10 Contemporary Painters You Should Know
Contemporary visual art is known as "Contemporary Art". It refers to artworks where the creative process and public reception occur almost simultaneously. Contemporary artists perceive events, moods, and emotions, as well as trends and visions of their time, and express them in their works.
However, whether a painter is considered contemporary is not always solely dependent on the recency of their works. In practice, the term often spans a longer period than the immediate present. Museums, galleries, and art dealers usually present art under this name from the present to mid-20th century. Sometimes, even artists of Modern Art are included.
The term "contemporary" does not define a specific style or genre. Instead, 21st-century painting shows a great variety of forms of expression that reflect the influences of various epochs in art history. These influences are interpreted in a contemporary way and often combined with each other. This also applies to techniques and materials as well.
Alongside the genres of painting, graphic art, sculpture, and drawing, which have been known for centuries, photography, performance, installation, conceptual art, and video art as well as computer-aided processes such as digital art and art using artificial intelligence have emerged since the 20th century. As with the styles, the transitions in contemporary art often blend seamlessly.
The contemporary art movement has produced numerous famous and commercially successful artists. Some of the most famous contemporary painters, who have been working at the highest level for decades, include
- Gerhard Richter,
- Anselm Kiefer,
- Banksy,
- Tracey Emin,
- David Hockney,
- Peter Doig, and
- Cindy Sherman.
Sculptors, performance artists and installation artists like
- Ai Wei Wei,
- Bruce Nauman,
- Marina Abramović,
- Tony Cragg,
- Jeff Koons,
- Ólafur Elíasson,
- Louise Bourgeoise, and
- Yayoi Kusama
are celebrated by millions of people. In addition to these artists, who have been known globally renowned for many years, a new generation of contemporary artists is emerging, some of whom we would like to introduce to you below.
1. Robert Hettich
It is not easy to develop a unique imagery with a high recognition value in 21st-century art. However, the contemporary painter Robert Hettich has succeeded in doing so. In his landscapes, cityscapes and still lifes, only the impression of the motif counts. He gives his all to bring out the light, contrasts, and colours of a scene. In contrast, the details of the pictorial objects are of less significance to him. Hettich also attaches only little importance to individuals. People are often only hinted at as elongated shapes without faces.
| The motifs in Hettich's paintings are usually recognisable at first glance, though sometimes you have to take a second glance to identify them. |
Born in 1964, Robert Hettich has focused on painting with oils, acrylics, and watercolours, as well as other genres such as illustration, photography, and graphic design.
His name is now internationally recognised. Since 2000, he has presented his works in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including Paris, Beijing, Malmö, Moscow, Dresden, and Berlin. During his career, he has also collaborated with companies such as Sheraton Hotels, Pelikan and the car brand Bentley.
2. Holger Mühlbauer-Gardemin
In the artistic universe of the German contemporary painter Holger Mühlbauer-Gardemin, a wide variety of imagery can be found. His range includes prominent actors, musicians, comic figures, and icons of contemporary history, landscapes, urban scenes, and animal portraits, as well as abstract works.
| Mühlbauer-Gardemin's artistic forms of expression are as diverse as his motifs. He effortlessly combines Pop Art, comics and Urban Art with Expressionism and Realism in his work. |
Mühlbauer-Gardemin does not want to commit to a specific technique either. He is particularly interested in combining analogue and digital techniques. For example, he uses painting with acrylic, varnish and pigments, collage, lithography, and photography as well as digital printing and computer-based image processing. Even when he occasionally uses existing image material, his creative process always results in unique pieces that bear his very unique signature.
Holger Mühlbauer-Gardemin was born in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, in 1972. After training as a graphic designer and studying at the Academy of Graphic and Digital Arts in Bremen, he worked in various advertising agencies, print shops and publishing houses. In 1996, he became a freelance designer and artist and has since taken part in numerous exhibitions across Germany.
3. The Contemporary Painter Sabrina Seck
"Bringing joy to people, making them think or putting a smile on their faces fills me with true joy."
This is how the German painter Sabrina Seck describes her motivation for creating art. The passion she brings to her work is evident in every one of her pictures. Seck works with precision and great attention to detail. Nevertheless, her works are also full of emotion.
