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.
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
White Horse
By JingYu Wang
Located in New York, NY
Title: White Horse Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 19"" x 19"" Frame: Framing options available! Age: 2000s Condition: Painting appears to be in excellen...
Oil
Composition with Tumbling Vases - Screen I
Located in Burlingame, CA
'Composition with Tumbling Vases - Screen I', by Gary Bukovnik. Watercolor on mulberry, 28 1/2 x 68 inches, 2019. Hand painted folding screen created with watercolor on mulberry pape...
Watercolor, Paper
Still Life with Fishes and Lemon - Oil Paint by Pino Romanò - 1990s
By Pino Romanò
Located in Roma, IT
Oil on canvas realized by Pino Romanò (1934) in 2000s. Hand signed. Titled on rear. Excellent condition.
Canvas, Oil
$2,100
“The Year in Pictures” Contemporary Red Blue White Stars House Acrylic Painting
By Sandra Cohen
Located in Franklin, MA
"The Year in Pictures" is a 30 x 16 x 1.5 inch acrylic painting on canvas in red, blue, white, ochre and orange. In a field of stars, a house striped like a blackened U.S. flag rests...
Acrylic, Canvas
Maroon Bells, Crater Lake 2 / Borrowed Landscape No. 21
By Nina Tichava
Located in Denver, CO
Nina Tichava is a pattern-based, abstract painter primarily focused on spatial relationships that emphasize the inherent surface quality, color, and visual variations in her work. Sh...
Paper, Acrylic, Panel, Pen, Graphite, Photography, Print
La Majorelle Gardens. From the Interiors series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
A new series inspired by architecture, décor and stylish personalities of the world of interior design. The worlds of fashion, society and pop culture are captured in the illustrati...
Paper, Acrylic, Gouache
$559Sale 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
Morning Glow, Contemporary Coastal Landscape by Millie Gosch
By Millie Gosch
Located in Atlanta, GA
Unframed this painting is 30 x 40. Morning Glow is a luminous coastal landscape by Millie Gosch, known for her evocative interpretations of sea and sky. Layers of oil paint create a...
Oil, Canvas
"Sunbathers at The Praia de Marinha" Oil Painting
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Surrounded by limestone cliffs sunbathers take in the midday sun along the Portugal coast. An elevated view of one of the country's most iconic beaches – The Praia de Marinha where ...
Oil
$704Sale Price|53% Off
'Contemporary Impressionist Interior Scene', Framed Oil on Canvas, 1990
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This framed 24" x 30" oil on canvas depicts an interior living space in a contemporary impressionist style. The scene features a chair facing an uncovered window during daytime, a cl...
Canvas, Oil
Georgian Contemporary Art by Gia Khutsishvili - Ilion Again
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on wood board Gia Khutsishvili was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, on July 18, 1966, into a family of artists. He graduated from the Tbilisi State Academy of Fine Arts in 1989. Since ...
Canvas, Oil
You Are My Universe, original oil painting by Tetiana Pchelnykova
Located in Zofingen, AG
In the artwork titled "You Are My Universe," a profound narrative unfolds within the realm of the "Self-Perception" series. This painting encapsulates a poignant moment shared betwee...
Canvas, Oil
Lily Study III
Located in Burlingame, CA
'Lily Study III' by master watercolorist Gary Bukovnik, who fuses sensual vitality with fluid yet powerful colorations to create floral images of great depth, intensity, and size. I...
Paper, Watercolor
Ricqlès Pour Une Sorcière, Oil Painting, Figurative, Contemporary Realism
By Jade Boissin
Located in AIX-EN-PROVENCE, FR
Work : Original Oil Painting, Handmade artwork and Unique Work. Medium : Oil painting on naturel wood panel. Artist : Jade Boissin Subject : Ricqlès pour une sorcière (FR -Title) Ri...
Oil
$1,100
Field Painting June 26 - Contemporary Landscape Painting White Flowers, 2025
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 late June. Signed, dated ...
Oil, Panel
Untitled (Life Can Only Be Understood Backwards)
Located in Bristol, GB
Acrylic on paper Unique 75.5 x 56 cm (29.9 x 22 in) (Frame: 88.5 x 68 x 5 cm / 34.8 x 26.7 x 2 in) Signed on the back Excellent condition. Some minor undulation, as is common with fl...
Acrylic
$2,600Sale Price|20% Off
State of Mind - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
In a bid to find myself strength amidst an inferiority complex. I realized that, whether as an individual or as a nation, What we call strength and weakness, yellow, black and white...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,500Sale Price|25% Off
Faun`s rest, 70x80cm, oil on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Faun`s rest, 2021, 80x70 cm
Canvas, Oil
Can a Phone Call Change Your Life?, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A solitary patron in a bar abandons his untouched drink and heads to a phone booth, carrying crucial papers in hand. The cigarette he leaves behind continues ...
