Artnet News editors and journalists compiled their annual roundup of the best artworks seen in 2025, highlighting standout pieces from around the world. Among the featured works are Richard Serra's monumental steel sculpture "East-West/West-East" (2014) in the Qatari desert, Emma Ferrer's painting "You Will Return the Evil to Its Steppe (Homage to Josefa de Óbidos)" (2024) shown at New York's Sapar Contemporary, and Kerry James Marshall's "The White Queens of Africa: Colette" (2025) from his retrospective at the Royal Academy of Art. Each artwork is accompanied by a personal reflection from the journalist who encountered it.
This roundup matters because it offers a curated, insider perspective on the most impactful visual art of the year, drawing from the extensive travel and viewing experiences of art journalists. The selection spans diverse media—sculpture, painting—and themes such as scale and perspective, humanity's relationship with nature, and postcolonial narratives. By highlighting works from both established figures like Richard Serra and emerging artists like Emma Ferrer, the article provides a snapshot of current artistic trends and critical conversations in the global art world.