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.
"Oh Geez", Double Portrait of a Woman with Spinning Halos, Aerosol and Acrylic
By Mando Marie (seeyouthroughit)
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Oh Geez" is a one-of-a-kind original work by Amanda Marie (Mando), created using acrylic and aerosol on paper. The piece measures 9"h x 12.5"w framed and shipped in the featured woo...
Paper, Spray Paint, Acrylic
"Beat, Beat. Plus Outro (Linea Pictura — Diptych)" Abstract Diptych with String
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Beat, Beat. Plus 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 approx 43”h x...
Canvas, Thread, Acrylic, Pins
The Door of Justice Lithograph, Unframed, 32.75 x 27.5"
Located in Union City, NJ
THE DOOR OF JUSTICE is a rare poster edition lithograph printed in seven colors using traditional hand lithography techniques (not a photo reproduction or digital print) on heavyweig...
Lithograph
Pink Oyster Shell with Pearls
Located in Zofingen, AG
Series: Sea Within — Shells & Pearls. Pink Oyster Shell with Pearls explores the luminous beauty of the sea through a warm, jewel-like palette of dus...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,100
Field Painting August 3 - Contemporary Landscape Painting Wildflowers, 2023
Located in Kent, CT
In this contemporary landscape painting in oil on linen, a peaceful summer scene beautifully captures the idyllic feel of a field of wildflowers in early August. Signed, dated and ti...
Oil, Linen
A Table for Two
By Jacob Burda
Located in Zofingen, AG
"A Table for Two Some of life’s most meaningful moments happen quietly. An evening spent together at a small table, surrounded by warm lights and flowers, sharing a conversation wi...
Canvas, Acrylic
Red Chair
Located in Zofingen, AG
A quiet little moment, with a touch of glamour. A hen settles into a deep red chair, pearls resting casually around her neck, looking completely at ease. There is something almost hu...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,743
Heart, Antelope Canyon, Arizona, Large Black-and-White Fine Art Photograph
Located in Vienna, Vienna
Archival pigment ink print, produced in a limited edition of 7 // Gallery ID: 11873 Fine art prints are produced to order on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta. Each print is stamped on the...
Digital Pigment
It's Late - Original Dramatic Feminine Figurative Portrait Acrylic Painting
By Xenia Gray
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rooted in introspection and emotional nuance, Xenia Gray’s figurative mixed media works capture the quiet tension between solitude and connection. Her paintings often depict the huma...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,650
Shadow of Resilience - 21st Century, Contemporary Figurative Portrait, Art Deco
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This piece represents the hidden or shadow side of the constant strength of black men, often highlighting how forced resilience can mask burnout, emotional suppression, or trauma fro...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
In love with today K.Husslein abstract still life flower painting
Located in DE
Katharina Husslein, a German artist renowned for her hyperrealistic artworks, captures the essence of vibrant bouquets and lush impasto landscapes through oil paintings. Raised in a...
Canvas, Oil
HEAT HAZE - Modern Landscape Oil Pastel Painting, Warm Tones, Bright Light
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
$2,735
Red Beach Huts Study 1, Sweden, Limited Edition Colour Fine Art Photograph
Located in Vienna, Vienna
Archival pigment ink print, produced in a limited edition of 7 // Gallery ID: 21285 Fine art prints are produced to order on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta. Each print is stamped on the...
Digital Pigment
Lazy Morning
Located in Zofingen, AG
"""Lazy Morning"" is an intimate space in which the protagonist feels like the center of her own universe; it is a fragile feeling of personal uniqueness, when it seems as if the ent...
Canvas, Oil
$3,050
Summertime Smell Goods - Large Textured Airy Neutral Abstract Floral Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints floral abstract compositions in acrylic and mixed media on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary painti...
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$3,985
Dancing Queens - Original Figurative Watercolor Painting on Paper in Wood Frame
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Marisa Mu’s watercolor paintings celebrate liberated bodies in motion, using playful gesture and vivid color to create scenes that feel joyful, intimate, and full of momentum. "Block...
Paper, Watercolor
$975Sale Price|35% Off
After Botero Paloma Unsupported Bronze, Contemporary, 20th Century, Ed. 50
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
After Fernando Botero – STANDING BIRD. PALOMA UNSUPPORTED. Bronze Sculpture Edition of 50 Roman Numerals. 12 Arabic Numerals. This beautifully executed bronze sculpture is an Afte...
Marble, Bronze
$1,714
Splash of Joy. Original Contemporary Figurative Acrylic Painting, Child - Rabbit
Located in Oslo, NO
Joy in Motion is an original acrylic painting on canvas that combines contemporary figurative painting with geometric abstraction. The artwork captures a carefree childhood moment as...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" Limited Edition Hand Written Lyrics
By John Lennon
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Rare Limited Edition Serigraph of John Lennon's handwritten lyrics for the song "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds," first released on "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" by the...
Other Medium
Vintage Vibrant Pink Pony Signed and Framed Art Print
Located in Buffalo, NY
A vibrantly pink signed and numbered print of a horse. Signed "Frank" lower right. Measuring: 18 by 15 inches overall and 14 by 11 inches artwork alone.
