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.
Tiny Sanctuary
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...
Canvas, Oil
Will You Be My Lobster?
Located in Zofingen, AG
Some people spend a lifetime searching for proof that they belong to someone. Others quietly become a home for themselves. This lobster isn’t waiting by the sea. It has already found...
Canvas, Acrylic
Held Without Holding
Located in Zofingen, AG
Set against a vibrant floral dress, the dog rests in the woman’s arms — not held back, but held close. Her gesture is not control, but care. The painting captures a shared moment of ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Of Wonder
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
The Sacredness of the Invisible: Abstract Oil Painting, 80x110 cm, New
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
A composition dominated by dreamlike creatures in an abstract landscape. The painting uses a palette of intense, saturated colors, with shades of blue, yellow, green, red, brown, and...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
Respite
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
Breathing Together
Located in Zofingen, AG
This image is the very essence of tranquility, where the human and the animal merge into a single gentle wave of trust. Here, silence carries the weight of tenderness: it is palpable...
Canvas, Acrylic
Hunt Slonem "3 in Gold" Unique Oil painting of bunnies
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Slonem, Hunt Title: 3 in Gold Date: 2025 Medium: Oil on wood Unframed Dimensions: 18" x 24" Framed Dimensions: 24" x 30" Signature: Signed by Artist on Verso Edition: ...
Oil
Rest, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Two horses share a gentle moment in this playful yet serene painting by artist Jaime Ellsworth. The orange equine leans its head along the back of its cream-col...
Acrylic
Hunt Slonem "Love Child" painting of monkeys on canvas
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Slonem, Hunt Title: Love Child Date: 2025 Medium: Oil on canvas Unframed Dimensions: 12" x 9" Signature: Signed by Artist on Verso Edition: Unique Hunt Slonem is an i...
Oil
Guardians & Butterflies Savior
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Hunt Slonem, American, included in 250+ museum collections Unique oil on canvas painting, signed and dated verso Inspired by nature and his 60 pet birds, Hunt Slonem is renowned fo...
Gold Leaf
Woven Strong
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...
Canvas, Oil
Zhao Wang Surrealist Original Oil Painting "Running"
By Zhao Wang
Located in New York, NY
Title: Running Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 8 x 8 inches Frame: Framing options available! Condition: The painting appears to be in excellent condition. Note: This painting is unstretched Year: 2000 Circa Artist: Zhao Wang...
Canvas, Oil
Hunt Slonem "Simon" Original oil painting of a bunny
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Slonem, Hunt Title: Simon Date: 2024 Medium: Oil & Acrylic w/ Diamond Dust on Wood Unframed Dimensions: 20" x 14" Framed Dimensions: 25.5" x 19.5" Signature: Signe...
Oil, Mixed Media
Quantum Leap 4
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Denver, CO
This double-bunny painting is an excellent example of Hunt Slonem's art practice, set in a frame hand chosen by Hunt himself. Hunt Slonem's artistic trajectory has always been chara...
Wood, Oil
"Shark Bait" Original Mixed Media Abstract Animal Painting, Textured, Dogs, 2026
Located in Carmel, CA
Lesley Anne Spowart (American, born 1957) "Shark Bait" 2026 Acrylic paint, oil stick, and mixed media on cradled wood panel Signature in the bottom left corner. Signed and dated on v...
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel, Oil Crayon, Stretcher Bars
$8,200
Moon Rabbit - Realist Animal Portrait of Hare with patterns and colored dots
Located in Dallas, TX
Moon Rabbit Oil on canvas 36 × 36 inches 91 × 91 cm Michele Mikesell’s Moon Rabbit is an enchanting portrait of transformation and quiet mysticism. Against a softly layered ivory b...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
$25,000
Hunt Slonem "Blue Ascension Mardi" Original canvas oil painting of butterflies
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Slonem, Hunt Title: Blue Ascension Mardi Date: 2022 Medium: Oil on canvas Unframed Dimensions: 30" x 30" Signature: Signed by Artist on Verso Edition: Unique Hunt Slo...
Oil
Hunt Slonem "Max" Original bunny painting in oil
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Slonem, Hunt Title: Max Date: 2024 Medium: Oil on wood Unframed Dimensions: 10" x 8" Framed Dimensions: 16" x 14" Signature: Signed Edition: Unique Hunt Slonem is an...
Oil
Soft and Diffused
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
$800
Sichuan Forest (2019), oil painting, ecosystem, animals, panda, monkey, fauna
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Sichuan Forest (2019), oil painting, ecosystem, animals, panda, monkey, fauna "Sichuan Forest" by Alexis Kandra. Figurative oil painting with pigmented metal foil in metallic green ...
