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.
Airplane in landscape - landscape painting
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful painting by Jeroen Allart is part of his minimalist landscape and animal painting he did in his home country the Netherlands. 'A farm stands before you on the horizon....
Canvas, Oil
"Apparition at the Border of Language"
Located in Lyons, CO
This print presents a fictitious encounter between contemporary colonial forces and Native Americans who are defenders of immigrant refugees and displaced populations. The artist de...
Lithograph
$3,000
Princess /// Contemporary Street Pop Art Painting Grace Kelly Abstract Colorful
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Jack Graves III (American, 1988-) Title: "Princess" Series: Eclecticism *Signed by Graves lower left. It is also signed, titled, and dated on verso Year: 2024 Medium: Origi...
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
$450
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
$9,500
Joy
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Hunt Slonem, American, included in 250+ museum collections Unique oil on wood painting, artist's antique frame, signed and dated verso Inspired by nature and his 60 pet birds, Hunt...
Oil, Wood Panel
$450
Africa Motifs 6 -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
$540
Laurisilva of Madeira - analogue black and white nature photography, Limited 20
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
' Laurisilva of Madeira' 2026 Limited edition of 20 Photograph shot using mid-century large format film camera Linhof. Printed on archival Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta paper. Signe...
Film, Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Giclée
$935
In My White Boots - Color Drenched 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
$1,331
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
Autumn Northsea 2 - 21st Century Contemporary landscape painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Joost Verhagen Autumn Northsea 2 45 x 55 cm Acrylic paint on canvas We ship worldwide for free in a wooden crate, framed as seen on the pictures. Because of the constantly changing...
Canvas, Acrylic
Hidden Glow
Located in Zofingen, AG
Series: Sea Within — Shells & Pearls. Hidden Glow reveals an open oyster with two luminous pearls, softly radiating from within. The pearls are rendered with exceptional realism,...
Canvas, Acrylic
Yellow Smudge - Vibrant Yellow Tone Abstract Figurative Sculptural Wall Artwork
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
Inner journey
Located in Zofingen, AG
«Inner journey” - delves into the introspective quest of the self, where tranquility and the conscious self meet amidst the quietude of one's personal haven. It's a portrayal of the ...
Canvas, Oil
Alex Katz - No Kids – Come Into My House (Cover art Hand Signed by Alex Katz)
Located in New York, NY
No Kids – Come Into My House, 2008 Autographed by Alex Katz in 2013 Vinyl, Album, LP Tomlab – tom 108 lp The artwork depicted on this album cover is “Ives Field I”, an oil on linen ...
Offset
Behind the Frog - 21st Century Contemporary Landscape Etching
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Charles Donker Behind the Frog 20 x 38,5 (Framed included in price, 42 x 59 cm) Etching on paper The etchings of Charles Donker are admired and collected both in the Netherlands and...
Etching
Small Vibration by Martine Demal - Contemporary Abstract Bronze Sculpture
Located in Paris, FR
Small Vibration is a bronze sculpture by contemporary artist Martine Demal, dimensions including base are 12.2 × 6.7 × 2.2 in / 31 × 17 × 5.5 cm. The sculpture is signed and numbered...
Bronze
Silent Dialogue Acrylic and Color Pencil Painting, Contemporary, 2010+
Located in Oslo, NO
Silent dialogue Marina Skvortsova lives and works between Norway and Estonia. Born in Siberia with Asian roots, Marina feels a deep cultural connection to Eastern traditions. Her wo...
Acrylic, Color Pencil
The Red Moon -from Light Series, Contemporary Woven and Painted Abstract Artwork
Located in Salzburg, AT
'The Red Moon', from The Light series, hand-weaving, linen yarn, organic cotton, wool, acrylic textile paint, 80 x 60 cm, 2026 This work are a symbiosis of two disciplines of art, P...
Textile, Cotton, Linen, Yarn, Acrylic
Shape of Water- original large nude art by Paula Craioveanu 39x27.5in
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Shape of Water", pencil and ultramarine tempera on paper, inspired by Matisse. Part of Nude in Interior series. Large drawing. Shipped rolled in a tube, from Europe, using DHL or Fe...
Tempera, Paper, Pencil
Once Upon a Time Over Tuscany
Located in Zofingen, AG
Once Upon a Time Over Tuscany is a quiet return to a place that was once misunderstood — a soft, drifting world that used to be called distraction, daydreaming, or living too much in...
Canvas, Acrylic
Zinnia Bouquet in Glass Jar II - Color Drenched Floral Watercolor Still Life
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Xiao Wen Xu's artistic practice is deeply influenced by her profound appreciation for the natural world. This artwork is part of her "Zinnia Bouquet" series. Through a masterful blen...
