Contemporary Portraiture
Contemporary Portraiture

Contemporary Portraiture

Ocula Selection

Portraiture has long been a central subject in art history, used for documentation, storytelling, or promoting the subject's political or social status. Examples of portraits in this Selection highlight contemporary artists' various approaches to portraiture.

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These may entail attempts at verisimilitude, working in a photorealistic style; abstracting the human figure into geometric or fragmented parts; using unlikely colours; or combining elements of multiple mediums such as painting, photography, sculpture, and video.

Contemporary artists have also utilised portraiture as an effective tool of challenging official narratives, portraying historically underrepresented bodies to imagine alternative realities or to discuss lesser-known aspects of history and real-life events.


3545223 by Katinka Lampe contemporary artwork painting, works on paper
Katinka Lampe 3545223, 2022 Oil on canvas
45 x 35 cm
WORKPLACE Request Price & Availability
Untitled by Anas Albraehe contemporary artwork painting, works on paper
Anas Albraehe Untitled, 2021 Oil on canvas
65 x 65 cm
Galerie Tanit Request Price & Availability
Yellow Figure with Hummingbird by Leiko Ikemura contemporary artwork sculpture
Leiko Ikemura Yellow Figure with Hummingbird, 2020 Cast glass
32 x 33 x 13 cm
Sold
ShugoArts
Serpentina I by Petrina Hicks contemporary artwork print
Petrina Hicks Serpentina I, 2015 Pigment print
115 x 115 x 1 cm
THIS IS NO FANTASY Request Price & Availability
Baudelaire (double) by Marlene Dumas contemporary artwork painting
Marlene Dumas Baudelaire (double), 2020 Oil on canvas
40 x 30 cm
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Zeno X Gallery
Dogon Couple II by Kehinde Wiley contemporary artwork painting, works on paper
Kehinde Wiley Dogon Couple II, 2013 Oil on canvas
182.9 x 182.9 cm
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Sean Kelly
A single man in possession of a good fortune by Amy Sherald contemporary artwork painting
Amy Sherald A single man in possession of a good fortune, 2019 Oil on canvas
137.2 x 109.2 x 6.4 cm
Hauser & Wirth Request Price & Availability
Self-Portrait (Looking for Henry Taylor) by Vincent Namatjira contemporary artwork painting
Vincent Namatjira Self-Portrait (Looking for Henry Taylor), 2019 Acrylic on linen
51 x 76 cm
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Portrait with Pink Bows by Nicolas Party contemporary artwork works on paper, drawing
Nicolas Party Portrait with Pink Bows, 2019 Soft pastel on linen
50 x 40 inches
Karma Request Price & Availability
Portrait of a Punter 2 & 3 by Charlie Ingemar Harding contemporary artwork painting, works on paper
Charlie Ingemar Harding Portrait of a Punter 2 & 3, 2021 Oil on canvas

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Portrait without mentioning identity by Gao Hang contemporary artwork painting
Gao Hang Portrait without mentioning identity, 2021 Acrylic on canvas
152.4 x 121.9 cm
Tang Contemporary Art Request Price & Availability
Portrait Plate by Nicolas Party contemporary artwork sculpture, ceramics
Nicolas Party Portrait Plate, 2021 Fine bone china
Dellasposa Gallery Contact Gallery
Lily by Michaël Borremans contemporary artwork painting
Michaël Borremans Lily, 2017 Oil on canvas
42.4 x 36.5 cm
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Zeno X Gallery
Sleep by Leiko Ikemura contemporary artwork sculpture
Leiko Ikemura Sleep, 2020 Cast glass
15 x 27 x 19 cm
Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art Request Price & Availability
Gambit by Norbert Bisky contemporary artwork painting
Norbert Bisky Gambit, 2020 Oil on canvas
100 x 80 cm
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Fabienne Levy
My Hand Is Already Dead by Seth Price contemporary artwork painting
Seth Price My Hand Is Already Dead, 2021 Acrylic polymers and UV-print on aluminium composite
199.4 x 243.8 x 2.2 cm
Sadie Coles HQ Request Price & Availability
Missy ìMisdemeanorî Elliot by Aya Brown contemporary artwork painting, works on paper, drawing
Aya Brown Missy ìMisdemeanorî Elliot, 2020 Soft pastel on Kraft brown paper
91.4 x 61 cm
Blum & Poe Request Price & Availability
The Whistleblower by Petrina Hicks contemporary artwork photography
Petrina Hicks The Whistleblower, 2021 Archival pigment print
123 x 100 cm
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M.I.A. by Wolfgang Tillmans contemporary artwork photography, print
Wolfgang Tillmans M.I.A., 2005 Inkjet print on paper
40.6 x 30.5 cm
David Zwirner
Red Haze by Devan Shimoyama contemporary artwork painting
Devan Shimoyama Red Haze, 2021 Oil, coloured pencil, sequins, glitter, jewellery, silk flowers, collage, Flashe, acrylic and embellishments on canvas
121.9 x 152.4 x 5.1 cm
Kavi Gupta Request Price & Availability
Ruth in a Sling Chair by March Avery contemporary artwork painting
March Avery Ruth in a Sling Chair, 1985 Oil on canvas
137.2 x 91.4 cm
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Blum & Poe
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