Best Contemporary Artists to Discover

The Ethel Index is a living directory of contemporary artists. This page highlights some of the best contemporary artists being explored right now — painters, sculptors, photographers and mixed-media practitioners from across the globe. It is not a definitive ranking, but a starting point for discovery.

What makes an artist worth discovering today varies widely: a compelling medium, a distinctive point of view, or a practice that bridges emerging experimentation with established craft. Below is a curated selection of artists working across painting, sculpture, photography and more, chosen to reflect that diversity.