Acrylic
$3,350
Self Held 1 -21st Century Contemporary Figurative Portrait, Modern, Art Deco
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
"My Horizon - Barcelona" Color Field Painting on Paper Insured by Mark Rothko
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
An acrylic and oil on heavy weight paper 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...
Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$775
Open Your Heart - Abstract Blue Graffiti Inspired 'Love You' 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
New Year's Eve - Atmospheric Oil Pastel Painting, Warm Tones, Bright Light
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
$295
Big Lights, Big City - Original Abstract Still Life Acrylic Artwork on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Columbus, Georgia (USA) based artist Kellie Newsome specializes in dynamic and abstracted landscape artworks. Her expressive style emphasizes line structure, creating vibrant paintin...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Color Pencil
Tajine Silhouette. Still life Painting, Oil on canvas
Located in Miami Beach, FL
In most of the paintings, the artist uses an interior space as his subject, placing a table or similar object at its center. The use of symmetry and eye level often suggests an altar...
Canvas, Oil
Forever and a Day - Colorful Rural Landscape Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
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, Graphite
Held in Abundance
Located in Zofingen, AG
The flowers gather closely in the vessel, filling it with color, weight, and movement. Their forms overlap until individual blooms become part of a larger rhythm, while the patterns ...
Canvas, Acrylic
August, 32th
Located in Zofingen, AG
A day that doesn’t exist, somewhere between summer and a dream. A cow stands quietly in an apple-filled field, accompanied by a black cat in a blue scarf. Above them, a flock of gees...
Canvas, Acrylic
$5,400
Combahee 3 Sisters - Large Sculptural Abstract Three-Dimensional Wall Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Atticus Adams' organically composed modern metal sculptures embody the transformative power of art, illustrating the creation of beauty, meaning, and emotional impact from industrial...
Wire
$19,149
Manyara Lake No.4 by Calo Carratalá - Large Waterscape Painting, Tanzania, Birds
Located in Paris, FR
Manyara Lake No.4 is a unique painting by Spanish contemporary artist Calo Carratalá, it is made with acrylic on printed vinyl canvas mounted on wood frame, dimensions are 200 × 317 ...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Hanalei Bay (Palms & Piers)", Contemporary, Landscape, Pink, Mixed Media Print
Located in Franklin, MA
Patty deGrandpre’s “Hanalei Bay (Palms & Piers)” is a unique mixed media print depicting Kauai’s Hanalei Bay and is represented on 20 x 14 inch Awagami Bamboo Japanese paper. Boats, ...
Ink, Archival Ink, Mixed Media, Digital, Bamboo Paper, Inkjet, Photography
$1,445
Shared Secrets 10 - Contemporary Figurative Bronze Iron Metal Wall Sculpture
By Mireia Serra
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mireia Serra creates sensuous bronze and iron sculptures showing the beauty of snapshots caught in life which are full of emotions and feelings along the life journey. Her metal artw...
Metal, Bronze, Iron
"El Guapo" - Contemporary Minimalist White Barn Acrylic Painting, 2025
Located in Denver, CO
Justin Wheatley (American, b. 1980) "El Guapo", 2025 Acrylic on canvas 48 x 36 in (121.92 x 91.44 cm) Signed "Wheatley" by the artist in paint, front lower left Unframed. The canvas ...
Acrylic, Canvas
The Forest Beckons, edition 1 of 6 (hand-printed cyanotype, 24 x 16 inches)
By Christine So
Located in Oakland, CA
Morning light filters silently through dense coastal fog and layers of tree branches. This path through a tangle of redwoods and bay laurel trees is in the woods across the bay from ...
Paper, Archival Paper, Rag Paper, Photogram
$1,375
"Red Table", Contemporary, Interior, White Flowers, Gestural Acrylic Painting
Located in Franklin, MA
Hampton Stephens "Red Table" is a gestural 20 x 16 inch acrylic on canvas painting of a red table in a living room with large white flower arrangement centered on the table. A stairw...
Canvas, Acrylic
Shared Being. Series " Primordial Garden. Mythology "
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this work, the Primordial Garden emerges as a space where human, animal, and tree have not yet become separated from one another, but exist within a shared rhythm of life. Their p...
Acrylic
The Neverly Hills
Located in Zofingen, AG
Some places exist only in the imagination, where status is measured by confidence rather than possessions, and belonging has nothing to do with appearances. The Neverly Hills playful...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,200Sale Price|20% Off
The Sun is Longing for the Sea, Limited Edition Japanese Photography
By Hiroshi Yamazaki
Located in New york, NY
The Sun is Longing for the Sea, 1978, by Japanese artist Hiroshi Yamazaki is a photograph from a limited edition portfolio of masters of Japanese photography. The photograph is signe...
Photographic Film, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Rag Paper, Digital, Arc...
"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
I Won't Eat You, limited edition print, yellow lion , wild cat , Kate Boxer
By Kate Boxer
Located in Deddington, GB
I Won't Eat You by Kate Boxer is a limited edition drypoint etching. This contemporary art print with gouache depicts a lion and is a humorous work of art by Kate Boxer. Kate Boxer m...
