Beach Body
Located in Zofingen, AG
Somewhere along the way, we started believing we had to earn summer. Earn the swimsuit. Earn the beach. Earn the right to relax. This painting disagrees. It reminds us that the sun d...
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
$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
$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
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
$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
Flow State
Located in Burlingame, CA
Elizabeth Geisler is best known for contemporary paintings of water that bridge realism and abstraction. At close range, her surfaces appear loose and ambiguous, but from a distance ...
Canvas, Acrylic
“Flamingo’s in a Lush Jungle Waterfall”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original acrylic paint on canvas painting of a lush jungle landscape with a waterfall and flamingo’s by the well known Haitian painter, Henri-Robert Bresil. Signed lower right by th...
Canvas, Acrylic
Peonies - Contemporary Botanical Still Life Peony Flowers Teacup Glove, 2024
By Matt Barter
Located in Kent, CT
A contemporary botanical still life oil painting on panel with magenta, pink, white and dark purple peonies in a mustard ochre colored vase, a blue glove and white teacup against a w...
Oil, Board
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
Emotionally Unavailable but Moisturized
Located in Zofingen, AG
Emotionally Unavailable but Moisturized is a quiet little rebellion against the pressure to always be available, productive, emotionally articulate, healed, glowing, thriving… prefer...
Canvas, Acrylic
Signed Oil on Canvas Painting of Gentleman, Circa 2000, 90x60 cm
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Title: Gentleman in Interior (After Fernando Botero) Artist: Sanz (Spanish painter, active late 20th – early 21st century) Year: circa 2000 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions (unfr...
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
Meditation
Located in Burlingame, CA
Willard Dixon is widely recognized for his calm, contemplative landscapes and skyscapes, paintings that hold stillness, clarity, and a quiet reverence for nature. In this exhibition,...
Canvas, Oil
In the Mood for Love Female Nude original painting by Paula Craioveanu
Located in Forest Hills, NY
“In the Mood for Love”. Original painting, acrylic on canvas. 27.5x19.7x1in/ 70x50x3cm Ready for hanging, no need for frame, painted on the sides. Shipping stretched from New York. ...
Canvas, Varnish, Acrylic
Spill - Framed Contemporary Abstract Painting in White, Red, Blue, Yellow, Green
Located in Gilroy, CA
Spill is an intricately layered abstract painting by Deanna Schuerbeke. She builds expressive works through layers of colors, texture, and mark-making that tread the line of chaos an...
Oil
$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
I Hunt Rabbits - Original Dog Pet Portrait Mixed Media Painting - Beagle
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Columbus, Georgia-based artist Kellie Newsome specializes in dynamic and expressive animal portraits that radiate vitality and personality. Her unique style combines abstracted forms...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Color Pencil
Dotted Clover - Warm Abstract Folk Art Inspired Botanical Painting on Raw Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Meredith Walker’s "Dotted Clover" is a bold and meditative piece of contemporary folk art that highlights her ability to blend simplicity with symbolic resonance. This original acryl...
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
'Veil' Acrylic Painting on Panel, Contemporary Landscape, 21st Century
Located in Burlingame, CA
Elizabeth Geisler is best known for her dazzling contemporary water reflection paintings that bridge realism with abstraction. Up close, the paintings appear ambiguous and loose, yet...
Acrylic, 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
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
$1,000Sale Price|20% Off
Mixed Feeling 3 - 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
El mar. By Inna Panasenko. 2007. Oil on canvas. 200/300 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Inna Panasennko is one of the most successful and best-selling contemporary artists in Germany. One of the central themes of Inna's work is monumental images of bulls in all their na...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,205
Large Blue Abstract Seascape, Contemporary Oil Painting on Canvas, Minimalist
Located in Agrigento, AG
Artist: Marilina Marchica Title: Blue Landscape Year: 2026 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 60 × 90 × 2 cm (23.6 × 35.4 × 0.8 in) Signature: Signed on the back Certificate of Authen...
Canvas, Oil
Doughnut Chocolate Pocket Painting 209, original painting, still life
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Chocolate Doughnut (with Sugar Sprinkles) 209 (canvas size 5x5cm) is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale r...
Canvas, Oil
With Girls on a Random Friday Night
Located in Zofingen, AG
With Girls on a Random Friday Night is about the quiet rituals that keep us close to ourselves and to each other. In a world obsessed with productivity, comparison, and always moving...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,289
Landscape 07 - 21st Century Contemporary Impressionistic Landscape Painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frank Dekkers Landscape 07 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
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
Orelisa - 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 (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
"Washington Square" City Scene of Woman Walking a Dog in Miniature Painting
By Tom Haugomat
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Washington Square" 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 inspir...
Paper, 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
Strawberry Red Deep Pocket Painting 219, original painting, still life
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Pink Bloom Damson 220 (canvas size 7x5cm) is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, ...
Canvas, Oil
$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
Green Curio Cabinet - Leucistic Anna’s Hummingbirds
Located in Burlingame, CA
Marie Cameron's new Curio Cabinet series places birds and teacups within curiosity cabinets filled with specimens, artifacts, collectibles, and kitsch, all woven together through nar...
Linen, Oil
Garden - Contemporary Jade Green Aqua Blue Poured Painting, 2025
Located in Kent, CT
Garden by Susan English, a contemporary poured painting, is a wonderful play of color, light, and composition. Vertical stripes and blocks of color in hues of soft jade, pale mint gr...
Acrylic Polymer, Panel
Strawberry Ruby Red Pocket Painting 202, original painting, still life
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Ruby Red Strawberry 202 (canvas size 5x5cm) is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings...
Canvas, Oil
$6,826
Boar Skull - 21st Century Contemporary Realistic Still Life Painting of a Skull
By Bart Koning
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Bart Koning (Dutch artist) Boar Skull 35,6 x 55,3 cm (framed included in price 36 x 55,7) Oil paint on wood panel We're proud to introduce Dutch/ German artist Bart Koning. Incred...
Oil, Wood Panel
$2,800
Calm Waters - Soft Abstract Cool Tone Textural Paint Graffiti Mixed Media 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
$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
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.