The 10 Most Popular Modern and Contemporary Artists

Contemporary art is taking over the world today. It leaves a lasting impression that will affect the years to come. This is the art that was created in the second half of the 20th century or the 21st century.

Time passes, and who are the contemporary artists today who will leave a lasting legacy behind them, we will look back to tomorrow. So, we are going to present 10 of the most famous contemporary artists.

Frank Stella

The renowned contemporary artist is known for his use of geometric patterns and shapes in his paintings and sculptures. Frank Stella’s works reflect the formal properties of form, color, and composition. He explores non-literary narratives.

In 1970, Frank Stella became the youngest artist ever to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. His modern art paintings are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Basel Art Museum, the Institute of Chicago.

Mark Grotjahn

The contemporary artist is known for his abstract paintings. Mark Grotjahn’s work explores the vanishing point of perspective. The artist uses it as a catalyst to create expressive and brightly colored contemporary art paintings.

Mark Grotjahn is also famous for his mask sculptures. His modern art paintings and sculptures are held in Los Angeles collections of the Hammer Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.

Rudolf Stingel

Rudolf Stingel is known from the late 1980s for his silver modern paintings. He mixed the silver with various primary colors. In 1990, Rudolf Stingel began testing the relationship between painting and the spaces where they are shown.

Rudolf Stingel developed a series of installations that covered the walls and floors with carpets. His contemporary artwork often reflects upon fundamental questions concerning the medium of painting.

Gheorghe Virtosu

The contemporary artist was the subject of a major retrospective at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris in 2016–2017. The artist mastered abstraction; however, he does not deny reality in his painting.

His painting Fatimah Bint Muhammad (2016) broke records in 2017 and became the highest-grossing work by a contemporary UK artist.

Peter Doig

His contemporary artworks are held in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Tate Gallery in London, and the Goetz Collection in Munich. He is maybe the brightest representative of modern contemporary art. His artworks are characterized by their equal focus on both landscapes and figures.

Richard Prince

Richard Prince is known for his use of imagery. The contemporary artist takes photographs from advertising, entertainment, and social media. Richard Prince’s controversial practice is sparking debates concerning copyright, intellectual property, and theft within the art world. His contemporary artworks are held in the collections of such museums as:

• The Museum of Modern Art in New York;
• The Art Institute of Chicago;
• The Goetz Collection in Munich;
• The Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Ai Weiwei

In 2017, Ai Weiwei recreated a popular image of a drowning Syrian refugee child. This contemporary artwork caused some to regard Ai Weiwei as a vocal supporter of inhumanity while others claim he is shamefully capitalizing on human suffering. But he continues to allure the world with his incredible, culturally fierce works.

Yoshitomo Nar

The contemporary artist is known for his paintings of children and animals. His versatile practice explores themes of isolation, rebellion, and spirituality through printmaking, painting, sculpture, ceramics, and installations. He states that his work is filled with religious and philosophical considerations. He states that his contemporary artwork is filled with religious and philosophical considerations.

Anselm Kiefer

His contemporary paintings incorporate mix-media. Anselm Kiefer developed themes of German history and the horror of the Holocaust, the spiritual concepts of Kabbalah. He argues with the past and addresses controversial issues from recent histories, like themes from Nazi rule. His works reflect the willingness to confront his culture’s dark past, and unrealized potential. His work has signatures and names of people of historical importance, legendary figures, or historical places.

The contemporary artist seeks to process the past, being linked with the movements of New Symbolism and Neo-Expressionism.

Damien Hirst

The contemporary artist Damien Hirst made one of the most iconic moves for a solo artist by hosting an entire gallery for Beautiful Inside My Head Forever. The English contemporary artist, entrepreneur, and art collector is reportedly the United Kingdom’s richest living artist, with his wealth estimated at $384 million.