Drypoint, Gouache
Sun No.11 - Abstract Folk Art Inspired Figurative Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Meredith Walker creates vibrant original artworks that merge the enduring charm of folk art with a contemporary sensibility shaped by nature, memory, and visual storytelling. Inspire...
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
Light as Air: Gold Leaf Abstract Painting, Minimalist, 100x160 cm
Located in DE
Katharina Hormel creates minimalistic landscape paintings featuring everyday scenes of life. Her art often portrays people engaged in their daily activities, such as taking a leisure...
Gold Leaf
"Dripping Dots - Manhattan Nights" Contemporary Oil Painting on Canvas
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
Cindy Shaoul’s celebrated “Dripping Dots” series is a vibrant body of work characterized by cascading, chunky dots of richly layered paint that flow dynamically across the canvas wit...
Canvas, Oil
Girl with Geometric Rabbit. Original Contemporary Figurative Oil, Acrylic Art
Located in Oslo, NO
The composition captures a girl in mid-motion, running alongside a vivid geometric rabbit through a summer forest. Loose, layered brushwork and vertical streaks create a strong sense...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$840Sale Price|30% Off
"Epiphany Elephant" Drawing on Fabriano Paper, Color Pencil and Ink, 100x70 cm
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
This drawing (100 × 78 cm) unfolds as a visual ecosystem where human, animal, and botanical forms merge into a single composition. The artwork is created on professional Fabriano pap...
Paper, Ink, Color Pencil, Pigment
Making Our Way Back - Original Rural Landscape Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
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, Graphite
And if the world forgets our names K.Husslein Flower Hyperrealistic Still life
Located in DE
This oil painting captures a moment of timeless elegance. The composition radiates warmth and vitality. Lush dahlias and delicate roses bloom in a vibrant dance of pinks and creams. ...
Canvas, Oil
Squirrel Pocket Painting 299, Animal, Wildlife
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Squirrel #299(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 a no...
Canvas, Oil
White Morning (cyanotype, 16 x 24 in., ed. 1 of 5)
By Christine So
Located in Oakland, CA
These are the foggy woods in the hills of Oakland, across the bay from San Francisco. Shortly after sunrise. Native Bay Laurel trees like the one in the foreground and Coast Live Oak...
Paper, Archival Paper, Rag Paper, Photogram
The Last Showgirl
Located in Zofingen, AG
Under the warm lights of a cabaret stage, the show is still going on. Surrounded by feathers, pearls, sequins, and an audience waiting to be entertained, one unlikely star takes cent...
Canvas, Acrylic
Wild Child (Chicks and Chicks and sometimes Cocks)
Located in Morongo Valley, CA
Wild Child (Chicks and Chicks and sometimes Cocks) - 2019 - 50x50cm, Edition of 10 plus 2 Artist Proofs. digital C-Print, based on a Polaroid Artist inventory 22252. Signature l...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
One more chapter
Located in Zofingen, AG
" One more chapter" artwork from Series " Light beetwen the days" Life is made of chapters. Some we choose ourselves, others begin unexpectedly, when we are simply living an ordinar...
Canvas, Acrylic
$800Sale Price|20% Off
AGE OF INNOCENCE - original round painting by Paula Craioveanu in New York
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Age of Innocence", original unique painting. A feminine, innocent presence, portrait of a girl with a Venetian mask. acrylic on canvas. 20in / 50cm, round. Shipped from Forest Hil...
Canvas, Acrylic
Lobster in Armour by Chésade - Bronze Sculpture, Sea Animal, Golden
By Chésade
Located in Paris, FR
Lobster in Armour is a unique bronze sculpture by contemporary artist Chésade, dimensions are 33 × 89 × 42 cm (13 × 35 × 16.5 in). The sculpture is signed and comes with a metal sta...
Bronze
Interior with secretary Deck- 21st Century Contemporary Interior Painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Serge de Vries, Dutch artist Interior with secretary Desk 90 x 70 cm Oil on canvas A jug, a sugar bowl, a tea bag – these are objects that we hold carelessly every day, but Dutch f...
Oil, Wood Panel
Craig, contemporary, wildlife, black & white photography, Elephant
Located in München, BY
Edition of 5 more sizes on request signed and numbered Craig, one of the last Big Tuskers in Amboseli, Kenya Joachim Schmeisser is represented by leading Galleries worldwide. His p...
Archival Pigment
$3,000Sale Price|40% Off
TURNING INTO STONE 3 Neo Mythology original oil large 30x38in in Florida
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Turning into Stone 3 " . Original, unique painting. oil on canvas, 30x38in. Shipped stretched ready for display in the US, and shipped rolled in a tube to Europe and to the rest of...
Canvas, Oil
$2,850
You and I (Just The Way We Are) - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative Portrait
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
$9,031
Wrestlers VIII by Yann Guillon - Contemporary Bronze Sculpture, Male Athletes
By Yann Guillon
Located in Paris, FR
Wrestler VIII is a bronze sculpture by French contemporary artist Yann Guillon, dimensions are 47 × 44 × 29 cm (18.5 × 17.3 × 11.4 in). This sculpture is signed and numbered, it is ...
Bronze