Christopher Mudgett (b. 1982, USA) stands among the most compelling voices in contemporary painting, inhabited by a singular vision that merges the raw urgency of expressionism with the structural rigor of early-20th-century modernism.
Known for his bold reduction of the human form and his command of stark black-and-white imagery, Mudgett has developed a visual language that is both immediately recognizable and deeply rooted in the lineage of modernist drawing and print traditions. His paintings and works on paper distill subjects to their essence, creating compositions that feel at once ancient and incisively modern, evoking the clarity of classical draftsmanship while embracing the conceptual rigor of minimalism.
Born with a natural inclination toward line, gesture, and psychological resonance, Mudgett has spent his career exploring how little is needed to say the most. His practice is marked by a commitment to refinement, discipline, and continuity; each body of work builds consciously upon the last, forming an evolving investigation into identity, form, and the silent power of reduction. His studio, a private crucible of research and experimentation, remains the central axis of his life as an artist.
Mudgett’s work has garnered the attention of collectors, curators, and cultural institutions worldwide, who recognize in his practice the rare combination of formal restraint and expressive potency.
With an international collector base and exhibition history that continues to expand, Mudgett stands as a significant voice in 21st-century American art—an artist whose dedication to his craft and uncompromising clarity of vision position him firmly within the unfolding narrative of contemporary art history.
Woman & Dog, Monumental Oil Painting, Signed, 60x48 Inches, 2017
By Christopher Mudgett
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Woman and Dog Christopher Mudgett Oil on canvas 2023 48 x 36 in (121.9 x 91.4 cm) Signed by the artist Certificate of authenticity included Available from the artist’s studio In W...
Canvas, Oil
Woman with Clasped Hands, Contemporary Oil on Canvas, 48x36, 2017
By Christopher Mudgett
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Woman with Clasped Hands, 2017 by Christopher Mudgett A striking embodiment of strength and introspection, Woman with Clasped Hands (2017) challenges traditional portrayals of the f...
Canvas, Oil
$20,340
Woman Oil on Canvas Portrait, Grayscale Abstract, Contemporary, 2015
By Christopher Mudgett
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Woman, 2015 Christopher Mudgett Woman (2015) is a striking portrait that distills the essence of the female face into an elegant interplay of line, form, and tone. Executed in oil o...
Canvas, Oil
Figure IV Ink Painting on Paper, Contemporary, Signed, 2024, Framed
By Christopher Mudgett
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Figure IV, 2024 By Christopher Mudgett Christopher Mudgett's Figure IV is a striking exploration of form, abstraction, and the erotic in its purest, most evocative essence. Executed...
Ink, Archival Paper
Mother & Child Oil Painting on Canvas, Abstract Figurative, 2016
By Christopher Mudgett
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mother & Child, 2016 By Christopher Mudgett This powerful and emotive original oil painting from the artist's 2016 "Mother & Child" series encapsulates a profound moment of ...
Canvas, Oil
$65,760
Woman Writing, Contemporary Oil on Canvas, Abstract Figurative, 2018
By Christopher Mudgett
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Woman Writing, 2018 Christopher Mudgett Christopher Mudgett’s Woman Writing (2018) captures the intimate yet universal act of creation through a powerful interplay of abstraction a...
Canvas, Oil
$94,740
Woman in Gris, Contemporary Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas, 40x30, 2018
By Christopher Mudgett
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Woman in Gris, 2018 Christopher Mudgett A quintessential example of Mudgett’s evocative modernism, Woman In Gris (2018) captures a profound moment of stillness through its delicate...
Canvas, Oil
Woman Drawing, Contemporary Oil on Canvas, 24x14 Inches, 2023
By Christopher Mudgett
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Woman Drawing, 2023 Christopher Mudgett In Woman Drawing (2023), Christopher Mudgett offers a quietly powerful portrayal of a woman absorbed in the act of creation. Executed in his...
Canvas, Oil
Blonde Woman Oil Painting on Canvas, Contemporary Portrait, 2016
By Christopher Mudgett
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Blonde Woman, 2016 By Christopher Mudgett Christopher Mudgett’s Blonde Woman (2016) is a striking embodiment of the artist's mastery in portraiture, showcasing both the emotional d...