Paper, Watercolor
If you were the Mona Lisa
Located in Zofingen, AG
A black dog in pearls and the Mona Lisa in a golden frame. They sit together, separated only by a small table with two glasses. The landscape around them stretches endlessly, but wha...
Canvas, Acrylic
Truism 'Raise Boys and Girls the Same Way'
By Jenny Holzer
Located in Manchester, GB
By Jenny Holzer 1977-1979 Mixed media on wood Unframed 10.2 x 15.2 cm (4 x 6 in) Framed 22 x 27 cm (8.66 x 10.63 in) Jenny Holzer is an American conceptual and installation art...
Wood, Mixed Media
In The Presence of Fragrant Bliss - Abstract Landscape Mixed Media 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
The Beverly Hills - Passing Me By - Landscape Still Life Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pete Kasprzak’s passion for city life is expressed in his dynamic urban artworks. Kasprzak’s artworks express energy and life with animated brush strokes. He adds dynamic movement an...
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Photographic Paper
Sunday, Oil Painting
By Jesse Aldana
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A woman sits on a sofa, reading quietly as soft daylight filters through a large window. Warm tones and gentle light fill the room, creating a calm and inviting...
Oil
Turquoise Dots - Vibrant Yellow Contemporary Abstract Figurative Sculptural 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
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Passport 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Neo-Expressionism, 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. About Ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
Morning in Color
Located in Zofingen, AG
Morning in Color captures an intimate moment suspended within the warmth of early light. Two figures sit facing one another, framed by an open architectural structure that blurs the ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Light 15 July 13:22 - Modern Minimalistic Landscape Painting, Sea View
Located in Salzburg, 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...
Acrylic, Canvas
Hero, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A white horse wearing a black eye mask and a cape appears heroic against a clay red background. Artist Jaime Ellsworth portrays the stylized animal with gracefu...
Acrylic
$9,500
Bouquet - Colorful Acorns Wall Sculpture Neon Yellow Bright Pink Orange, 2022
By Julie Maren
Located in Kent, CT
This contemporary sculptural wall installation is comprised of more than 275 individual acorn caps mounted on brass pins - each cap is filled with plaster and paint in bright hues of...
Brass
$360Sale 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
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Royalty 2 - 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
"Make Believer (V3)", Hand cut stencil, acrylic, aerosol
By Mando Marie (seeyouthroughit)
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Make Believer (V3)" is a one-of-a-kind original work by Amanda Marie (Mando), created using acrylic and aerosol on paper. The piece measures 19.75 × 15.75 inches and is pencil signe...
Paper, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$5,060
Caroline's Torso by Yann Guillon - Nude bronze sculpture, female torso, body
By Yann Guillon
Located in Paris, FR
Caroline's Torso is a bronze sculpture by contemporary artist Yann Guillon, dimensions are 30 × 15 × 15 cm (11.8 × 5.9 × 5.9 in). Total height of the sculpture with base and shaft: 5...
Bronze
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Peace - 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
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Red Bow Tie - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Neo-Expressionism, 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. About Ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Trumpet, 1984/2021
Located in Manchester, GB
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Trumpet, 1984/2021 Lithograph print on Monte Carlo 300gsm watercolour paper framed in a sustainably sourced black ash with acrylic glaze. Image size 80 x 80 ...
Lithograph
Vicky Christina, Venice
Located in Zofingen, AG
Vicky Christina, Venice is a gentle wink at the idea that travel has a strange power to loosen the scripts we usually live by; far from routines, expectations soften and identities b...
Canvas, Acrylic
$10,000
Grass Blue Wild Flower - Sky Blue Periwinkle Magenta Abstract Painting, 2022
By Josette Urso
Located in Kent, CT
Thoughtfully combined sections of varying textures and areas of pattern, stripes, circles, dots and undulations in cheerful, exuberant color. Little moments in luminous shades of sky...
Canvas, Oil
After the (Last) Supper
Located in Zofingen, AG
After the (Last) Supper reflects that quiet moment when the grand story is already over and what remains is something much simpler and far more intimate; the drama has left the room,...
Canvas, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Daddy's Girl -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern, Green
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 Olaosun draws h...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
Mini Glass Water Bag - Hyperreal glass sculpture
Located in East Quogue, NY
Hyperreal mini water bag glass sculpture - solid and hollow glass by Dylan Martinez. Martinez's hyperreal sculptures are hot sculpted glass hand-molded entirely by the artist. The p...
Glass
$17,772
YVES KLEIN L'OURS POMPON Limited sculpture includes COA IKB Contemporary Design
By Yves Klein
Located in Madrid, Madrid
L'OURS POMPON - EDITION YVES KLEIN Date of creation: 2022 Medium: Artisanal resin and pigments Edition: 999 (few numbers available, assigned randomly) Size: Plexiglas bell size - 49 ...
