This is a list of artists who create contemporary art, i.e., those whose peak of activity can be situated somewhere between the 1970s (the advent of postmodernism) and the present day. Artists on this list meet the following criteria: The person is regarded as an important figure or is widely cited by his/her peers or successors. The person is known for originating a significant new concept, theory or technique. The person has created, or played a major role in co-creating, a significant or well-known work, or collective body of work, that has been the subject of an independent book or feature-length film, or of multiple independent periodical articles or reviews. The person's work either (a) has become a significant monument, (b) has been a substantial part of a significant exhibition, (c) has won significant critical attention, or (d) is represented within the permanent collections of several notable galleries or museums, or had works in many significant libraries.
A Martine Aballéa (born 1950), installation artist Marina Abramović (born 1946), performance artist Vito Acconci (1940–2017), installation and performance artist Rita Ackermann (born 1968), artist Bas Jan Ader (1942–1979), conceptual artist Eija-Liisa Ahtila (born 1959), video artist Peggy Ahwesh (born 1954), video artist Chantal Akerman (1950–2015), filmmaker Vikky Alexander (born 1959), installation artist Edward Allington (1951–2017), sculptor Francis Alÿs (born 1959), conceptual artist El Anatsui (born 1944), sculptor and installation artist Laurie Anderson (born 1947), performance artist Lennart Anderson (1928–2015), painter Carl Andre (1935–2024), sculptor Janine Antoni (born 1964), sculptor and installation artist Ida Applebroog (1929--2023), painter Nobuyoshi Araki (born 1940), photographer Diane Arbus (1923–1971), photographer Siah Armajani (1939–2020), sculptor Arman (1928–2005), sculptor John Armleder (born 1948), performance artist, painter, sculptor, critic, and curator Art & Language, art collective Richard Artschwager (1923–2013), sculptor and painter Roy Ascott (born 1934), new media artist Frank Auerbach (1931–2024), painter Sofia Areal (born 1960), painter
B Francis Bacon (1909–1992), painter Jo Baer (born 1929), painter John Baldessari (1931–2020), conceptual artist Balthus (1908–2001), painter Banksy (born 1974), graffiti artist Fiona Banner (born 1966), installation artist and sculptor Matthew Barney (born 1967), filmmaker Will Barnet (1911–2012), painter Artur Barrio (born 1945), interactive artist Bo Bartlett (born 1955), painter Jennifer Bartlett (born 1945), painter Georg Baselitz (1938–2026), painter, sculptor Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988), painter Noah Becker (born 1970), painter Vanessa Beecroft (born 1969), performance artist Larry Bell (born 1939), sculptor Maurice Benayoun (born 1957), media artist Lynda Benglis (born 1941), sculptor Ib Benoh (born 1947), painter, sculptor, printmaker, digital media artist, poet and scholar Danelle Bergstrom (born 1957), painter José Bernal (1925–2010), painter and sculptor Joseph Beuys (1921–1986), sculptor, performance artist, installation artist Ashley Bickerton (1959-2022), mixed-media artist Janet Biggs (born 1959), video and performance artist Dara Birnbaum (born 1946), video and installation artist Ned Bittinger (born 1951), painter Ronald Bladen, (1918–1988), sculptor David Blatherwick (born 1960), painter and video artist Guy Bleus (born 1950), performance artist, mail art Mark Bloch (artist) (born 1956), performance artist, mail art Christian Boltanski (1944–2021), sculptor, photographer, painter and film maker Alighiero Boëtti (1940–1994), conceptual artist Maurizio Bolognini (born 1952), post-conceptual media artist Henry Bond (born 1966), writer, photographer and visual artist Christine Borland (born 1965), sculptor Michaël Borremans (born 1963), painter Eberhard Bosslet (born 1953), sculptor, installation artist