Contemporary art is the work of artists alive and painting right now, and buying it does something a poster of a dead master cannot: it pays a working artist directly and puts a piece of this decade on your wall. Each work here is an original with the artist's signature, and its story is still being written, which is part of the appeal and part of the risk. No honest gallery will promise you appreciation.
How do you start collecting contemporary art?
Start with what stops you, not what you think you should like. A first original does not need to be expensive; our prices start around $531, and a small work on paper is a real collection of one. Buy from galleries that show the artist's name, statement, and certificate, and use return windows without embarrassment. Ours is 14 days, refunded in full, return shipping on us.
Can a designer source contemporary art on a project timeline?
Yes, because every painting on this page is finished, in hand, and ready to ship, so there is no waiting list and no commission schedule to plan around. You see the actual work, the actual size, and the actual price before you commit. Shipping is free and fully insured, 3 to 7 business days inside Canada and 5 to 10 to the USA. No gatekeepers, no application, no viewing room appointment.
Two things are worth knowing before you build a scheme around a piece. Each painting is an original, so once it sells there is no second copy: if a work is central to a room, secure it early. And every purchase comes with 14 days at home, with a full refund and return shipping paid by us, so a piece can be shown to a client on the real wall before the decision is final.
Contemporary art means work made by artists who are alive and still working, roughly from 1970 to now, so it describes a time period and not a style. That is why a contemporary collection looks mixed on purpose. In ours you will find tight ink drawing beside thick knife-worked canvas, and quiet neutral abstraction beside a figure painted with hard edges. None of it is a period reproduction of an older movement. Every piece is an original made in a working studio, signed, one of a kind, with no print edition sitting behind it. If you came expecting a single house style, this will look inconsistent. We think the mix is the point, because you are seeing what people are actually painting right now.
What separates buying art from buying decor?
Decor is designed backward from a paint swatch and produced in the thousands, while art is one object a specific person decided to make. A decor print is priced against what it costs to print, so the number is small and the object is replaceable. An original is priced against the artist's hours, materials, and record, so it costs more and there is no second one anywhere. Decor is not a moral failure. If you need to fill a rental hallway for sixty dollars before an inspection, buy the print and spend nothing on guilt. When you want a room that shows a real person made a real decision, only the original does that job. Our smallest originals start around $72, so the gap is narrower than most people assume.
Emerging artist prices come from three things: the size of the work, the medium and hours behind it, and the artist's own sales record, in that order. Many artists set a rate per square inch and hold it steady across a body of work, then raise it only after a show sells out or a waiting list forms. Nobody is pricing genius. Be careful with a price that jumps around with no pattern, and be equally careful with work priced far under the artist's usual band, since that often means an unfinished study. Here is how the bands work at our gallery.
Price band
Typical size
Usual medium
Where the artist usually is
$72 to $400
20 to 40 cm (8 to 16 in)
Ink, colored pencil, small works on paper
Early in their exhibition record
$400 to $700
40 to 60 cm (16 to 24 in)
Acrylic or oil on stretched canvas
Selling steadily, small following
$700 to $1,000
60 to 90 cm (24 to 35 in)
Oil on canvas, more layers and hours
Has repeat collectors
$1,000 and up
90 cm (35 in) and wider, or multi panel
Statement work, months of studio time
Proven past sales at that level
You can browse straight into a band: under $400 for the entry end, or above $1,000 for the large work.
Does buying from a living artist protect what you paid?
No gallery can promise that, and any gallery that does is selling you a story. What we can tell you is what a living artist gives you that an auction lot cannot: the money reaches the person who made the work, you can ask them what it is about, and the piece is documented while the artist is here to confirm it. The resale market for emerging work is thin, so treat the purchase as buying an object you want rather than taking a position. Our Lifetime Trade-Back is the practical version of a floor: send a piece back in good condition, any time, and the value returns as store credit toward something else. If you want a second opinion before spending, our art advisory service will go through your room and budget with you, and you can see pieces mid-process in watch art being made.
Frequently asked questions
How big do the paintings in this collection actually get?
The largest reach about 135 cm wide and about 152 cm tall, and the smallest start near 30 by 40 cm. Most of the big work is oil or acrylic on canvas from artists such as Nahira, Peyman Mehdizadeh, Nima Sayadian, and Reza Daryakenari. If you are filling a wall above a sofa, measure the sofa and aim for roughly two thirds of its width.
Can I buy a painting before the artist has finished it?
Yes. Some works appear here while they are still being made and are marked in progress, such as Her Wild Garden. You can follow the piece as it develops or send us an offer before it is finished, which is the only point where price is open at all. Buying early means watching the painting grow, and accepting that the finished work may differ from the first photos.
How do you decide which artists to carry?
We look at the work first and the story second. Everything listed is an original, hand painted, signed, and one of a kind, and we only list a piece we would hang in our own home. The artists in this group are Phaedra, Nahira, Roshan, Peyman Mehdizadeh, Nima Sayadian, Elmira Hokmabadi, Reza Daryakenari, and Amir Fazelian. We would rather carry a few artists closely than list everything offered to us.
What does a typical contemporary piece cost here, not the extremes?
The middle of this collection sits near $600. The full span runs from about $72 for a small work on artboard to about $3,000 for the largest canvases. Most buyers land between those points and take home a mid-size canvas by a working artist. Shipping is free and fully insured, and no framing or handling fees appear later, so the listed price is the price.