Resin, Plexiglass, Pigment
Dedicated, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A cowgirl holds steady as a horse descends from a jump, its body stretched forward toward the ground. A wooden fence and low structures stretch across the backg...
Oil
H9-1 Justice - Damien Hirst Cherry Blossoms
Located in Manchester, GB
Damien Hirst, Justice, Laminated Giclée Print on Aluminium Composite Panel 120.1 × 96 cm (47 3/10 × 37 4/5 in) Limited edition of 1005 Hand-signed and numbered by the artist The Vi...
Acrylic, Archival Pigment
Swedish Fish Glass Water Bag - Limited Edition Hyperreal Glass Sculpture
Located in East Quogue, NY
NEW! Limited Edition Hyperreal Swedish Fish glass water bag sculpture - solid and hollow glass by Dylan Martinez. Martinez's hyperreal sculptures are hand-molded, hot-sculpted glass...
Glass
$126,396
Signs and Writings No. 2, 8.7 ft high abstract bronze sculpture, outdoor art
Located in Paris, FR
Signs and Writings No. 2 is a monumental bronze sculpture by contemporary artist Martine Demal, dimensions of the bronze sculpture: 236 H x 70 cm L x 45 cm D, dimensions of the brass...
Bronze
$4,710
Large Nature Photograph Leopard Tree Black White Infrared Africa Wildlife
Located in Norfolk, GB
Aditya Dicky Singh Untitled Infrared photograph on fine-art Hahnemuhle archival paper 45" x 64" unframed (114cm x 163cm) 2016 Edition 4/10 *Should you wish the photograph to be prin...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper
$1,260
Don't Let Them Burst your Bubble: Cerulean 51425 - sculpture, blown glass, metal
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary cerulean colored glass wall sculpture was created by Cheryl Wilson Smith. Cheryl Wilson Smith is known for her uniquely beautiful glasswork—its form, color and tex...
Glass, Mixed Media
$3,275
Showgirls are Forever - Original Playful Figurative Watercolor Painting on Paper
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. "Showg...
Watercolor, Paper
Out of skin. Semi-nude female portrait, warm gold, cosmic, symbolic figurative
Located in Oslo, NO
Out of Skin moves between figurative realism and symbolic imagery. A luminous female figure emerges from soft fields of light, while fine constellation-like lines echo her form. The ...
Acrylic, Oil, Canvas
$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...
Oil, Canvas, Acrylic
$114Sale Price|34% Off
Untitled VI (Jörg Remé, Jörg Krichbaum, Blue, Yellow, ~34% OFF - MUST GO)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Joerg Reme Untitled VI from "von den Stunden" Folio Color Lithograph on handmade paper with deckled edges 1972 Size: 11.75 x 8.325 inches (29.8 × 21.1 cm) Edition: 31 of 250 Signed i...
Lithograph
Blessed Nude Drawing on Red Paper, Blue Tempera, 27.5x19.6in
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Blessed" Part of "Nude in Interior" series. Original work on colored paper, with pencil and blue ultramarine tempera on red colored paper, inspired by Matisse. Size is 7.5x19.5in...
Paper, Tempera
$1,100
Bluebell Abundance: Large Floral Painting, Contemporary, Delight, Colorful, New
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Bluebell Abundance Large Floral Painting, Contemporary, Delight, Colorful, New It captures the essence of nature's delight. Lilies in shades of pink, intertwined Bluebells a...
Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
"Cat Lovers" (2026) by Louis Recchia, Acrylic and Mixed Media Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Louis Recchia's "Cat Lovers" is an original, handmade mixed media painting using acrylic paint and collaging on plexiglass. Louis Recchia has been producing contemporary art in Denv...
Plexiglass, Mixed Media, Acrylic
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
$2,850
Morning Blooming - Butter Yellow Floral Landscape Mixed Media 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
The sculptural lithograph is part of the inimitable artist’s “Ruckus” series, now on view at the Brooklyn Museum.
See why the famed photographer's celebrity portraits have graced magazine covers and become headline grabbers in their own right for five decades and counting.
Part art, part seating, they offer a fascinating meditation on life’s dualities.
Cofounders Krista Scenna and Jill Benson highlight the work of underexposed talents and connect them with new collectors.
British portraitist David Bailey gets up close to his celebrity subjects.
The Pennsylvania-born, New York–based artist's whimsical creations affectionately satirize the foibles of his fellow Upper East Siders.
A designer in his own right, gallerist Stefan Lawrence blurs distinctions between contemporary furniture, art and functional objects.
A new show at Upstate New York’s Corning Museum of Glass shows off the best and brightest contemporary works of the last few years.