Sabrina Seck's painting shows recognisable influences from Pop Art and Urban Art, as well as from modern art such as Surrealism and Expressionism. She does not commit herself to a specific group of motifs.
Her imagery includes comic figures such as Donald Duck, Snoopy, Batman and Garfield, as well as human portraits, animals, and abstract works. She primarily uses acrylic on canvas, supplemented by other techniques such as coloured pencils, chalk and spray paint.
| The element that unites all her works is her very distinctive way of colouring contemporary pictures in bright colours. |
Born in 1979, Sabrina Seck has been exhibiting her work since 2005 at art fairs and exhibitions in Germany and abroad, including Paris, London, Hamburg, Munich, Milan, Madrid, and Brussels.
4. Astrid Stoeppel
In an increasingly fast-paced world, Astrid Stoeppel seeks to create small oases of calm with her art. She has found the answer to the hustle and bustle of daily life in abstract paintings with clear structures and vibrant colours.
Stoeppel works with simple geometric shapes such as circles, lines, dots, and stripes. She often repeats these patterns several times, giving the paintings a consistent rhythm and clear order. These minimalist patterns are reminiscent of works by art legends such as Damien Hirst, Piet Mondrian, and Imi Knoebel.
In addition to the forms and structures, colours also play an important role for the contemporary artist both aesthetically and thematically. She is inspired by the colours and devotes a lot of time to their aesthetic combination, applying each colour individually to create a harmonious, brilliant, and powerful overall picture on the canvas.
Born in 1974, Astrid Stoeppel first found her way to visual art by taking a rather detoured route. She initially studied biology and human genetics but then worked in her family's business as a manager. She began painting as a hobby, which eventually led to her becoming a professional artist in 2012. Within just a few years, she has achieved great international recognition.
Today, she exhibits her works at international exhibitions and is regularly present at art fairs worldwide. She currently lives and works in the Italian region of Marche and Bavaria, Germany.
5. Painter of Modern Art: Uli Fischer
Uli Fischer presents contemporary painting with elements drawn from various styles of art history. He effortlessly combines current trends such as Street Art and Pop Art with aspects of Cubism, Surrealism and Abstraction. Fischer wants to evoke a sense of freedom and carefree joy through his art:
"I want to inspire my fellow human beings and make them happy. I want them to immerse themselves in a colourful fantasy world and develop wonderful dreams and thoughts in the process."
For Fischer, colour is key. Thanks to their luminosity, Fischer's paintings have a strong presence. Almost like a mosaic, he assembles motifs such as human portraits or animals from many individual areas of colour.
Born in 1968, Uli Fischer initially worked in marketing and design after studying business administration. However, in 2017 he made the decision to become a freelance artist. He quickly gained a reputation among art collectors with his expressive works.
6. Jan M. Petersen
The works of the German painter, sculptor and object artist Jan M. Petersen are both visually and intellectually appealing. In his works, he combines timeless aesthetics and master artisanry with commentary on current events. Petersen always gets to the point very quickly. In his minimalist artistic form concept, he focuses on the essentials rather than the details.
| In his works, Petersen comments on social and political issues, while also reflecting on the art market and art history. He never preaches but uses humour and irony to provoke the audience to reflect. |
Language plays a particularly important role in Petersen's work. Its significance goes far beyond its function as a graphic element. It is therefore worth paying attention not only to the words and text on the works themselves but also to the titles of the works and the descriptions of the object, which often reveal further meanings. Petersen works mainly with metals such as Corten steel and bronze, as well as with other techniques such as acrylic painting on wood, collage, and mixed media.
Born in 1969, Jan M. Petersen has been working as a freelance artist since 2000. He has established himself in the art market through numerous exhibitions and art fairs across Germany. Petersen also works under the alias "Kunstkaufhaus-Ost" and now lives and works in Rietz-Neuendorf, Brandenburg, Germany.
7. Michael Pfannschmidt
According to Michael Pfannschmidt, his works are intended to convey one thing above all: a sense of good humour. A goal that the contemporary painter undoubtedly achieves with his colourful paintings and wall objects.