Foil
Hunt Slonem "Glaze" Original bunny painting in oil
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Slonem, Hunt Title: Glaze Series: Bunnies Date: 2026 Medium: Oil on wood Unframed Dimensions: 10" x 8" Framed Dimensions: 16.5 " x 14.5 " Signature: Signed by Artist ...
Oil
I Can Do Anything
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting from the "Echo of Harmony" series, titled "I Can Do Anything". This work is my artistic statement on inner strength and emotional balance. Using acrylic on canvas, I ca...
Canvas, Acrylic
Hunt Slonem "Blue Ascension Rain Drops" painting of butterflies
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Slonem, Hunt Title: Blue Ascension Rain Drops Date: 2026 Medium: Oil on canvas Unframed Dimensions: 48" x 48" Signature: Signed by Artist on Verso Edition: Unique Hun...
Oil
$3,643
Bleeding Sky by Rene Gonzalez - painting, forest landscape, night, foxes, animal
Located in Paris, FR
Bleeding Sky is an acrylic on canvas by artist Rene Gonzalez, depicting a group of foxes huddled beneath a tree, taking refuge from a celestial downpour of shooting stars. Dimensions...
Canvas, Acrylic
Horses - Contemporary Oil Painting, Colorful
By Monika Rossa
Located in Warsaw, PL
MONIKA ROSSA studied painting at the University of Arizona, in the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris and at the Escuela de Diseno in Barcelona. She practices drawing and easel painting....
Canvas, Oil
"Cassin's Finches", Framed Acrylic Painting of Pink Bird Studies
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This piece titled "Cassin's Finches" is an original artwork by Shae Warnick and is made of acrylic on panel and measures 21"h × 17"w framed. It is signed en verso by the artist. Sha...
Acrylic, Panel
Kitty and Kat
Located in Zofingen, AG
They brought their own living room to the middle of nowhere. Because why wait for the perfect place when you can create your own atmosphere? Pearls at sunset. Coffee on a picnic blan...
Canvas, Acrylic
The Circle of Life
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this work, the artist embodies the idea of care as a natural exchange between living beings. The person standing among the birds does not dominate but belongs—to the earth, to the...
Canvas, Acrylic
Sunset Herd, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Three horses gather as the sun begins to set, their white forms outlined in confident black lines. The soft grey backdrop creates a calming atmosphere, allowing...
Acrylic
Hunt Slonem "Society Finches 2" Birds
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Slonem, Hunt Title: Society Finches 2 Date: 2025 Medium: Oil on wood Unframed Dimensions: 10" x 8" Framed Dimensions: 14.25" x 12.25" Signature: Signed by Artist on Ve...
Oil
Accepting the Light
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Accepting the Light" is a symbolic figurative painting in the naive style, which belongs to the series "Canvases of the Inner Master”. The work continues the artist's central theme:...
Canvas, Acrylic
And a song for dinner!
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting conveys a metaphor about human relationships, where each party has its own expectations and its own truth. The hen symbolizes a person who chooses creative self-realizat...
Canvas, Acrylic
A Meal Alone with Oneself
Located in Zofingen, AG
A Meal Alone with Oneself is not about solitude, but about returning — to your own rhythm, your own desires, your own quiet center. In a world that constantly asks for more, faster, ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Hunt Slonem "Lara" Original bunny painting in oil
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Slonem, Hunt Title: Lara Date: 2025 Medium: Oil on wood Unframed Dimensions: 10" x 8" Framed Dimensions: 14.5" x 12.5" Signature: Signed Edition: Unique Hunt Slonem ...
Oil
- 21st Century Contemporary realistic Painting of a bird
By Ria Koreman
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Ria Koreman Wren 30 x 24 cm (framed included in price 35 x 29 cm) Ria Korenman paints what many people overlook: the magic in everyday life. Especially birds, with a soft spot for t...
Canvas, Oil
Harmony of Souls
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting titled "Harmony of Souls" is part of my series "Echoes of Harmony", which delves into the intricate relationship between personal balance and the depth of human connecti...
Canvas, Acrylic
Hummingbird (260308)
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
Hunt Slonem "Marko" Original bunny painting in oil
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Slonem, Hunt Title: Marko Date: 2022 Medium: Oil on wood Unframed Dimensions: 10" x 8" Framed Dimensions: 14" x 12" Signature: Signed Edition: Unique Hunt Slonem is ...
Oil
$14,000
Freedom
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Cuban based artist Support Cuban artists
Canvas, Oil
$1,125
Impressive Plumage - Original Peacock Portrait Mixed Media Painting on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Columbus, Georgia-based artist Kellie Newsome specializes in dynamic and expressive animal portraits that radiate vitality and personality. Her unique style combines abstracted forms...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
"Pippin" - Hyperrealist Animal Portrait, Oil Painting on Gallery Canvas
Located in Denver, CO
Carrie Goller's (US based) "Butch (Floriferous Squirrel)" (2025) is an original, handmade oil painting on gallery canvas. This piece measures 10 x 8 inches and is framed at 11.8 x 9....
