Postwar American artist Sam Gilliam was an innovative Color Field painter and lyrical abstractionist perhaps best known for working directly on draped, unprimed canvases freed from their stretcher bars in as early as the mid-1960s.
Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Gilliam studied art at the University of Louisville, earning both undergraduate and graduate degrees in fine art. He moved to Washington, D.C., in 1962, where he became associated with the Washington Color School. Inspired by the vibrant hues of German Expressionism, Gilliam pushed the limits of his medium by eliminating the use of easels and stretchers. Instead, he painted on draped canvases suspended from the walls and the ceiling of his studio.
Overlooked at first, the resulting works, radiant and rippling with energy, would become universally recognized as a hallmark of Gilliam’s oeuvre. Later in his career, he would draw inspiration from jazz and textile artistry, creating improvisational collage-style “quilted” paintings on nylon or canvas that recall quilt patterns.
In 1972, Gilliam became the first Black artist to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale; he also exhibited at the 2017 Venice Biennale. His works can be found in more than 50 public collections around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Corcoran Gallery of Art (now the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design) in Washington, D.C., the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Paris Museum of Modern Art, among many others. Gilliam’s awards include the United States State Department Medal of Arts, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship and more.
Find original Sam Gilliam prints and other art on 1stDibs.
Reckoning 11-9-89
By Sam Gilliam
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Sam Gilliam (1933–2022) is beloved as one of the 20th century's most important abstract artists. He was a true innovator in the evolution of American abstraction. He is credited with...
Concrete
Confetti Hex
By Sam Gilliam
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Sam Gilliam (1933–2022) is beloved as one of the 20th century's most important abstract artists. He was a true innovator in the evolution of American abstraction. Several groundbreak...
Textile, Acrylic Polymer, Mixed Media
$3,000
H 15.75 in W 19.69 in D 7.09 in
Yin Sculpture: Sea Seeds Series, Abstract Handcrafted Porcelain&Textile
Located in Zofingen, AG
Yin — from the Seeds of the Sea series — embodies the feminine essence in its purest form: receptive, fluid, and quietly powerful. Smooth, white scales flow over a luminous crimson c...
Porcelain, Textile, Acrylic
Stacked Cube Votive Sculpture (Multicolored), 2020
By Dena Paige Fischer
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Concrete, paint, oil pastel and polyurethane Hand-signed by artist Frame: Not included This work includes a certificate of authenticity.
Concrete
Art in motion n°2
By Gilbert Pauli
Located in Geneva, CH
Born in 1944 in the canton of Fribourg, Gilbert Pauli currently lives in Geneva, where he devotes himself to painting and sculpture, a passion he developed from his childhood. His fa...
Concrete, Steel
$20,000
H 102 in W 95 in D 1 in
State of Mind, Contemporary Woven Tapestry, Geometric Abstract Textile Sculpture
By Ane Henriksen
Located in Wilton, CT
State of Mind, Contemporary Woven Tapestry, Abstract Textile Wall Sculpture, Viscosed silk, cotton cloth, jersey dots, 102” x 95”, 2016 by textile artist, Ane Henriksen...
Fabric, Textile, Tapestry, Cotton, Silk
$8,005
H 78.75 in W 21.66 in D 21.66 in
Suspended Organic Mar III Natural Raffia Textile Sculpture by Eliurpi 2026
By Eliurpi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At Escat Gallery we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection comes with a Certificate of Au...
Textile
$600
H 12 in W 12 in D 4 in
TAKI-KASURI FOLDS (dark indigo blue thick textile linen fold monochrome design)
By Chloe Hedden
Located in Quebec, Quebec
TAKI-KASURI FOLDS from Chloe Hedden’s Fold Series explores the tension between softness and structure through the poetic manipulation of handmade Japanese fabric on linen. In this sc...
Textile, Wood, Linen
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
H 38 in W 25.4 in D 2.37 in
Art in motion n°4 by Gilbert Pauli - Concrete sculpture 64x96 cm
By Gilbert Pauli
Located in Geneva, CH
"Art in motion" is a series that offers artworks working with matter; concrete, cement, plaster, mortar, and natural pigments. These works are intended to be exhibited in several way...
Concrete
$3,920
H 38 in W 25.4 in D 2.37 in
Art in motion n°8 by Gilbert Pauli - Concrete sculpture 96x64 cm
By Gilbert Pauli
Located in Geneva, CH
"Art in motion" is a series that offers artworks working with matter; concrete, cement, plaster, mortar, and natural pigments. These works are intended to be exhibited in several way...
Concrete
$6,332
H 31.5 in W 21.66 in D 21.66 in
Suspended Organic Metamorfosis Natural Raffia Textile Sculpture by Eliurpi 2026
By Eliurpi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At Escat Gallery we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection comes with a Certificate of Au...
Textile
$1,732
H 10.24 in W 12.6 in D 3.15 in
Earth-Toned Mixed Media on Canvas, Concrete and Sand, 2025 -'Untitled 83252'
Located in Bruxelles, BE
This unique piece was made by Roan Van Oort in 2024. With a strong focus on simplicity and timelessness, he consciously chooses natural materials, characterized by a certain fragilit...
Concrete, Sandstone
$3,136Sale Price|21% Off
H 38 in W 25.4 in D 2.37 in
Art in motion n°9 by Gilbert Pauli - Concrete sculpture 96x64 cm
By Gilbert Pauli
Located in Geneva, CH
"Art in motion" is a series that offers artworks working with matter; concrete, cement, plaster, mortar, and natural pigments. These works are intended t...
Concrete
$2,400
H 34.25 in W 30.25 in D 1 in
Into Red, Gudrun Pagter, Abstract geometric tapestry
By Gudrun Pagter
Located in Wilton, CT
Pagter’s minimalism is emblematic of the shared sensibilities of Scandinavian and Japanese artists, popularly termed 'Japandi'. Into Red is one in a three part series. “In the refin...
Textile, Linen, Thread
Clarinet
By Sam Gilliam
Located in Palm Desert, CA
acrylic on wood with aluminum Provenance: Imago Galleries, CA; Private collection, CA (acquired from above)
Aluminum