His paintings feature popular characters from the world of comics, such as Donald Duck, the Peanuts and Pink Panther. His three-dimensional wall objects with ice lollies, jelly babies and doughnuts are also reminiscent of the cheerful and pleasant side of life.
Pfannschmidt's abstract works radiate a very positive energy. Here, it is above all the bright colour compositions with which he awakens feelings of happiness. Pfannschmidt uses various techniques and materials along the way from the idea to the finished object. He uses computer graphics and milling machines as well as wood, aluminium, synthetic resin, and Plexiglas.
| His wall objects often combine multiple layers of materials, creating the impression of spatial depth. |
Born in 1963, Michael Pfannschmidt discovered art in 1995. He currently lives and works in Cologne, Germany.
8. Internationally Renowned Contemporary Artist: David Gerstein
David Gerstein is currently one of the most important representatives of contemporary art from Israel. For over 50 years, the contemporary artist has been well-known in the international art world. He has participated in countless solo and group exhibitions around the globe - from New York to Toronto and Seoul to New Delhi and Paris. Additionally, he is represented in around 20 galleries worldwide.
| The unifying element in all of Gerstein's works is his guiding principle "Art should make you happy". His motifs often tell small, everyday stories with a very positive underlying mood. |
Gerstein has created an impressive oeuvre characterised by diversity: He has developed a unique, individual style that is influenced by various genres of art history such as Pop Art, Expressionism, Cubism and Realism, whilst remaining unclassifiable.
Throughout his career, he has worked with various materials and techniques. His oeuvre includes paintings, graphics, ceramics, and paper cuts as well as photography, installations, and large objects for public spaces. Among his best-known works are colourful metal wall objects that blur the boundaries between painting and sculpture.
9. Anna Schellberg
Anna Schellberg's works are among the most intriguing positions among the German contemporary painters. Her works are bursting with emotional depth and intensity. Her motifs include people from the street, celebrities, and animals.
| Schellberg most frequently paints women - sometimes cheeky, sometimes sensual but always self-confident and strong. She pays particular attention to women's eyes, which captivate the viewer. |
Stylistically, Schellberg's works are best described as Urban Art and Pop Art but her idiosyncratic painting technique sets her apart from the rest of these genres. She does not apply the colours to the canvas in the traditional way with a brush but instead uses almost exclusively old plastic cards - ranging from expired credit cards to hotel room cards. This results in a thick, rough application of colour that gives the painting depth and expression.
Born in 1967, Anna Schellberg initially pursued a career as a journalist. She studied American Studies and German Studies in Hanover, Germany, and later painting, literature and journalism in San Angelo, Texas. After several years working as an editor for various German daily newspapers and magazines, she decided to devote herself exclusively to art.
Since 2001, she has been working as a freelance artist and has regularly participated in national and international exhibitions. Since 2008, she has been based in Hamburg, where she has her studio.
10. BUJA
The name BUJA represents intelligent Urban Art for the 21st century. This German artist combines various techniques in his works, such as painting, collage, stencils, cut-outs, and graffiti. He frequently combines iconic pictorial elements from art history and cultural history and media, blending them with catchphrases and short slogans.
The special quality of BUJA's usually large-format works lies in the arrangement of the fragments in completely new contexts. The resulting new perspectives on our everyday lives are usually ironic and humorous but can also be irritating and thought-provoking.
| Since 2011, BUJA has been collaborating with the winemaker Jonas Kiefer, who uses excerpts from BUJA's works for his wine bottle labels. |
BUJA was born as René Burjack in 1978. He studied art at the University of Education in Heidelberg, Germany from 2000 to 2005 and has been exhibiting his work as a freelance artist across Germany since 2012. He has also created numerous works for public spaces, such as the street art campaign "MURALU" in Ludwigshafen.
Beyond his work in the studio, BUJA is involved in many other projects. He organises art events and exhibitions together with fellow artists and, in 2023, designed with students a wall at the Durmersheim secondary school.
Would You Like to Learn More About Contemporary Painters?
Discover more exciting contemporary artists or learn more about the characteristics of the contemporary art movement in our art report.