Here we are in 2022, and the world of art has gone digital. That’s not surprising since just about everything else has. Two years of COVID-constrained travel and public intermingling have accelerated a trend for art lovers to get their fix via immersive virtual events and exhibitions.
Crypto Art and NFT
Mainstream artists have eagerly embraced these cutting-edge mediums of the cyber world. Briefly, crypto art is digitally created art that is treated much the same as traditional, physical art because it has the ability to tag verified ownership of each piece to the artist.
NFT stands for Non-fungible Token. The distinction between Crypto art and NFT art is subtle, and we won’t go into that here. The key point is that these new digital mediums are gaining major traction in the art world as artists from a variety of backgrounds are moving into this space.
African Art
Not all strong artistic trends today are online, however. Contemporary African Art is rising in popularity globally as new artists from emerging economies on the African continent are exploring themes of socio-economic challenges, political realities, the diverse beauty of African nature, and regional/cultural themes.
More African art by indigenous dwellers is showing up in high-profile galleries around the world. This is being helped along by the opening of Africa to the global economy giving individual artists more pathways to find international audiences.
Street Art
Big-name artists like the U.K.’s Banksy continue to drive the growing popularity of street art. Beyond the mysterious Banksy, Eduardo Kobra and Alec Monopoly are bringing street art to a new height of creative excellence. It’s garnering ever more attention from critics and the public alike.
Although there are no limits in terms of subject matter, street artists tend to portray themes relating to social standards and economic factors among the people where their works appear.
Street art takes advantage of current political happenings, the plight of demographic groups, and local community trends to inform its public through the power of art.
The Return of Memphis Design
Popular in the 1980s, Memphis Design is a particular oeuvre for interior design, graphics, and fashion. It is characterized by vibrant colors, geometrical influences, bold shapes, and curving outlines.
A new generation of artists here in 2022 seems to have rediscovered Memphis Design, and a bona fide revival is happening as you read this.