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.
$3,012
Weeping Plum Tree II by Lumi Mizutani - Contemporary Japanese-Style Painting
Located in Paris, FR
Weeping Plum Tree II is a painting by contemporary Franco-Japanese artist Lumi Mizutani. In Weeping Plum Tree II, Lumi Mizutani depicts a blossoming weeping plum tree, its delicate c...
Silver Leaf
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
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
$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
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
Blue sphere by Kuno Vollet - Large Contemporary Round Orbit sculpture
By Kuno Vollet
Located in DE
A large contemporary blue steel sculpture. Beautiful on the floor or a pedestal. A contemporary statement piece full of elegance and movement. ______________________________________...
Metal
Stepping Stones: Abstract Acrylic on Wood Panel, 14 x 11 Art
By Matt Higgins
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Stepping Stones is an abstract acrylic painting on wood panel, featuring expressive yet restrained forest-green brushstrokes against a warm, natural ground. Organic curves and contra...
Acrylic
"To Be By Your Side"
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Peregrine Heathcote’s paintings conjure a world of intoxicating glamour and intrigue, slipping across the boundaries of time to fuse iconic pre-war design with modern conceptions of ...
Oil, Canvas
$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
$3,183
Jetty 12 January 16:02 - Modern Minimalistic Landscape Painting, See View
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
$15,917
Bonnet
Located in Miami Beach, FL
"The Netherlands has a rich tradition of lace and textile making, a craft that has been closely connected to women’s lives and labour for centuries. In our latest work “Bonnet”, we u...
Archival Pigment
$6,000
Clear Single Bubble Fish Water Bag - Hyperreal Glass Sculpture (Limited Edition)
Located in East Quogue, NY
NEW! Limited Edition Hyperreal Bubble Fish glass water bag sculpture - solid and hollow glass by Dylan Martinez. Martinez's hyperreal sculptures are hand-molded, hot-sculpted glass,...
Glass
$2,728
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
BIRCH 5 Triptych - Contemporary Atmospheric and Modern Nature Painting
Located in Hallein, AT
The signature is on the back of the canvas Birch Triptych each part is 120x80 cm all 3 parts are 120x240 cm A few words of the artist about his art: When i painting landscapes, I ...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
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
$560Sale Price|30% Off
Yellow Dream Oil Painting on Canvas, Abstract Geometric, Signed, 30x31
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
This original oil painting on canvas presents a composition that combines geometric forms, human figures, and references to the animal world through a visual language that moves betw...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
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
BENTHORELIC I – VI - Installation of 6 Bronze Sculptures, Unique Pieces
Located in Paris, FR
BENTHORELIC I–VI is an installation of six nickeled aluminum and elox aluminum sculptures by Czech artist Ondřej Oliva. Inspired by forms found on the ocean floor, the installation e...
Metal
$975Sale Price|35% Off
After Botero Horse Bronze Sculpture, Contemporary, 20th Century beautiful work
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
After Fernando Botero – HORSE. Please give us up to 10 working days to organize your delivery. Bronze Sculpture Edition of 50 Roman Numerals, 12 Arabic Numerals, A thru Z Edition T...
Marble, Bronze
The Oval Mirror Original Contemporary Art Neo-Mythology
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"The Oval Mirror”, inspired by Greek mythology in a modern surreal setting. 27.5x19.5in / 70x50cm Ultramarine tempera and ink on textured paper. Shipped rolled in a tube, from my s...
Paper, Tempera
$6,700
Combahee Verde Lagoon - 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 how beauty, meaning, and emotional impact can be created from industr...
Wire
Mushroom Button (Veg Collection) Pocket Painting 320, original painting
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Button Mushroom (Veg Collection) #320 (canvas size 5x5cm) is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic...
Canvas, Oil
Colorful Bouquet of Flowers Offset Print, Contemporary, 20th Century
By Walasse Ting
Located in Brooklyn, NY
In The Colorful Bouquet of Flowers, Walasse Ting presents a vibrant explosion of multicolored flowers, bursting upwards like fireworks on the 4th of July. Set against a soft light bl...
Offset
Free Therapy Session Humorous Contemporary interior, figurative oil painting
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Framed Size: 46" x 38" Thomas Bossard’s 'Free Therapy Session' is a quietly humorous and subtly surreal exploration of contemplation, culture, and human vulnerability. Set within th...
Canvas, Oil
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
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
Restrained Cavalcade. 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
Season Songs
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
$1,750
Love Letter to a Butterfly, Ed of 1, Mixed Media, Photography and Diamond Dust
Located in New york, NY
Love Letter to a Butterfly is a contemporary photographic work composed of images of flower petals—the source of nectar for butterflies—arranged into a rhythmic pattern of circular f...