Canvas, Oil
Head of Woman Oil Painting, Abstract Style, Signed, 14x11 in, 2018
By Christopher Mudgett
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Head of Woman, 2018 Christopher Mudgett Raw and emotional, Head of Woman (2018) is a striking example of the oil paintings created during Christopher Mudgett's "Gray Period." With ...
Canvas, Oil
Head of Woman Portrait Painting, Monochromatic, Abstract, Signed, 20x16, 2017
By Christopher Mudgett
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Head of Woman, 2017 Christopher Mudgett Head of Woman is a captivating and enigmatic portrait that draws viewers into its world with increasing depth upon each viewing. The subject’...
Canvas, Oil
Gray Woman Abstract Painting, Oil on Canvas, Contemporary, 2018
By Christopher Mudgett
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gray Woman, 2018 Christopher Mudgett Gray Woman is a captivating abstract portrait that draws viewers into an evolving visual dialogue. Through bold lines, fluid shapes, and a dist...
Canvas, Oil
Cat Linocut Print, Black and White, Signed, Limited Edition 2023
By Christopher Mudgett
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cat, 2023 By Christopher Mudgett Rendered in Mudgett’s unmistakably powerful style, this striking black-and-white linocut distills the essence of a cat into a bold, abstracted form....
Ink, Archival Paper, Linocut
Figure III Ink Painting on Paper, Contemporary, Signed, 2024, Framed
By Christopher Mudgett
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Figure III, 2024 By Christopher Mudgett Figure III is a commanding work that speaks to both the raw energy of abstraction and the seductive power of the human form. Painted in stark...
Ink, Archival Paper
$17,940
Blonde Woman Oil Painting on Canvas, Contemporary, 12x12 Inches, 2017
By Christopher Mudgett
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Blonde Woman, 2017 by Christopher Mudgett In Blonde Woman (2017), Mudgett presents a striking portrait that pulses with raw emotion, inviting the viewer into an intimate, almost mag...
Canvas, Oil
$50,000
H 40 in W 30 in D 0.75 in
"Naiad" - Textured Colorful Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Portrait Artwork
By Masri Hayssam
Located in Carmel, CA
Masri Hayssam (Lebanese, born 1965) "Naiad" 2023 Oil Paint, Acrylic Paint, Mixed Media, Canvas, Stretcher Bars "Naiad" is a stunning abstract portrait by Masri, celebrated for its v...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
$320
H 13 in W 11 in
Serie Dibujos Felices 10 - Original Red Blue Watercolor and Ink Artwork on Paper
By "Sergio ""Valenz"" Valenzuela"
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sergio Valenzuela “Valenz” is a contemporary Guatemalan artist who tells stories with everyday objects, primarily expressing them with graphite and acrylic on canvas. His artworks pr...
Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Archival Paper
$2,720Sale Price|20% Off
H 24 in W 24 in
Deconstructed, grey abstract mixed media on board
By Barbara Strasen
Located in New York, NY
Acrylic, ink, and collage on Yupo mounted on museum board. Framed. Barbara Strasen creates imagery plumbed from the depths of a fertile imagination and a trove of rich memories, in ...
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Board
$3,080Sale Price|20% Off
H 38 in W 31.5 in D 2 in
Ancient Chinese Coin Series Figural Abstract by Anna Wu Weakland
Located in Soquel, CA
Figural abstract inspired by Chinese art and calligraphy featuring a large totem-like form in textured earth tones with black Chinese characters in bold, black brushstrokes by Anna Wu Weakland...
Paper, Ink, Oil, Cardboard
Texas Summer Nights
Located in Bozeman, MT
Kirstyn Wright is a wildlife and Western artist focusing on Texas and Southwestern imagery. She grew up an hour northwest of Fort Worth in the ranching and rodeo community of Wise Co...
Canvas, Oil
$1,200
H 20 in W 20 in D 1.5 in
"Dazzling in Paris" Abstract Figure Chanel Gown Haute Couture Painting on Canvas
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
Exploring the purity of the feminine form and the drama of French haute couture, artist Cindy Shaoul creates a dialogue between the figurative and the abstract. Her spirited composit...