Oil
Awaiting - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa, 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 (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Ignite2
Located in Zofingen, AG
In my work, I explore how inherited emotional distance turns into a lifelong search for intimacy. I am interested in moments in which connection does not require justification, where...
Canvas, Oil
Alison Duncan, Female Portrait Painting, Contemporary Acrylic on Panel
Located in Atlanta, GA
Doris by Alison Duncan is an original contemporary portrait painting that captures its female subject with an expressive, modern approach. Rather than relying on excessive detail, Du...
Acrylic, Panel
Paris rooftops 4th I by Guillaume Chansarel - Cityscape Painting, Parisian View
By Guillaume Chansarel (Guiyome)
Located in Paris, FR
Paris rooftops 4th I is a unique painting by French contemporary artist Guillaume Chansarel. The painting is made with Ink and acrylic on old book pages mounted on canvas, dimensions...
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
"INTRO BEAT 01 OUTRO", abstract mixed media dark geometric painting
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"INTRO BEAT 01 OUTRO" is an original artwork by Hyland Mather made of acrylic and aerosol with string and pins on canvas, the work is presented in a solid wood tray frame. It measure...
Canvas, Thread, Wood, Acrylic, Pins
$1,480Sale Price|20% Off
Playboy -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern, Men, Fashion
By Alawaye Tope
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 Top...
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
$678
Whisper of the Soul , Myths Series original painting by Tetiana Pchelnykova
Located in Zofingen, AG
In "Whisper of the Soul," my newest addition to the "Myths" series, I have crafted an image that delves into the mystical world of self-discovery and introspection. This artwork can...
Canvas, Acrylic
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
Zhao Wang Surrealist Original Oil Painting "Running"
By Zhao Wang
Located in New York, NY
Title: Running Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 8 x 8 inches Frame: Framing options available! Condition: The painting appears to be in excellent condition. Note: This painting is unstretched Year: 2000 Circa Artist: Zhao Wang...
Canvas, Oil
Sunset Whispers, Contemporary Sunset Landscape Oil Painting by Millie Gosch
By Millie Gosch
Located in Atlanta, GA
Millie Gosch’s Sunset Whispers is an original oil landscape painting on linen board inspired by the atmosphere and changing light of sunset. Measuring 8 x 6.5 inches and presented in...
Linen, Oil, Board
Dance of Waves and Light
Located in Zofingen, AG
Series: Between light and silence This seascape captures a fleeting, luminous rhythm — where waves rise like breath and the sea reflects not just the sky, but a pulse of emotion. The...
Canvas, Acrylic
Decorated Birds, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Two stylized birds with yellow bodies and colorful feathers glow against a teal background. Flowers and scattered white dots, reminiscent of gentle snowfall, ...
Acrylic
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
$3,875
Fleurs avec nuages - small, colourful, floral, still life, oil on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This charming oil painting is by Jennifer Hornyak, a beloved Canadian artist. The Montreal-based painter is known for her expressive, abstracted form and her rich colour palette. Thi...
Oil, Canvas
Passion Play 5136
Located in Napa, CA
Surrounded by artistic inspiration from a very early age, Kate Salenfriend learned most of her technical skills from her great-grandfather, Stewart Robertson, the registered Californ...
Gold Leaf
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
"Wide Open Sky" - 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...
Canvas, Oil
$1,880Sale Price|20% Off
Portrait of an Uncontained Mind 2 -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Modern
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 the Artist Joy Eyitayo...
Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Coastal Impressions - The Cove, Original Painting
By John Jaster
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
"Monterey Bay is one of many iconic spots in California where the Pacific Ocean meets the majestic cliffs," shares artist John Jaster. "It is a wildly beautif...
Acrylic
$4,000
"Wrapped in Thoughts III", Encaustic Figurative Abstract, Neutral and Warm Tones
By Rinat Goren
Located in Carmel, CA
Rinat Goren (Israeli, American, born 1964) "Wrapped in Thoughts III" 2019 Encaustic paint on cradled wood panel The artist signed the bottom right corner of the painting. “Wrapped i...
Encaustic, Wood Panel, Stretcher Bars
Plant, "The Joy Series: A Journey to Inner Happiness" series
Located in Zofingen, AG
"The Joy Series: A Journey to Inner Happiness." In this series of artworks, I delve into the theme of happiness and joy in unusual times when it seems that the whole world is in a st...
