A New Visual Tendency in Painting

Over the past fifteen years, a new tendency has come to live in contemporary figurative painting. A visual language marked by smooth gradients, fresh and contemporary colors, and freedom of line in the drawing of the picture—from stylized figures to naive landscapes—has slowly but surely formed a new aesthetic trend in figurative painting over the past decade. In this article, we will discuss what this visual shift can mean today, not only from an artistic perspective but also from a societal one, followed by eight artists leading the way.

The word trend often has a negative connotation in art because it means multiple people are doing the same thing, and one always prefers originality. However, a trend does not necessarily mean artists are doing the same thing, copying each other or jumping on the aesthetic bandwagon in search of commercial success, sales, and representation. Artists are always curiously drawn to new things while ruminating art history, constantly revisiting and challenging their medium, digesting current events, and incorporating new technologies into their creative toolbox. In response to these developments across dozens of artists’ studios, a broader tendency can emerge. Not because they were told to do so by gatekeepers or art schools but because they urged for it. And that urge and longing means something. It tells something about our zeitgeist, what artists miss or so dearly aim to express. This process of a tendency in the making becomes particularly intriguing when the art-loving audience seems to share those sentiments and desires by affirming their new artistic endeavors through appreciation, collecting, and longing for more. The galleries, the institutions, the critics notice this tendency and explore it. This large and collective process results in a trend, a visual or conceptual shift, and it is by no means meaningless.

It is no coincidence we see this visual language emerge in figurative painting at a time when gradients are simultaneously a major trend in abstract painting—as extensively discussed in our article on 11 Artists Revisiting the Gradient in Contemporary Art. The gradient has become part of our visual culture due to the arrival of digital art and software such as Photoshop, with the satisfying aesthetic experience stimulating our brain through not only art, but also graphic design, interior design, and more. With the arrival of new tools such as spray cans and airbrushes, the gradient from the screen could also be found on the canvas. Judy Chicago is arguably one of the first artists to combine the gradient with the figure, although one could also discuss the work of Modern artists such as Fernand Léger or the soft, blended brushwork of René Magritte are gradients. Still, it never had that digital and otherwordly dimension to it, only a figurative and representational one, in strong contrast with the gradient of today.

Today, artists embrace the abstract attributes of the gradient in figuration convincingly as they are no longer interested in capturing reality. We are being bombarded by photographic imagery 24/7 on television, billboards, computers, and especially on our phones. Artists collectively abandon the perfection and predictable perspective of the photographic lens because we are sick of it; we drown in it—as Jerry Saltz thoughtfully pointed out in 2005 with his column The Richter Resolution. As a result, artists started to abandon the photorealistic and embrace the imaginative. From stylized figures, illustration-ish paintings, and cartoon-esque drawings to naive depictions of the world—exemplifying our longing for a different and simpler world. However, this freedom of line does not visualize itself in the expressive, the gestural, the grand, the Dionysian, or the wild painterly strokes of Neo-Expressionism as it did in the 1980s. Instead, we encounter simple forms, a reduced figurative vocabulary, and calculated compositions. The same goes for the color palette. Away with the harsh primary colors: harsh reds, blues, and yellows. And in come the soft tones and unique colors, from pastel pinks to turquoise blues—it looks like the abundance of visual stimuli resulted in a new desire for softer viewing experiences.

This balanced and controlled approach does not imply the images are static or dull. With this departure from the photographic aesthetics in figurative painting during the first 15 years of the new millennium, artists seem to rediscover what’s possible in figurative painting. A photograph can depict the world, but painting can depict the otherworldly. Perhaps that is exactly what we are in search of as feelings of alienation, despair, social injustice, and anxiety seem to become more intense over the years in this new age where information from across the world is shared at a constant and excruciating pace, leaving us politically worried, morally troubled, and mentally restless. As a result, the surreal stands strong in figurative painting today—especially considering the arrival of AI as a catalyst to open up new possibilities to create the otherworldly. So, if one would think aesthetic tendencies in contemporary art are mere imitation for the sake of commercial success, then you are missing out on what matters, with every artist having their own story that can be collectively inspiring, important, illuminating, idyllic, or simply imaginative—as illustrated by the following artists.

1. Nicolas Party

Nicolas Party, born in 1980 in Lausanne, Switzerland, currently residing and working in New York, is arguably one of the most important pioneers of this new aesthetic tendency. Party works in a variety of media, including painting, murals, sculpture, pastels, installations, prints, and drawings. He is known for his vividly colored works that often depict landscapes, still lifes, and portraits of everyday objects stripped of unnecessary details, using these familiar subjects as a means to explore the practice of painting itself. Rather than aiming for strict realism, Party focuses on transforming his chosen motifs through vibrant colors and balanced compositions. A hallmark of his work is painterly precision blended with a keen sense of color and form, which together create accessible, visually engaging pieces that continue a longstanding conversation within art history about observation and imagination. One could argue that his works seem to be AI-generated before AI-image-generation existed, paving the way for new aesthetics and a new form of figuration in the first and second decades of the 21st century.¹

2. Vivian Greven

Vivian Greven, born in 1985 in Bonn, Germany, residing and working in Düsseldorf, is a painter whose work draws from both classical antiquity and contemporary pop-cultural influences, reflecting the digital worlds of the internet and social media. She investigates the shifting boundaries between original, reproduction, and simulation with paintings in which surfaces range from raised, relief-like structures to delicately sprayed or painted illusions of bodies and space. Her visual vocabulary moves between tangible physicality and the ethereal atmosphere of screen-like LCD windows, creating a dialogue between traditional painting techniques and modern digital aesthetics. Digital effects and extreme close-ups transform classical sculptures into large planes and glitches, rendered in gradients and fresh, vibrant colors.²

3. Emily Weiner

Emily Weiner, born in 1981 in Brooklyn, New York, residing and working in Nashville, is a contemporary painter best known for her ceramic frames, smooth gradients, and unique figurative compositions marked by their simplicity. Emily Weiner approaches painting through a feminist and Jungian perspective, reworking and combining symbols that have long appeared throughout art history. She sees archetypal imagery as something shared over time—yet open to revision—using intuitive processes and many layers of paint to find synchronicity in the interplay of colors, forms, and symbols. Think of clouds, mountains, curtains, and celestial bodies. Her work suggests that art history is not a linear path but a winding timeline of overlapping traditions, folklore, and archetypes, all of which can be rearranged to spark new collective understanding.³

4. Robin F. Williams

Robin F. Williams was born in 1984 in Columbus, Ohio, and currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. The artist is known for large-scale paintings that depict striking, stylized female figures with a surprising yet powerful presence. Combining techniques such as oil, airbrush, marbling, staining, and poured paint, she builds up richly textured surfaces that merge references to early modernism, pop culture, folklore, advertising, and social media. Her work questions how femininity is represented in traditional portraiture as well as in everyday media, granting her subjects a sense of mystery and autonomy. By experimenting with a variety of tools and processes more commonly associated with craft, Williams transforms her compositions into vividly layered images, exploring not only the construction of identity but also discovering herself.⁴

5. Emily Mae Smith

Born in 1979 in Austin, Texas, residing and working in Brooklyn, New York, Emily Mae Smith is known for her lively paintings that merge sly humor with references to Symbolism, Surrealism, Pop Art, and other historical movements. Often featuring an anthropomorphic broomstick figure—simultaneously invoking a painter’s brush, a domestic tool linked to women’s work, and a phallic symbol—her compositions tackle themes such as gender, sexuality, capitalism, and violence. In continually reshaping this recurring avatar, Smith infuses her work with both wit and layered commentary, challenging the traditionally male-centric myths of art history. Through a diverse lexicon of signs and symbols, she builds a visual language that highlights perspectives typically absent in art, placing feminist viewpoints front and center. Once more, we encounter soft, pastel colors, stylized figures, and the gradient as the dominant visual language—albeit in a completely idiosyncratic way typical of Smith.⁵

6. Igor Hosnedl

Igor Hosnedl, born in 1988 in the Czech Republic, where the artist continues to work and reside, is a painter known for crafting vivid scenes where floral patterns, flowing-haired figures, and lustrous surfaces come together atop softly tinted tables and displays. At first glance, his smoothly rendered compositions can appear polished and calm, but closer inspection reveals subtle cuts and abrasions that introduce a hint of tension. While many of his works suggest an atmosphere of surrealism—ranging from peaceful to quietly ominous—hints of Old Master still lifes, metaphysical painting (as found in Giorgio de Chirico’s work), and the enigmatic symbolism of artists like Kay Sage offer echoes of art history. Though each picture appears both familiar and oddly alien, Hosnedl’s intensely personal approach encourages viewers to form their own emotional interpretations, spanning from astonishment to delight. One thing remains certain: his images leave a lasting impression on those who look closely.⁶

7. Paul Riedmuller

Paul Riedmüller—born in 1989 in Graz, Austria, lives and works in Vienna—explores a creative terrain where artificial intelligence meets human intelligence and handcraft, weaving elements of digital culture into his hand-painted compositions. He gathers an unlimited range of imagery—encompassing found footage, AI-generated visuals, and personal observations—to form collaged designs that are then painted, layer by layer. This process reworks and condenses what is typically reproduced or shared endlessly online into a single, tangible artwork. Riedmüller’s paintings blur the boundaries between illusion and reality, fusing still-life motifs with shifting scenes and graphic outlines. He often merges painting with sculpture by mounting his paintings on wooden crates or by introducing a surprising element of spatial extension.⁷

8. Laurens Legiers

Laurens Legiers, born in 1994, living and working in Antwerp, is a Belgian painter who draws inspiration from the spirit of Romanticism, revisiting its focus on emotion, imagination, and nature through a contemporary lens. Referencing late 18th-century atmospheres and imagery, he simplifies and refines classic motifs to create serene compositions. Rather than concentrating on minute details, Legiers highlights the overall motif, producing soft, almost graphic visuals that showcase his careful play of light and shadow. Guided by memory and emotion, he balances a sense of realism with idealized, symmetrical scenes that approach the surreal. Under the calm surfaces of his paintings lies a gentle tension, heightened by the contrast between crisp, precise forms in the foreground and blurred backgrounds that recede into subtle depth. In more recent works, he brings in varied textures and recurring elements like water droplets, which add layers of dynamism and reflect his evolving approach. Through these methods, Legiers shapes a distinctive visual language that fuses timeless aesthetics with modern exploration.⁸

Notes:

1. Xavier Hufkes, Nicholas Party consulted January 31, 2025. ↩︎
2. Kadel Willborn, Vivian Greven consulted January 31, 2025. ↩︎
3. KÖNIG Galerie, Emily Weiner consulted January 31, 2025. ↩︎
4. P.P.O.W., Robin F. Williams consulted January 31, 2025. ↩︎
5. Rodolphe Janssen, Emily Mae Smith consulted January 31, 2025. ↩︎
6. Galerie EIGEN + ART, Igor Hosnedl consulted January 31, 2025. ↩︎
7. Paul Riedmuller, About consulted January 31, 2025. ↩︎
8. Gallery Sofie Van de Velde, Laurens Legiers consulted January 31, 2025. ↩︎

Last Updated on January 31, 2025