Born and raised in California, contemporary painter Jylian Gustlin makes art that is heavily inspired by our technology-driven world. Gustlin's firsthand experiences with the rise of Silicon Valley loom large in her abstract paintings and figurative paintings.
Gustlin grew up in San Francisco and attended San Jose State University in the early 1980s, where she studied computer science and mathematics. She left the university just one semester short of finishing her course requirements, opting instead to make art. Gustlin enrolled at the Academy of Art University and graduated with a BFA in 1986. She subsequently embarked on a career as a graphics programmer at Apple Inc.
Gustlin started to show her art in the 1990s, with her first exhibit, "Small Works," held at the Pope Gallery in Santa Cruz in 1994. She continued exhibiting throughout California into the mid-2000s, and later in New York City and the rest of the country.
Gustlin draws on the legendary decades-long Bay Area Figurative Movement and creates abstract and representational art that explores Fibonacci mathematical theories. She works with acrylic paints, epoxy resins, wax, charcoal, graphite and more to create provocative mixed-media paintings that feature complex, dazzling patterns and rich swathes of color.
Gustlin continues to live and work in California, painting out of a studio on her family's large compound. In 2022, she honored her family and their support of her work with an exhibition called "Terra Familia" at Gallery MAR in Park City, Utah. Many of the pieces represented a collaboration with her brothers and sisters.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of Jylian Gustlin paintings.
Divus 10
By Jylian Gustlin
Located in Burlingame, CA
Jylian Gustlin’s paintings are process driven – when looking at her work there is a sense the painting was “made” with effort, intention and even strength. The artist starts with an ...
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Divus 13
By Jylian Gustlin
Located in Burlingame, CA
Jylian Gustlin’s paintings are process driven – when looking at her work there is a sense the painting was “made” with effort, intention and even strength. The artist starts with an ...
Mixed Media, Wood Panel
"Blue Moon Landing" Mixed Media Painting
By Patrick Burns
Located in Chicago, IL
This mixed-media painting by contemporary artist Patrick Burns is a departure from his "Concrete Gardens" flower paintings, yet continues his use of heavy texture and reverberating, ...
Concrete
$2,800Sale Price|50% Off
H 67 in W 52 in
Art School - Large Oversized Original Textural Figurative Abstract Expressionist
By Jonas Fisch
Located in Los Angeles, CA
"Art School" is a large-scale original abstract painting by Swedish contemporary artist Jonas Fisch. The one-of-a-kind 67 by 52 inch mixed-media painting on canvas combines abstract ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$5,000
H 18.25 in W 26.5 in D 0.5 in
"Wild White Horses" Contemporary Outsider Urban Expressionism Painting Framed
By Purvis Young
Located in New York, NY
The painting is an expressive, abstract work by Purvis Young with a strong emphasis on dynamic brushwork and a limited color palette dominated by deep reds, off-whites, and subtle ac...
Found Objects, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Cardboard
$1,975
H 30 in W 40 in
An Undying Wonderment - Original Figurative Mixed Media Surrealist Inspired Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Robert Lebsack creates artworks using mixed media with ink, acrylic, and charcoal on archival copies of newspapers, textbooks, and sheet music. As a visionary artist, Lebsack weaves ...
Paper, Charcoal, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$2,000
H 18 in W 13 in D 0.75 in
"Nature and Human Relation-Ships" Abstract Portrait Expressionist Painting
By Suki Maguire
Located in New York, NY
This piece is an abstract composition done with mixed media, oil and acrylic paints on linen. The artist explores an incredible world filled with color and expressive brush strokes. ...
Linen, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$2,790Sale Price|40% Off
H 36 in W 60 in D 2.5 in
Moonday Through Sunday - Abstract Expressionist Acrylic on Wood, Germany
By Brigitte McReynolds
Located in Soquel, CA
Bold figurative abstract composition by Brigitte McReynolds (German, 20th Century). Titled, signed, and dated on verso ("Moonday through Sunday" © Brigitte McReynolds 1999 Acrylic on...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
$4,000
H 30 in W 24 in D 1.5 in
"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
$1,275
H 24 in W 24 in
With Blessings and Burdens - Colorful Mixed Media Surrealist Figurative Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Robert Lebsack creates artworks using mixed media with ink, acrylic, and charcoal on archival copies of newspapers, textbooks, and sheet music. As a visionary artist, Lebsack weaves ...
Paper, Charcoal, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$690
H 16.54 in W 23.63 in D 0.4 in
Metropolitan: Abstract Monotone Modern Contemporary Investment Bold Artwork
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Guardians of the Metropolitan Abstract, Limited Color, Modern, Contemporary, Investment, Bold, Artwork, Painting The delicious textures, symbols and forms brings the viewer ...