Canvas, Acrylic, Cardboard
Botanical Splendor -Floral Painting - Oil on Canvas By Marc Zimmerman
Located in Carmel, CA
Tropical plants sculpturally composed in an iconic vertical composition. 'Botanical Splendor' - Landscape Painting - Oil on Canvas By Marc Zimmerman This masterpiece is exhibited i...
Canvas, Oil
Sky and Stone Acrylic Mixed Media Painting, Framed, 31x61
By Tim Owen
Located in Santa Fe, NM
acrylic, mixed media on canvas My paintings explore the themes of light, atmosphere, and nature. The expressive brushstrokes and saturated hues in my work aim to convey a sense of e...
Linen, Mixed Media, Acrylic
"Caviar II" Miniature Painting on Paper of City Scene by Tom Haugomat
By Tom Haugomat
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Caviar II" 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 hi...
Paper, Acrylic
Outside Over There
By Tahnee Lonsdale
Located in London, GB
Acrylic on canvas 152.4 x 195.5 cm 60 x 77 in Tahnee Lonsdale’s paintings represent a new direction in semi-abstract painting. Whimsical figures, architecture, and other objects p...
Acrylic
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
$4,150
All Living Things - Abstract Contemporary Folk Art Inspired Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Meredith Walker's “All Living Things” is a stunning example of contemporary folk art that blends botanical motifs and symbolic imagery to evoke a sense of interconnectedness and harm...
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
$1,491Sale 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
HardwickGreen 566, original painting, landscape, red green and yellow meadow art
Located in Deddington, GB
his vibrant semi-abstract painting is a response to a wildflower meadow, managed by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. Hardwick Green meadows are rich in plants with wonderful names such...
Canvas, Acrylic
$4,200Sale Price|40% Off
"Close my eyes with rose petals" , 180x140cm, acrylic on canvas
By Majnun
Located in Yerevan, AM
"Close my eyes with rose petals"
Canvas, Acrylic
Bison Beneath the Light, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A herd of bison descends into a ravine, moving through a misty landscape. These majestic animals symbolize strength, power, and resilience as ethereal light s...
Oil
Winter Landscape - Paint By Jan Matejic - 1980s
Located in Roma, IT
Painting on glass realized in the 1980s. Hans signed and framed. Very good condition.
Oil, Glass
Jelly Time - Food Condiment Still Life Color Drenched Mixed Media Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Columbus, Georgia (USA) based artist Kellie Newsome specializes in dynamic and abstracted still-life artworks. Her expressive style emphasizes line structure, creating vibrant painti...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Color Pencil
"More Flowers", Urban Scene with Flower Van Oil and Mixed Media Painting
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"More Flowers" is a one-of-a-kind piece created by Eustace Mamba. This oil painting on canvas artwork measures 16”h x 20”w. It ships with a gallery-issued Certificate of Authenticit...
Paint, Oil, Other Medium, Canvas
Large Colourful Abstract Oil on Canvas Painting With Pastel Tones
Located in Cape Town, ZA
"Nature is the indirect perception of human personification, emotion and imagination which is emphasised in colour, texture, patterns and line as it is captured in my paintings, with...
Mixed Media, Oil
$1,118Sale Price|20% Off
Summer Gold and Corn - Contemporary Art, Figurative, Yellow
Located in Baden-Baden, DE
Summer Gold and Corn, 2021 acrylic on cardboard 119 H x 79 W cm 46 27/32 H x 31 7/64 W cm The series of painted cardboards by Alexandru Rădvan is about our moments of 'respiro' abo...
Acrylic, Cardboard
Abstract Landscape Paint on Canvas Made in Italy by Marilina Marchica
Located in Agrigento, AG
Original Painting by Marilina Marchica, "Landscape " (2018) Details of the artwork: Title:Landscape Year: 2018 Dimensions: 50x50 cm (depth 3.5 cm) Technique: Contemporary abstract ...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$3,380
Nuenen memories 2 En Plein Air Nuenen- 21 st Century Contemporary Landscape
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Joost Verhagen Memory of Nuenen 80 x 100 cm Acrylic paint on canvas Shipping on a roll in a tube we can offer, worldwide, for free. If you decide to purchase the painting framed an...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,160Sale Price|20% Off
"The Space Between" - Expressive Mixed Media Figurative Painting
By Jon Wassom
Located in Denver, CO
Jon Wassom’s "The Space Between" is a striking mixed media painting on panel, measuring 16 x 12 inches. This evocative figurative work merges expressive brushwork with geometric abst...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$50,000
"New Expression #42" Colorful Contemporary Abstract Portrait, Signed Original
Located in Carmel, CA
Masri Hayssam (Lebanese-Italian, born 1965) "New Expression #42" 2023 Acrylic and oil paint on canvas, stretcher bars Signed in the bottom left corner and on verso. "New Expression ...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
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.