Canvas, Oil
A Soldier's Dream
By Otis Huband
Located in Dallas, TX
Valley House Gallery presented our first exhibition for Houston artist Otis Huband in the summer of 2014. After a hiatus of over 20 years from regular exhibitions, his work was re-in...
Canvas, Oil
$15,000
H 64 in W 66.5 in
Nature's Web of Dependency - Large Scale Oil Painting with Animals and People
By Bruno Surdo
Located in Chicago, IL
This painting exemplifies Bruno Surdo’s synthesis of Renaissance figuration, Northern allegory, and psychological symbolism. Female figures twist and overlap beneath a lattice of tree branches, while animals—a lamb, fox, squirrel, hummingbird—inhabit the same compressed pictorial space. The interlocking limbs and diagonals recall High Renaissance and Mannerist strategies of sculptural composition, and Surdo’s atelier training is evident in the anatomical precision and volumetric modeling of flesh. Yet the scene feels intentionally dense and claustrophobic. Rather than a pastoral idyll, the forest becomes charged—alive with tension, concealment, and layered meaning. The symbolic animals situate the work within a long art historical lineage. The lamb evokes innocence or sacrifice; the fox suggests cunning and instinct; birds often signify fragility or spirit; the spider embedded in the branches recalls vanitas traditions of the Dutch Golden Age, where small creatures signal mortality and hidden threat. However, the background introduces an additional, more psychological register: the partially obscured eye and the numbers 3, 5, and 7. These are not naturalistic elements; they intrude like fragments from another realm. Their presence subtly aligns with Jungian thought—an area of interest for Surdo—where numbers function as archetypal structures of order within the psyche. In Jungian symbolism, such numbers carry qualitative meaning rather than mere quantity, suggesting stages, wholeness, embodiment, or cycles of psychic development. Their appearance within the forest—traditionally a metaphor for the unconscious—suggests the mind’s attempt to map or structure instinctual terrain. The eye, half-hidden behind branches, intensifies this reading. It can be understood as a symbol of awareness or consciousness emerging from within the thicket of instinct. Rather than divine omniscience, it feels psychological—an archetypal “watcher” embedded in the natural world. The forest thus becomes more than environment; it reads as psychic landscape. Surdo collapses civilization and instinct, rational structure and animal impulse, into a single visual field. Within his broader oeuvre—often concerned with the tension between performance and authenticity, order and chaos—this work becomes a contemporary myth of the psyche. Renaissance form provides authority and structure, while allegorical animals and Jungian symbols suggest the layered architecture of the unconscious. The result is a painting that feels timeless yet inwardly modern: a meditation on innocence, predation, awareness, and the hidden numerical and symbolic frameworks through which the human mind seeks to understand its own wilderness. Bruno Surdo Nature's Web of Dependency oil on canvas 64h x 66.50w in 162.56h x 168.91w cm BRS082 Bruno A. Surdo b. Chicago, 1963 EXHIBITIONS 2021 Ethos + Truth, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 2020 Realities, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 2018 Liberation, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL Blood Sport, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL Art on Paper 2018, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Pier 36, New York, NY SOFA Chicago 2018, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL 2017 POP!ARAZZI, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL Coming Attractions, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 2015 SOFA Chicago 2015, Ann Nathan Gallery, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL Bruno Surdo: Allegories, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2014 Bruno Surdo: Respond, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Modern Metaphors, Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL 2013 Bruno Surdo: Revelations, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Vice + Virtue, Northern Illinois University Museum of Art 2012 Contemporary Realism Biennial, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN 2011 Bruno Surdo, University of St. Francis School of Creative Arts, Fort Wayne, IN Uncensored, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2010 Art Chicago 2010, Ann Nathan Gallery, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL 2009 Art Chicago 2009, Ann Nathan Gallery, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL 2007 Bruno Surdo, Art Institute