Top 2025 Colour Trends in Art

Our approach and relationship to colour changes with the world; sometimes fast, unpredictable, and all at once, sometimes slowly, or in a more measured sense. Trends, as we know them today, are often then same. We’re used to talking about trends in terms of fashion, technology, design, or entertainment, but when it comes to contemporary art, we often notice certain trends occurring in a similar, albeit more timeless, sense. This is perhaps most notable in the realm of colour.

With the turn of another year comes the resulting rumination on what effects on our collective mood we’ll see, what cultural shifts might occur, and where societal changes will impact our world the most. Colour is all wrapped up into this – just think about the chokehold of Pantone’s Colour of the Year – and it’s exciting to think about the fresh palettes set to capture the creativity of artists in 2025.

So, get ready to harness the power of colour and discover what hues you might notice creeping into contemporary art this year, whether that’s with the intention to transform your home, or evoke emotion.

Sky blue, tangerine, light peach, mineral honey

This soft, natural palette evokes spring time and sunsets. As a combination, the tangerine offers a vibrant burst of juicy colour, whilst the gentle, light peach and mineral honey provide a calming centre point. When these separate swatches come together, the result is youthful, restorative, and playful. Any combination – two, three, or all four – might stir you to feel a sense of hopefulness, energy, and lifted spirits.

Marcelina Amelia’s use of a block, delicately blue-hued background in her aptly named ‘Dreaming of Peace’ is the colour equivalent of a deep breath. Complemented with touches of textured light peach and taupe, as well as lemon yellow, the overall effect is one of peacefulness, a key feeling to bring into your home if you find yourself easily affected by the tumultuous world outside.

The same goes for Henry Ward’s abstract ‘Polyester’, an oil painting where the rich, earthiness of his rusty orange is a real focal point, drawing the eye immediately so that the other, more gentle, tones in this palette add a contrasting lightness. These two pieces demonstrate how differently artists might utilise colour to play with first impressions and overall mood. They both capture these initial colours of 2025 whilst tapping into transcendence.

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Carnation pink, bright red, plum, sandstone

Elegant and rich, this colour trend palette celebrates all things Quiet Luxury and opulence, whilst still deriving from nature with earthy undertones. The deep purple is moody and confident, whilst the carnation pink is classic and timeless. We love how these colours flow together whilst also standing out separately from one another.

We’ve seen loads from this pink and red duo over the past year or two, but the dominance is set to continue in 2025, too. Masaharu Shin’s deeply layered and textural collage demonstrates the new ways in which we might see the bold, seamless combination of these colours that typically tend to fight for the limelight. The tactility of this piece is a real highlight and it is full to the brim with kinetic energy.

Figurative art takes on a 2025 surreality in Nikè Marchand’s oil painting ‘Admiration’. Marchand uses figures, or ‘creatures’, to embody feelings of emotional disquietude, as well as human connection. We really see this play out here amongst the complex plum backdrop that complements the secondary colours on the canvas.

Lime green, jasper, cerulean, electric blue

This fun, energetic palette combines the best of the blues with statement contrasts; a real showstopper that can be intertwined into artworks in both a maximalist and minimalist sense depending on style, medium, and texture.

Wonderfully versatile, you might spot this swatch in the contemporary digital realm, such as Uzo Njoku’s highly-detailed pattern work. Or, turn to nature and its fragility by seeking those blues and greens that sit so well together on the colour wheel. Suzan van Lieshout has leant into this clever ombré with her soy sauce fish compilation, ‘You Cannot Swim Forever.’

Otherwise, see how delicately Jenny Schaefer has used sculpture in a way that honours these 2025 colour trends. The lime, almost seafoam, green creates a spongy bed for the light blue and subtle jasper of the shell’s inside. It’s a unique take that feels otherworldly – perfect for those who like art to be transportive, or find joy in uncanny.

A keen eye might begin to spot these colour trends in contemporary art when you’re next perusing the aisles of an Affordable Art Fair. You’ll likely be surprised to see how often they arise as our taste-making artists’ brains soak up the cultural moments of 2025 and beyond.

Main image: Karen Toledano, ‘Should The Wind’, Minted