Fernando Botero (1932–2023), painter Jack Boul (born 1927), painter, printmaker and sculptor Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010), sculptor and installation artist Mark Bradford (born 1961), painter Robert J Brawley (1937–2006), painter Candice Breitz (born 1972), video artist Stuart Brisley (born 1933), performance artist Marcel Broodthaers (1924–1976), poet, filmmaker and artist Glenn Brown (born 1966) Tania Bruguera (born 1968), installation and performance artist Fatma Bucak (born 1984), performance and installation artist Angela Bulloch (born 1966), installation artist Deborah Butterfield (born 1949), sculptor Chris Burden (1946–2015), performance artist, sculptor, and installation artist Jack Bush (1909–1977), painter Gerard Byrne (born 1969), installation artist
C Sophie Calle (born 1953), conceptual artist Nuno de Campos (born 1969), painter Janet Cardiff (born 1957), installation artist Gerard Caris (1925–2025), sculptor Norman Carlberg (1928–2018), sculptor Gillian Carnegie (born 1971), painter Anthony Caro (1924–2013), sculptor Antonio Caro (1950–2021), painter and conceptual artist Nicolas Carone (1917–2010), painter, sculptor James Casebere (born 1953), photographer Maurizio Cattelan (born 1960), sculptor Nick Cave (born 1959), performance artist and sculptor John Cederquist (born 1946), sculptor Vija Celmins (born 1938), painter Saint Clair Cemin (born 1951), sculptor John Chamberlain (1927–2011), sculptor Suki Chan (born 1977), video and installation artist Hsia-Fei Chang (born 1973), performance and installation artist Gordon Cheung, (born 1975), contemporary artist Jake and Dinos Chapman, sculptors Judy Chicago (born 1939), feminist artist Dale Chihuly (born 1941), glass artist Nina Childress (born 1961), painter Luke Ching (born 1972), conceptual artist Dan Christensen (1942–2007), abstract painter Abraham David Christian (born 1952), sculptor Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy (1952–2012), painter and printmaker Christo and Jeanne-Claude, site-specific artists Paolo Cirio (born 1979), Internet artist Lygia Clark (1920–1988), painter and installation artist Brian Clarke (1953–2025), multidisciplinary artist, painter and stained glass designer Francesco Clemente (born 1952), painter Chuck Close (1940–2021), painter Claude Closky (born 1963), new media artist Arnaud Cohen (born 1968), sculptor Delphine Coindet (born 1969), sculptor and installation artist Robert Colescott (1925–2009), painter Mat Collishaw (born 1966), photographer and video artist George Condo (born 1957), painter Cortis & Sonderegger, installation artists Anne-Lise Coste (born 1973), painter Tony Cragg (born 1945), sculptor Michael Craig-Martin (born 1941), painter, printmaker, digital artist and sculptor Martin Creed (born 1968), installation artist Patricia Cronin (born 1963), multidisciplinary artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby (born 1983), painter José Luis Cuevas (1934–2017), painter, printmaker and sculptor
D Dado (1933–2010), painter Hanne Darboven (1941–2009), conceptual artist Ann Darbyshire (1926–2007), print-maker Ian Davenport (born 1966), painter and printmaker Ronald Davis (1937–2025), abstract painter Richard Deacon (born 1949), sculptor Tacita Dean (born 1965), conceptual artist and filmmaker Wim Delvoye (born 1965), neo-conceptual artist Walter De Maria (1940–2013), installation artist, conceptual artist Abigail DeVille (born 1981), installation and sculpture artist Guy Denning (born 1965), painter Richard Diebenkorn (1922–1993), painter Rineke Dijkstra (born 1959), photographer Sam Dillemans (born 1965), painter DOT DOT DOT, conceptual artist Braco Dimitrijevic (born 1948), conceptual artist Jim Dine (born 1935), sculptor Mark di Suvero (born 1933), sculptor Harry Dodge (born 1966), visual artist Peter Doig (born 1959), painter Marlene Dumas (born 1953), painter John Duncan (born 1953), performance and installation artist
