In contemporary painting, three main styles are being strongly valued on the market and by critics in 2025 - both by collectors and by curators of international biennials and fairs. And if you are artist like meWhether you're a curator or a collector, it's important to keep abreast of market trends.
With this in mind, I did a lot of research and decided to write this post, in which I'll present the most popular styles of the moment, explain a little about how each one of them reflects current social, emotional or aesthetic issues and, of course, the icing on the cake, showcases some outstanding artists and their works. Keep reading until the end and take the opportunity to catch up! ; )
1. Contemporary emotional figuration (or intimate neoexpressionism)
There is a search for emotional authenticity, identity and vulnerability. Artists are returning to the human figure, but with raw brushstrokes, bold palettes and deconstructed composition. The emphasis is on subjective and psychological expression, sometimes with autobiographical elements, gender issues or social traumas.
Relevant artists:
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Salman Toor
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Jenna Gribbon
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Toyin Ojih Odutola
In Brazil: artists such as Élle de Bernardini or Janaina Wagner explore themes of the body, memory and politics through intensely poetic painting.
2. Post-digital painting (analog with screen or glitch aesthetics)
It's a response to digital saturation. Painters are reproducing canvas aesthetics, digital collages, pixels, AI effects or bugs - but with traditional techniques such as oil, acrylic and tempera. There is a fascination with artists who "imitate the digital with their hand".
Common examples:
- Paintings that resemble low-resolution photos, AI distortions, social media filters or avatars.
Relevant artists:
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Petra Cortright (in painting derived from digital media)
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Hernan Bas (with a strong digital influence and queer mythology)
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Austin Lee
3. Symbolic gestural abstraction (contemporary spirituality)
Why it's valued:
With the world in constant crisis, there is a revaluation of spirituality, connection with nature and the invisible. Contemporary artists are creating abstract paintings with a strong symbolic charge, influenced by Eastern philosophies, astrology, mysticism or climate science.
Relevant artists:
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Sara Hughes (psychic landscapes)
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Marina Perez Simão (Brazilian, with a strong international presence)
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Lucy Bull (kaleidoscopic layers and almost musical rhythm)
Cross-sectional trend: Hybrid and self-referential narratives
Many artists mix styles, such as figurative + abstract, or painting with fabric collage, embroidered texts or printed AI. The value lies in proposals with a unique identity and powerful discourse, not just in technique.
After studying all these artists, I dare to conclude that the market is not only looking for its own style, because over time every artist finds their own, but it's looking for DARING. I feel that art is increasingly about instinct and not just technique. We've seen here that the imperfect, the crude, the improvised and the colorful are at an all-time high and I'm happy, because I've been printing exactly a bit of all this in my work. my works.
Stay tuned here at Art in Focus, because my next post will be about the main innovative trends in the art world. I've already started researching and I guarantee that your mind will broaden even more! ; )