If I order two paintings by different artists, will they arrive on the same day?
Not always. Each painting is packed for its own size and weight, so two pieces in one order can leave in separate boxes and land a day or two apart. Both are covered by the same free insured shipping, about 3 to 7 business days inside Canada and 5 to 10 to the USA. If you need them together for an install date, tell us before ordering.
Do you ever tell someone not to buy the painting they picked?
Yes, and fairly often. Three cases come up again and again: a wall far too small for the piece, a painting that repeats something the buyer already owns, and a buyer whose only reason is resale value, which we never promise. We would rather lose that sale than take the piece back in three weeks. Send us a photo of the wall and we will say plainly what we think.
How do galleries price paintings by emerging artists?
Emerging artist prices are set mostly by size, medium, and the artist's own sales record, not by hype. A painter with a steady record of sales at a given size holds that price band and moves up slowly as demand grows. We keep pricing consistent per artist, so a collector who buys twice is never undercut later.
Is buying art from an emerging artist a bad investment?
Treat it as a purchase you enjoy, not an investment, because no honest gallery can promise a painting will be worth more later. Most work by living artists holds personal value rather than resale value. We do offer a Lifetime Trade-Back for store credit, so a piece you outgrow can go toward the next one.
Do I need to insure an original painting after it arrives?
Add the painting to your home contents insurance once it arrives, using the invoice as proof of value. Shipping is fully insured on our side, so damage in transit is our problem and not yours. After delivery, the cover is yours to arrange. For pieces over about 1000 dollars, ask your insurer whether a named item makes sense.
What size contemporary painting should I buy for a rental?
In a rental, stay under about 100 cm (40 inches) wide so the piece is easy to carry, hang on a single hook, and move again. Big canvases are awkward in stairwells and elevators. A medium piece also suits the plain white walls most rentals have. You can always add a second painting beside it later.
How do I choose between two contemporary paintings I like?
Choose the one you still think about the next morning, because the piece that stays in your head is the one you will not tire of. Live with both photos on your phone for a day. If you are still split, pick the one that suits the wall you actually have, not the wall you wish you had.
What paperwork should come with a painting by a living artist?
You should get a signed Certificate of Authenticity naming the artist, the title, the size, the medium, and the year, plus a dated invoice. We include the certificate with every piece. Keep both together, because they are what a future buyer, an appraiser, or your insurer will ask for. Photograph the signature on the back as well.
When should I not buy contemporary art?
Do not buy contemporary art when you need a specific colour to match a fabric exactly, or when you are buying only because a piece looks like a good bet financially. Screens shift colour, and taste in living artists changes. If the match has to be exact, ask us for photos taken in daylight before you commit.
Exceptional Service and a Truly Memorable Art Purchase
I had a wonderful experience with Van Art Hub Gallery. I came across two pieces by Melina Ghaemi — *Mad Mirrors* and *Small World in the Hands of a Stranger* — and immediately fell in love with them.
I contacted Van Art Hub Gallery, and they were incredibly helpful throughout the entire process, from arranging the payment to organizing the shipping. At first, I was a little skeptical and nervous about how everything would work, especially since the paintings were still in Iran and it was shortly after the war. But the gallery handled everything with such professionalism and care that my concerns quickly disappeared. Amazingly, they were able to get the paintings to Canada in just two days!
The pieces are absolutely captivating. Even when I picked them up from the frame maker and was simply carrying them to my car, several people stopped and asked me about the paintings. That says a lot about how striking and special Melina Ghaemi’s work is.
A big thank you to Van Art Hub Gallery for making this experience so smooth and enjoyable. I truly appreciated their professionalism, communication, honesty, and integrity throughout the entire process. I would happily work with them again and highly recommend them to anyone interested in purchasing art through the gallery.
I got my order today and your work is really good. I didn’t expect to get a certificate for this painting, it was a surprise. Thanks for caring about small details.
The support team was really helpful and followed up nicely, wich I really appreciated. The painting is just like the photo – great quality and very detalied. I just wish it arrived a bit sooner, but honestly it was worth the wait.
I received my painting today. The support team was great and very responsive. The artwork is exactly what I was hoping for – even more beautifull in person. Truly a valuable piece. I’ll definetely order again. Thank you!
I received the package. Although it arrived a bit late, I was happy to see the piece. It’s well done and carefully made. Thank you.
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Mahi
Exceptional Service and a Truly Memorable Art Purchase
I had a wonderful experience with Van Art Hub Gallery. I came across two pieces by Melina Ghaemi — *Mad Mirrors* and *Small World in the Hands of a Stranger* — and immediately fell in love with them.
I contacted Van Art Hub Gallery, and they were incredibly helpful throughout the entire process, from arranging the payment to organizing the shipping. At first, I was a little skeptical and nervous about how everything would work, especially since the paintings were still in Iran and it was shortly after the war. But the gallery handled everything with such professionalism and care that my concerns quickly disappeared. Amazingly, they were able to get the paintings to Canada in just two days!
The pieces are absolutely captivating. Even when I picked them up from the frame maker and was simply carrying them to my car, several people stopped and asked me about the paintings. That says a lot about how striking and special Melina Ghaemi’s work is.
A big thank you to Van Art Hub Gallery for making this experience so smooth and enjoyable. I truly appreciated their professionalism, communication, honesty, and integrity throughout the entire process. I would happily work with them again and highly recommend them to anyone interested in purchasing art through the gallery.
