The Abstract Future: New Abstract Painting and Sculpture

A guide to the new generation of international artists redefining abstraction.

A new generation of artists is redefining contemporary abstraction by merging sculpture, painting, photography, and performance. Originating from an influential exhibition at Jeffrey Deitch’s Los Angeles gallery, this book spotlights more than forty innovative artists who push the boundaries of process and materiality while exploring identity, culture, and politics through deeply personal and resonant narratives.

Building on California’s influential history of abstract art—from the Light and Space movement and Finish Fetish to the rise of geometric abstraction and conceptual art—these artists bring fresh perspectives to a long-standing creative lineage. Their work is shaped by a wide range of inspirations, including art-historical references, global events, environmental shifts, space exploration, and rapid advances in science and technology. Together, they demonstrate how abstraction can evolve in response to a rapidly changing world while remaining a powerful language for discovery and expression.

Featuring artists from Europe, South America, Africa, and across the United States, this volume presents a truly international view of abstraction today. This global lens underscores the continued relevance of abstract art as a method of inquiry and communication—one that transcends geography and offers insight into human experience across cultures, eras, and perspectives. The book reveals how the next wave of abstract artists is shaping the future of contemporary art, expanding what abstraction can be and what it can mean.