Acrylic, Gesso, Glaze, Panel, Wood Panel, Engraving
Andrea Bonfils - Beehive Black, Painting 2021
By Andrea Bonfils
Located in Greenwich, CT
Series: Beehives Beeswax and fabric over beehive and honeycomb panels Size: 36” x 26” x 1.5” This Painting will be shipped directly from the artist's studio.
Wax, Encaustic, Oil, Wood Panel
$1,484Sale Price|20% Off
H 30 in W 30 in D 2.25 in
Figurative and Abstract Expressionist Composition in Oil on Wood Panel
Located in Soquel, CA
Dynamic and expressive abstract expressionist composition by SF Bay Area found artist "Aska" (20th Century). Colors are patched and layered in a controlled...
Oil, Wood Panel
$3,800
H 24 in W 24 in D 1.5 in
"Waiting", Original Encaustic Figurative Abstract, Figure in Warm Red Palette
By Rinat Goren
Located in Carmel, CA
Rinat Goren (Israeli, American, born 1964) "Waiting" 2023 Encaustic paint on cradled wood panel The artist signed the bottom right corner of the painting. “Waiting” is a refined, contemporary figurative-abstract encaustic work. The composition centers on a stylized female figure set against a richly layered grid of warm reds, oranges, and golden tones. The figure is integrated into the architectural structure of the painting, appearing both present and suspended within the surrounding geometry. Goren’s encaustic technique builds luminous depth through translucent wax layers, incised lines, and embedded shapes. The grid-like background evokes urban systems, schedules, and quiet rhythms, while the elongated figure introduces a human pause within this ordered framework. Her posture suggests stillness and anticipation, reinforcing the painting’s title and emotional undercurrent. Balancing abstraction with figuration, “Waiting” reflects Goren’s ongoing exploration of time, presence, and human experience within structured environments. The warm palette and tactile surface give the work an inviting yet contemplative quality. About the Artist: Rinat Goren is an Israeli-American artist based in California whose contemporary encaustic works explore the relationship between thought, structure, and emotion. Born in Israel and residing most of her life in the U.S., Goren has long been drawn to both observation and creation, translating the complexity of the human mind into layered visual compositions. Her encaustic paintings—formed by applying molten beeswax mixed with pigment—evoke a tactile, sensory experience that reflects her fascination with systems, decision-making, and the creative act itself. She works with geometry, color, and abstraction to celebrate our innate capacity to reflect, choose, and act with intention. Goren’s process is rooted in one of the world’s oldest painting...
Encaustic, Wood Panel, Stretcher Bars, Paper
Illustris 25
By Jylian Gustlin
Located in Edgartown, MA
Jylian Gustlin is a native Californian and grew up in the San Francisco bay area. She has been shaped by the technology explosion of Silicon Valley and her art reflects her in-depth ...
Mixed Media, Wood Panel
"Hera 11" Large-Scale Gestural Figurative Mixed Media Painting
By Jylian Gustlin
Located in Edgartown, MA
"Hera 11" Large-Scale Gestural Figurative Mixed Media Painting Jylian Gustlin is a native Californian and grew up in the San Francisco bay area. S...
Mixed Media
Sold
H 48 in W 48 in
"Athena 10" High Energy Gestural Figurative Large Scale Mixed Media Painting
By Jylian Gustlin
Located in Edgartown, MA
"Athena 10" High Energy Gestural Figurative Large Scale Mixed Media Painting Jylian Gustlin is a native Californian and grew up in the San Francis...
Mixed Media
Illustris 6
By Jylian Gustlin
Located in Edgartown, MA
Jylian Gustlin is a native Californian and grew up in the San Francisco bay area. She has been shaped by the technology explosion of Silicon Valley and her art reflects her in-depth ...
Epoxy Resin, Mixed Media, Oil Pastel
Aphrodite 7
By Jylian Gustlin
Located in Edgartown, MA
Jylian Gustlin is a native Californian and grew up in the San Francisco bay area. She has been shaped by the technology explosion of Silicon Valley and her art reflects her in-depth ...
Epoxy Resin, Mixed Media, Oil Pastel
Iris 2
By Jylian Gustlin
Located in Edgartown, MA
Jylian Gustlin is a native Californian and grew up in the San Francisco bay area. She has been shaped by the technology explosion of Silicon Valley and her art reflects her in-depth ...
Epoxy Resin, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media
Caelum No. 23
By Jylian Gustlin
Located in Edgartown, MA
Jylian Gustlin is a native Californian and grew up in the San Francisco bay area. She has been shaped by the technology explosion of Silicon Valley and her art reflects her in-depth ...
Epoxy Resin, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Oil