of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 2006 Context/Content: Making Meaning with the Figure, University of Arkansas, Conway, AR Creative Imaginings, Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL Bruno Surdo: Cycles, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2005 Art Chicago 2005, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2004 Tragedy, Memory, & Honor, Richard M. Daley Center, Chicago, IL Art Chicago 2004, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Group Show, Arcadia Gallery, New York, NY Drawings VII, Koplin Del Rio Gallery, West Hollywood, CA Armory Show, New York Armory, New York, NY 2003 Paintings & Drawings, College of Lake County, Grayslake, IL The Art Show, New York, NY Bruno Surdo: New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Art Chicago 2003, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2003-10 International Show of Contemporary Artists, Chicago Art Open, Chicago, IL 2002 Bruno Surdo: Perception of Appearance, Frye Museum, Seattle, WA Tragedy, Memory, & Honor, Richard M. Daley Center, Chicago, IL Bruno Surdo: Transcendence, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Art Chicago 2002, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Tragedy, Memory, & Honor, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2001 Magic Vision, Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR 1998 Evanston and Vicinity Artists, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL 1996 Bruno Surdo: A Personal View, University of Wisconsin, Kenosha, WI 1995 Bruno Surdo: Recent Works, College of Lake County, IL AIDS in Our Society, Loyola University, Chicago, IL Bruno Surdo: Life, Struggle, and Hope, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL 2001 Magic Vision, Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR Bruno Surdo: Dualities of Life, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 1999 Group Show, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 1998 Group Exhibition, Fine Arts Building Gallery, Chicago, IL 1995 Spiritual Inquiries, Struve Gallery, Chicago, IL 1994 Recent Works, The 14th Annual Juried Exhibition for Lake County Artists, Grayslake, IL Go Figure, Figurative Works on Paper, Chicago Printmakers Collaborative, Chicago, IL SELECTED COLLECTIONS The Re-Birth of Venus, Temporary Loan, Fort Wayne Museum of Art Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR College of Lake County, Greyslake, IL Flashpoint Academy, Chicago IL John Robert Wiltgen Design Shoemaker Ruud Collection Julie & Thomas Danilek Michael Vozzella and Mike Silver Benjamin Fernandez Tom Braake Betsy Colburn Michael Diemand & Lor LaRose Michael Staab & Kathy Brock Bruce Leep Frank Tzurect Mary Foley Rosalyn Carlson Mimmy Turney Janet Long Halstead Billy Hunt Carol Galli Myles Kerrigan Honorable & Mrs. Edwin Berman Theodore Gage Northrop Art Museum Past Present & Future Company Dr. James & Peggy Kemmler Salvatore Monastero Nix & Virginia Lauridsen Joel Miller David & Marlene Zerkel Ann & Andy Abel Claudia Rush Marc Miller Leonard Goldberg Lawrence Pucci Howard Tullman Collection Susan & Manny Kramer James Rinnert Richar Interiors Michael & Nancy Colt Khalid Altijir Dr. Joe Grodman Beryl & Jack Gore Larry Wolf & Eric Naegle Chuck Wolandi Jack Schwab & David Sandelin Thomas Kaczmarek Marti Dinerstein Craig & Michael Golden...
Oil, Canvas
$30,000
H 55.12 in W 51.19 in D 1.19 in
Large Colourful Exotic Impressionistic Figurative Painting "Hypnose"
By Claire Denarie-Soffietti
Located in Cape Town, ZA
A unique, large scale figurative painting with a vivid, exotic background featuring flowers and a cat. The painting style shows influences from the post-impressionists, yet is undeni...
Canvas, Varnish, Wax, Oil, Acrylic
$495
H 31 in W 21 in
The Red Cloth 128 - Dancer Figurative Dress Minimalist Original Ink Painting
By Bettina Mauel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bettina Mauel expresses vitality and sensuality in her abstract and figurative paintings. “I paint what I experience,” she articulates. “This includes landscapes, dancers and peopl...
Linen, Ink, Archival Paper
$750
H 11.5 in W 9.5 in D 2 in
"My 3 Diamond Hearts" Oil Painting on Canvas with White Floater Frame
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
Motivated by bold color and fast brushwork, we are moved by the simplicity and thick textured oil paints in these works. Shaoul’s “My Heart Collection” is a vibrant and energetic dis...
Oil, Canvas, Glass, Mixed Media
Thread 2
By Jesse Lambert
Located in New York, NY
15"x15" ink and watercolor on paper This painting is from as series of ink and watercolor paintings that depict ad-hoc structures, similar to tree houses or forts. The st...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Watercolor