Rag Paper, Archival Pigment, Glitter, Mixed Media, Photography
"Vault in Copper", Abstract Geometric Folded Paper Sculpture
By Matt Shlian
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This piece titled "Vault in Copper" is an original artwork by Matthew Shlian made of hand-folded archival paper. This piece measures 14.5”h x 14.5”w x 3.25"d and is signed by the art...
Archival Paper
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
$2,750Sale Price|44% 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 from Florida, ready for display in the US, and shipped rolled in a tube to Europe and ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,705
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
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
Little Red House, Cotswolds, Fields Brown, Landscape, house, contemporary
Located in Deddington, GB
Little Red House, Maugersbury is an Original Oil painting by Eleanor Woolley. This painting is one of the Artist's more stylised works, inspired by Maugersbury Hill near Stow on the ...
Canvas, Oil
Origami Swan 2 of 5 - figurative, contemporary, aluminum outdoor sculpture
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary metal garden sculpture is made in the form of a white swan. This sculpture is available by commission. Please allow for 8-10 weeks upon completion for delivery. J...
Metal
Old Oak October - Contemporary Fall Landscape Virginia Forest Trees, 2011
Located in Kent, CT
The densely treed forest of Hennen's Virginia home is the subject for this rich, highly detailed landscape painting in oil on panel. The many shades of green, orange, yellow autumn l...
Oil, Panel
An ideal atelier. 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...
Oil, Canvas
$125
Kerry James Marshall 'Mastry' Offset Print, Contemporary Art, Unframed
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Poster for the Kerry James Marshall exhibition titled 'Mastry' which was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art October 2016 - January 2017. "Mastry" exhibition at the Metropolitan...
Offset
$2,728
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
$400Sale Price|20% Off
In Chains original art male nude ultramarine tempera Paula Craioveanu in Florida
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"In Chains" male nude, pencil and tempera on paper. Size is 27.5x19.5in / 70x50cm . Shipped rolled in a tube from Fort Lauderdale, Florida by priority express mail. This particular p...
Paper, Ink, Tempera
"You're My Hero"
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Peregrine Heathcote’s paintings conjure a world of intoxicating glamour and intrigue, slipping across the boundaries of time to fuse iconic pre-war design with modern conceptions of ...
Canvas, Oil
$7,000
Sujoon Periwinkle Gold Ring - Large 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
$8,500
Arrangement - Contemporary Botanical Still Life Pink Flowers Black Vase, 2026
Located in Kent, CT
In this contemporary still life painting in oil on canvas, a black vase holds a bouquet of pink flowers. The arrangement stands against a patterned wallpaper in the background. Signe...
Canvas, Oil
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
"Overlook" - 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, Acrylic
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
Anny - 21st Century, Contemporary Figurative, Neo-Expressionism, Women
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
Combahee Delta - 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
"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
$2,000
Hope (1/30) - Joyful Figurative Mixed Media Sculpture with Glossy Blue Balloon
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Nayla Saroufim’s contemporary sculptures translate optimism into form. Her works feel playful at first glance, then quietly persistent the longer you live with them. Working in metal...
Metal, Steel
$1,720Sale Price|20% Off
Beauty from Within 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women, 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
$2,850
Joy Among Brothers 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary Figurative, Modern, Men
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
A moment of laughter, unguarded and true, between three men who know each other’s histories and hearts. Their closeness speaks of trust, vulnerability, and the quiet strength of frie...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, 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
$2,120Sale Price|20% Off
Radiance of Her Root - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women, 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
DOLLY DARLING - QUEEN OF COUNTRY II (Limited Edition Of Only 30 Prints)
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
**HOLIDAY SEASON SALE UNTIL JANUARY 5TH - UP TO 60% OFF - PLEASE ASK** ***TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT*** **IMPORTANT: This is a limited edition print...
Canvas
Greg Chann "Aver" 2025
By Greg Chann
Located in New York, NY
Greg Chann "Aver," 2025 acrylic and ink 16.5 x 14 x 2 in. (cha043)
Acrylic Polymer, Ink
Breathing with the Ocean - B.Schaumann Contemporary interior ocean sea 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
$380
12121 Amboy Road (California Badlands) - Contemporary, Polaroid, Landscape
Located in Morongo Valley, CA
12121 Amboy Road (California Badlands) - 2010 20x24cm, Edition of 10, digital C-Print, based on a Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label. Artist Inventory No. 10914. Not mounted...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
$2,040Sale Price|20% Off
Beauty Within: Contemporary Portrait Painting in Oil and Acrylic
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Black is a powerhouse of confidence, as well as being comfortable in your skin and embracing everything about yourself (including your hair). Her hair is like a halo around her head,...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic