Famous 21st Century Artists

Vote for Your Favourite 21st Century Artists

Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

 1 
David Hockney
(Painter)
David Hockney
6
Birthdate: July 9, 1937
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Bradford

Painter, photographer, printmaker, and stage designer David Hockney is best known for his works such as Portrait of an Artist, which became the most expensive piece of art by a living artist ever auctioned, at $90 million. His works have explored themes such as homosexuality. He has synesthesia, too.

 2 
Masashi Kishimoto
(Manga Artist)
Masashi Kishimoto
6
Birthdate: November 8, 1974
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Nagi, Okayama Prefecture
Japanese manga artist Masashi Kishimoto is best known for creating the manga series Naruto for the Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. The series eventually led to several anime, video games, and movies, such as Boruto: Naruto the Movie and The Last: Naruto the Movie, supervised by Kishimoto. 
 3 
Akira Toriyama
(Japanese Manga Artist)
Akira Toriyama
8
Birthdate: April 5, 1955
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture
Died: March 1, 2024

Akira Toriyama is a Japanese character designer and manga artist. The creator of one of the most popular manga series of all time, Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama is widely considered one of the most influential artists to have changed the history of manga; his creation Dragon Ball is often cited as a source of inspiration by several manga artists.

Recommended Lists:
 4 
Susan Mikula
(American Artist and Photographer)
Susan Mikula
13
Birthdate: March 7, 1958
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New Jersey, United States
Self-taught photographer Susan Mikula is known for using old Polaroids and pinhole cameras to create her masterpieces. She was an accountant earlier and has also worked for the U.S. consulate in Mexico. The LGBT icon is in a long-term relationship with her partner, journalist and TV personality Rachel Maddow.
 5 
Tom Franco
(American Artist, Actor and Founder of the ‘Firehouse Art Collective’)
Tom Franco
7
Birthdate: April 14, 1980
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Palo Alto, California, United States

Tom Franco is an American artist and actor. He is credited with founding the Firehouse Art Collective, an art gallery in Berkeley, California. The younger brother of actor and filmmaker, James Franco, Tom Franco followed in the footsteps of his brother to become an actor before exploring his skills as an artist.

 6 
Kari Byron
(Television presenter, Artist)
Kari Byron
5
Birthdate: December 18, 1974
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: California
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 7 
Yayoi Kusama
(Contemporary Artist)
Yayoi Kusama
8
Birthdate: March 22, 1929
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama is known for her variety of artforms, including sculpture, installations, paintings, and fashion. She mingles elements such as feminism, surrealism, and abstract expressionism, and expresses her struggle with mental illness through her art. She has also published books and produced an award-winning film. 
 8 
Margaret Keane
8
Birthdate: September 15, 1927
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee
Died: June 26, 2022
 9 
Damien Hirst
(Artist)
Damien Hirst
4
Birthdate: June 7, 1965
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Bristol

Artist Damien Hirst first gained fame in the 1980s. A master of conceptual art, he creates everything from paintings and installations to sculptures and drawings, with topics ranging from mortality and beauty to rebirth and technology. One of his creations featured dead animals preserved in formaldehyde, while another featured rows of multicolored spots.

 10 
Françoise Gilot
(French Painter Best Known for Her Relationship with 'Pablo Picasso')
Françoise Gilot
5
Birthdate: November 26, 1921
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Neuilly-sur-Seine, France

Françoise Gilot is a French painter whose professional career was overshadowed by her long and turbulent relationship with Spanish painter Pablo Picasso. After breaking up with Picasso, with whom Gilot had two children, the former deterred galleries from buying her work. He even tried blocking the release of her memoir Life With Picasso which was released in 1964.

 11 
Jasper Johns
(Painter, Sculptor, Costume designer)
Jasper Johns
5
Birthdate: May 15, 1930
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Augusta

Presidential Medal-winning artist Jasper Johns is best known for his contribution to the pop art movement. His paintings revolve around subjects such as flags, numbers, and letters, whereas he has also gained fame for his cast sculpture art such as Painted Bronze. He also once experimented by attaching strings to his art.

 12 
Fernando Botero
(Painter, Sculptor, Artist)
Fernando Botero
5
Birthdate: April 19, 1932
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Medellín, Colombia
 13 
Takashi Murakami
(Contemporary Artist Who Is the Founder and President of Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd)
Takashi Murakami
6
Birthdate: February 1, 1962
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan

Takashi Murakami is a Japanese contemporary artist who works in both fine arts media and commercial arts media. He is known for blurring the line between “high” and “low” arts. He is the founder of the art production and artist management company Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. He has collaborated with the fashion brand Louis Vuitton as well. 

 14 
Hajime Isayama
(Japanese Manga Artist)
Hajime Isayama
6
Birthdate: August 29, 1986
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Hita

Hajime Isayama is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his first manga series, Attack on Titan, which became one of the best-selling series of all time. Over the course of his career, Hajime Isayama has won many prestigious awards such as the Weekly Shōnen Magazine Freshman Manga Award, Kodansha Manga Award, and Noma Publishing Award.

 15 
Zeena Schreck
(Visual and musical artist)
Zeena Schreck
5
Birthdate: November 19, 1963
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
 16 
Pendleton Ward
(American Animator, Screenwriter, Producer and Voice Actor)
Pendleton Ward
6
Birthdate: September 23, 1982
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: San Antonio, Texas, United States
 17 
Maya Lin
(Designer)
Maya Lin
6
Birthdate: October 5, 1959
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Athens

Maya Lin is an American sculptor and designer whose competition-winning design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial earned her national recognition when she was still an undergraduate. Her life and career inspired an Oscar-winning documentary titled Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision. Maya Lin has won prestigious awards, such as the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

 18 
Rick Derringer
(Singer, Artist, Composer, Guitarist)
Rick Derringer
6
Birthdate: August 5, 1947
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Fort Recovery
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
 19 
Carmine Giovinazzo
(Actor)
Carmine Giovinazzo
5
Birthdate: August 24, 1973
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Richmond [now Staten Island], New York City, New York, USA
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 20 
Chuck Close
(Painter)
Chuck Close
5
Birthdate: July 5, 1940
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Monroe, Washington, U.S.
Died: August 19, 2021
 21 
Gloria Vanderbilt
(Artist and Fashion Designer Best Remembered for her Custody Battle)
Gloria Vanderbilt
11
Birthdate: February 20, 1924
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Died: June 17, 2019

Gloria Vanderbilt was an American fashion designer, actress, author, and socialite. As a child, she was subjected to a child custody trial, which the press named trial of the century due to its high-profile nature. As a designer, Vanderbilt is credited with developing and popularizing designer blue jeans. She also launched a line of household goods and perfumes.

 22 
Cindy Sherman
(American Photographer and Director)
Cindy Sherman
6
Birthdate: January 19, 1954
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Glen Ridge, New Jersey, United States
 23 
Yoko Ono
(Artist and Musician Who Was an Influential Practitioner of Conceptual & Performance Art)
Yoko Ono
17
Birthdate: February 18, 1933
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan

Yoko Ono is a Japanese multimedia artist, peace activist, and singer-songwriter. She came into prominence after marrying John Lennon of the Beatles. She is widely criticized for her unquestionable influence over John Lennon and his music. She is also often blamed for the disbandment of The Beatles. Despite all these criticisms, Yoko Ono continues to go on her merry way.

 24 
Bobbi Brown
(Make-up artist, Businessperson)
Bobbi Brown
6
Birthdate: April 14, 1957
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chicago
 25 
Frank Frazetta
(Renowned Illustrator of the 20th Century Popularly Known as the 'Godfather of Fantasy Art')
Frank Frazetta
4
Birthdate: February 9, 1928
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: May 10, 2010

Frank Frazetta was an American science fiction and fantasy artist remembered for his work on comic books, LP record album covers, paperback book covers, posters, and paintings among other media. Nicknamed the Godfather of fantasy art, Frazetta is also considered one of the 20th century's best-known illustrators. He was honored at the World Fantasy Convention with a Life Achievement Award. 

 26 
Justine Frischmann
(Was the Lead Singer of the Britpop band 'Elastica' and Co-Founder of the Rock Band 'Suede')
Justine Frischmann
4
Birthdate: September 16, 1969
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kensington, London, England
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 27 
Dale Chihuly
(Glass Artist)
Dale Chihuly
9
Birthdate: September 20, 1941
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Tacoma, Washington, United States
 28 
Frieda Hughes
(Painter, Poet)
Frieda Hughes
5
Birthdate: April 1, 1960
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: London, England
 29 
Devendra Banhart
(American Singer-Songwriter and Visual Artist and a Pioneer of Psychedelic Folk Music)
Devendra Banhart
5
Birthdate: May 30, 1981
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Houston, Texas, United States

Born in the US, to a Venezuelan mother and an American father, American singer-songwriter Devendra Banhart grew up to be a major pillar of the New Weird America movement of psychedelic folk music. He is known for his lo-fi recordings and is also a talented visual artist who experiments with mixed media.

 30 
Nehemiah Persoff
(Painter)
Nehemiah Persoff
4
Birthdate: August 2, 1919
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Jerusalem, Israel

Nehemiah Persoff is a retired actor and painter. In an extensive career spanning over half a century, he appeared in more than 200 films, TV shows, and stage productions. As a young man, he served in the US Army. He then began his acting career in the New York theater and started acting in films and TV shows as well. 

 31 
Neil Buchanan
(Television presenter)
Neil Buchanan
5
Birthdate: October 11, 1961
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Aintree, Liverpool, England, UK
 32 
Akiane Kramarik
Akiane Kramarik
4
Birthdate: July 9, 1994
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Mount Morris
 33 
Julian Schnabel
(American Painter and Filmmaker)
Julian Schnabel
4
Birthdate: October 26, 1951
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 34 
Cy Twombly
(American Painter, Sculptor and Photographer Known for His Graffiti-Style Paintings and for Large-Scale Works)
Cy Twombly
4
Birthdate: April 25, 1928
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Lexington, Virginia, United States
Died: July 5, 2011

Cy Twombly was an American sculptor, painter, and photographer. Although he wasn’t popular among the critics, Twombly's works influenced several younger artists like Francesco Clemente, Anselm Kiefer, and Julian Schnabel. Today, his works are preserved in many museums globally, including the Tate Modern in London, the Menil Collection in Houston, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

 35 
Gerhard Richter
(German Visual Artist)
Gerhard Richter
4
Birthdate: February 9, 1932
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Dresden, Germany

German visual artist Gerhard Richter started out as a Social Realist painter and was later exposed to avant-garde art. He mastered the art of painting scenes collected from newspapers and magazines, including terrorists and serial killer victims. He later also worked on stained-glass design and abstract art.

 36 
Miranda July
(Actress)
Miranda July
4
Birthdate: February 15, 1974
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Barre (town), Vermont Barre, Vermont, U.S.
 37 
Princess Delphine of Belgium
(Artist)
Princess Delphine of Belgium
5
Birthdate: February 22, 1968
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Uccle, Brussels, Belgium

With a background as colorful as her art, Princess Delphine of Belgium was known as Jonkvrouw Delphine Boël before she won paternity suit against King Albert II of Belgium and became recognized as his daughter, winning princely title for herself and her children. An established artist in her own right, she continues to create art, promoting its use in healthcare.  

 38 
Kehinde Wiley
(Painter)
Kehinde Wiley
4
Birthdate: February 28, 1977
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
 39 
Ralph Stanley
(American Bluegrass Artist)
Ralph Stanley
4
Birthdate: February 25, 1927
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: McClure, Virginia, United States
Died: June 23, 2016
 40 
Leonora Carrington
(Mexican Surrealist Painter and Novelist)
Leonora Carrington
4
Birthdate: April 6, 1917
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Clayton-le-Woods, Lancashire, England
Died: May 25, 2011

Leonora Carrington was a Mexican artist, novelist, and surrealist painter. During the 1970s, Carrington played an important role in Mexico's women's liberation movement as she was one of the founding members of the movement. Carrington, who was fascinated by symbolism and myth, studied alchemy, Popol Vuh, post-classic Mayan mystical writings, and the kabbalah.

 41 
Wayne Thiebaud
(American Painter)
Wayne Thiebaud
4
Birthdate: November 15, 1920
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Mesa
Died: December 25, 2021
 42 
Suze Rotolo
(Former artist known for Appearing on the cover of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan)
Suze Rotolo
4
Birthdate: November 20, 1943
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: February 25, 2011
 43 
Peter Max
(American artist)
Peter Max
4
Birthdate: October 19, 1937
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Berlin
 44 
Diva Zappa
(Actress)
Diva Zappa
5
Birthdate: July 30, 1979
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
 45 
Alex Grey
(American artist)
Alex Grey
4
Birthdate: November 29, 1953
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
 46 
Gregg Alexander
(Songwriter)
Gregg Alexander
4
Birthdate: May 4, 1970
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Grosse Pointe, Michigan, United States
 47 
Mike Francesa
(Radio personality)
Mike Francesa
4
Birthdate: March 20, 1954
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Long Beach
 48 
Claes Oldenburg
(Artist, Sculptor, Painter, Graphic artist)
Claes Oldenburg
4
Birthdate: January 28, 1929
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Stockholm

Claes Oldenburg is a Swedish-American sculptor recognized for his public art installations. Many of his artworks, which were co-designed by his wife Coosje van Bruggen until 2009, feature everyday objects. One of the most celebrated sculptors of his generation, Claes Oldenburg has been honored with many prestigious awards like the National Medal of Arts and the Wolf Prize in Arts.  

 49 
James Turrell
(Artist)
James Turrell
4
Birthdate: May 6, 1943
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Los Angeles
 50 
John Berger
(Novelist)
John Berger
4
Birthdate: November 5, 1926
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: London, England
Died: January 2, 2017