Canvas, Oil
$11,800
Doves 2007
By Hunt Slonem
Located in New Orleans, LA
Very nice early Hunt Slonem of Doves with vintage frame selected by the artist
Canvas, Oil
Hunt Slonem "Spotted" Bunny
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Slonem, Hunt Title: Spotted Date: 2025 Medium: Oil on wood Unframed Dimensions: 10" x 8" Framed Dimensions: 16" x 14" Signature: Signed by Artist on Verso Edition: Un...
Oil
Hunt Slonem "Afternoon" Unique Oil Painting of Butterflies
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Slonem, Hunt Title: Afternoon Date: 2025 Medium: Oil on wood Unframed Dimensions: 10" x 8" Framed Dimensions: 14.5" x 12.5" Signature: Signed by Artist on Verso Editio...
Oil
Pigeon. Bird. Animals. Birds. Small. Black. Gray. Green. Urban
Located in Oslo, NO
This striking oil painting features a solitary pigeon set against a deep black background, emphasizing the bird's delicate form and subtle elegance. The pigeon is rendered in metic...
Canvas, Oil
White Ascension House of God
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Hunt Slonem, American, included in 250+ museum collections Unique oil on canvas painting, signed and dated verso Inspired by nature and his 60 pet birds, Hunt Slonem is renowned fo...
Gold Leaf
Belle- 21st Century Contemporary Dutch Portraitpainting of a Cat
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Adriana van Zoest Belle 21 x 30 cm Framed in a black wooden frame: 32 x 42 cm Oil paint on wood panel Dutch artist, painter, Adriana van Zoest, lives and works in Warmenhuizen, in t...
Oil, Wood Panel
Hunt Slonem "Pink Ascension Amsterdam" Butterflies
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Slonem, Hunt Title: Pink Ascension Amsterdam Date: 2022 Medium: Oil on canvas Unframed Dimensions: 36" x 48" Signature: Signed by Artist on Verso Edition: Unique Hunt...
Oil
"Team Ambitions", Surreal Magenta City Skyline with Swimming Sharks
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This piece titled "Team Ambitions" is an original artwork by Chris Austin and is made of gouache on wood. It measures 9.5"h x 13"w framed and is signed en verso by the artist. Chris...
Wood, Gouache
Hunt Slonem "Blue Ascension Fall" Butterflies
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Slonem, Hunt Title: Blue Ascension Fall Date: 2025 Medium: Oil on canvas Unframed Dimensions: 30" x 40" Framed Dimensions: 32" x 42" Signature: Signed by Artist on Ver...
Oil
Dealing with Death
Located in Dallas, TX
Working in his open-air studio, Miles Cleveland Goodwin is deeply in touch with the rural landscape. Goodwin’s ruminative portrayals, full of earthy metaphor and soulful intuition, e...
Panel, Wood, Oil
Hunt Slonem "Timothy" Bunny
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Slonem, Hunt Title: Timothy Date: 2025 Medium: Oil on wood Unframed Dimensions: 10" x 8" Framed Dimensions: 15" x 13" Signature: Signed by Artist on Verso Edition: Un...
Oil
$2,900
Bird and Moon
By Greg Decker
Located in Atlanta, GA
"Greg Decker is a visionary painter. His work epitomizes the passion that comes from a deep love of art, poetry, and music. His paintings show how art is both the consolation for, ...
Metal
Path to the Source
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting "Path to the Source" part of the "Canvases of the Inner Master” is a powerful visual metaphor for conscious creation. It illustrates the idea that by monitoring and nurt...
Canvas, Acrylic
$5,000
"Unbreakable" - Original Contemporary Realist Horse Portrait, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Richard grew up in the town of Golden, CO. His parents immigrated from Cuba in 1959, making their way from Miami to Colorado. His interest in art began while painting with his mother...
Oil, Canvas
When the Day Awakens .Series "Vibrations of the Earth"
Located in Zofingen, AG
When the Day Awakens — the world fills with a quiet breath of renewal. In the first rays of sunlight, the boundaries between dream and reality, earth and sky, begin to dissolve. The ...
Canvas, Acrylic
"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
"Mouse", Whimsical Mouse Character Cutout Sculpture on Salvaged Wood
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This piece titled "Mouse" is an original artwork by Tripper Dungan and is made of acrylic on salvaged wood, and measures 17.5"h × 9"w. It is signed en verso by the artist. Tripper D...
Acrylic, Wood
Spirit, Mind and Soul - 21st Century. Contemporary, Figurative Modern, Africa
By Aba Linus
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, Oil, Acrylic