Five contemporary artists to watch in 2025, according to Christie’s New York specialists

‘Firelei Báez is an artist I’ve admired and followed for quite some time. We’re absolutely thrilled to be kicking off our 21st Century Evening Sale with a work by Báez as our first lot. Known for her powerful exploration of identity, history and the Caribbean experience, Báez depicts these complex themes in beautifully rendered compositions incorporating elements of nature and mythology. Her paintings are characterised by a dynamic use of colour, pattern, symbol and texture. Báez’s aesthetic is a vibrant celebration of identity, culture and the complexities of history, making her work both visually striking and deeply meaningful.’

‘The first thing that caught my eye about Joseph Yaeger’s work is his sheer technical ability. He’s an incredibly talented and meticulous painter. Working exclusively in watercolour on gessoed canvas, he has astutely tapped into a quality of painting that is unique to his work and perfectly suited to his subjects. It’s rare for an artist to strike that harmonious marriage of technique and vision so early in their career.

‘Beyond that, Yaeger’s compositions grip your attention. They have a haunting, cinematic quality. They are simultaneously familiar yet disarmingly alien; this contrast breeds intrigue. I am keeping an eye on him — he had impressive shows in London last year and has recently joined the roster of the London gallery Modern Art.’

‘Lucy Bull’s work evades easy description. Her compositions are dynamic and immersive, evoking notions of depth while revelling in surface treatment and paint application. There is intentionality in the work, as well as a platforming of spontaneity and chance. A New Dew stands apart as an archetype of Bull’s novel approach to abstraction.’

‘I first came across Gordon’s work when we worked together briefly at a gallery one summer. I was immediately struck by seeing figures that resembled myself, my Asian friends and peers, painted as the main characters of her imagined worlds. Gordon’s intimate doppelganger avatars tap into the experiences and alienation of unconventional bodies, challenging the standards of representation through canonical themes of portraiture.

‘Gordon has quickly established herself as one of the most exciting contemporary artists working today through her deeply personal and singular style. I am excited to see her work, career and following continue to grow, and for her to solidify the representation of Asian, queer and diasporic voices within the art historical canon.’

‘After decades of extraordinary dedication, Denzil Forrester is finally being celebrated as the definitive chronicler of a vivid and vanished era in London’s Black history. Part of the Windrush generation, Forrester paints vivid, frenzied tributes to the cultural and expressive freedom of London in the 1980s, pulsating with rhythm and ecstasy.

‘Forrester appeared in two of London’s most influential exhibitions in recent memory — Tate Britain’s Life Between Islands and the Hayward Gallery’s Mixing it Up: Painting Today. It’s an accolade shared only by Peter Doig, who has been a great champion of Forrester’s work.’