E Martin Eder (born 1968), painter Ólafur Elíasson (born 1967), installation artist Tracey Emin (born 1963), multimedia artist Ben Enwonwu (1917–1994), painter and sculptor Bracha Ettinger (born 1948), painter Valie Export (born 1940), video and performance artist Mary Beth Edelson (1933–2021), feminist artist
F Jan Fabre (born 1958), multidisciplinary artist Öjvind Fahlström (1928–1976), multimedia artist Harun Farocki (1944–2014), filmmaker Angus Fairhurst (1966–2008), installation artist Hans-Peter Feldmann (born 1941), photographer and installation artist Kenneth Feingold (born 1952), conceptual artist Brendan Fernandes (born 1979), performance artist Teresita Fernández (born 1968), multidisciplinary artist Esther Ferrer (born 1937), conceptual and performance artist Carole Feuerman (born 1945), sculptor Stephen Finer (born 1949), painter Eric Fischl painter (born 1948), painter, sculptor and printmaker Peter Fischli & David Weiss, video artists Dan Flavin (1933–1996), minimalist Bruno Fonseca (1958–1994), painter and sculptor Caio Fonseca (born 1959), painter Peter Forakis (1927–2009), sculptor Günther Förg (1952–2013), painter, graphic designer, sculptor and photographer Sam Francis (1923–1994), painter Helen Frankenthaler (1928–2011), painter Andrea Fraser (born 1965), performance artist Lucian Freud (1922–2011), painter Tom Friedman (born 1965), conceptual sculptor Chiara Fumai (1979–2017) performance artist
G Ellen Gallagher (born 1965), multidisciplinary artist
Anya Gallaccio (born 1963), installation artist Enrico Garff (born 1939), painter Kendell Geers (born 1968), conceptual artist Isa Genzken (born 1948), sculptor Gilbert and George, sculptors and performance artists Adrian Ghenie (born 1977), painter Sam Gilliam (1933-2022), painter Liam Gillick (born 1964), conceptual artist Karin Giusti (born 1955), sculptor and installation artist Robert Gober (born 1954), sculptor Michael Goldberg (1924–2007), painter Nan Goldin (born 1953), photographer Jack Goldstein (1945–2003), painter Andy Goldsworthy (born 1956), sculptor and photographer Peter Golfinopoulos (born 1928), painter Leon Golub (1922–2004), painter Felix Gonzales-Torres (1957–1996), sculptor and installation artist Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster (born 1965), artist and filmmaker Robert Goodnough (1917–2010), painter Douglas Gordon (born 1966), video artist and photographer Antony Gormley (born 1950), sculptor Dan Graham (1942–2022), multidisciplinary artist Robert Graham (1938–2008), sculptor Rodney Graham (1949–2022), photographer and installation artist Cleve Gray (1918–2004), painter Kaloust Guedel (born 1956), painter, and sculptor Genco Gulan (born 1969), sculptor and performance artist Don Gummer (born 1946), sculptor Andreas Gursky (born 1955), photographer
H Hans Haacke (born 1936), conceptual artist Jacques Halbert (born 1955), neo-dada artist Petrit Halilaj (born 1986), installation artist David Hall (1937–2014), video artist Richard Hamilton (1922–2011), painter and collagist Keith Haring (1958–1990), painter and graffiti artist Mona Hatoum (born 1952), performance artist Susan Hauptman (1947–2015), work on paper Carl Michael von Hausswolff (born 1956), sound artist Tim Hawkinson (born 1960), sculpture artist Mary Heilmann (born 1940), painter, sculptor Al Held (1928–2005), painter Gottfried Helnwein (born 1948), multimedia artist, installation artist, painter, photographer and performance artist Diango Hernandez (born 1970), conceptual artist and painter Jeremy Henderson (1952–2009), painter Eva Hesse (1936–1970), sculptor Andreas Heusser (born 1976), conceptual artist Hugo Heyrman (born 1942), painter and multimedia artist Gary Hill (born 1951), video artist Susan Hiller (1940–2019), installation artist Charles Hinman (1932–2026), painter Thomas Hirschhorn (born 1957), installation artist Damien Hirst (born 1965), installation artist David Hockney (born 1937), painter