Sometimes an abstract painting seizes you.
You can be walking around a gallery and a certain painting you’ve never seen before commands your attention. That one, you think. That one speaks to me. It stands out from the work around it. It has no specific forms or figures you recognise. It's hard to put into words exactly what it’s saying. But it seems like the most correct form of that expression.
You may find yourself drawn to a piece of abstract art without knowing why. Some people worry that if they can’t explain why that one, they must be missing something. But they’re not. They’re reacting in exactly the right way.
That instinctive pull is the point. Abstract art isn’t about understanding; it’s about feeling. It invites you to respond before you rationalise. There’s no right answer, secret code, or art-school glossary required. Many people assume art appreciation is a kind of test, something you pass or fail depending on how much you know. Abstract art rejects that idea. You don’t analyse a sunset or a piece of music before you enjoy it. You feel it first. Abstract art works the same way.
What is abstract art, and why do you see so much of it?
Abstract art steps away from direct representation. A lot of visual art recreates the world around us. Abstract art doesn’t attempt to represent external reality.
It doesn’t paint what we see. You might say instead it paints what we sense. It works with line, shape, movement, and colour to express ideas that can’t be easily spoken.
Abstract art might seem modern, but it’s been with us for over a century, since artists began turning inward, searching for new ways to show emotion rather than objects.
Today, abstract art fills major exhibitions and independent studios, and abstract paintings are some of the most passionately sought for people’s homes.
Why do you feel a pull towards abstract art?
You may already love abstract art without realising it. You might be drawn to a painting, or a print of an abstract painting because of its calm, or its energy, or simply because it feels right in your space. That quiet connection is the essence of abstraction. It meets you where you are, in feeling rather than fact.
Abstract art connects on an emotional level first. It mirrors what’s internal rather than external. You respond not to what you recognise, but to what you sense.
There’s also the matter of mood. The human mind reacts instinctively to shape and tone. A soft gradient calms. Sharp contrast excites. Pale colours open space; deep colours ground it. You might not think about this consciously, but your body does. People talk about the Rothko effect, because the contemplative mood or tears you see in a quiet gallery where people take in his work is a very palpable thing.
That’s why an abstract print can shift the feel of a room without changing anything else.
Why abstract art works so well at home
Abstract art prints carry all this emotional depth into a more personal setting. They make the experience of art ownership open to everyone. You don’t need a large wall or a collector’s budget. You just need a wall and an instinct.
Prints are adaptable. They slip easily between spaces and styles. Abstract forms can complement modern homes without feeling overwhelming or obtrusive. They hold their own in minimalist rooms yet warm traditional ones. Abstraction isn’t tied to a subject or story, so it doesn’t date. It evolves with your home, with you.
They also invite conversation. Guests ask what it means, and you realise there’s no single answer. That’s what keeps it interesting. Every person brings a new interpretation, a new feeling. Art becomes dialogue, not display.
And then, at a subtler level, there’s self-expression. The piece you choose says something about your taste, your mood, your sense of balance. You might not be conscious of it, but the choice is telling. It’s personal without being literal.
Above all, abstract art changes the atmosphere. A piece can calm a space, or add movement, or sharpen focus. It alters the light without touching the architecture. That’s the quiet power of good art; it works on the senses as much as the eyes.
You don’t need to understand it to love it. Wassily Kandinsky wrote that colour “is a power which directly influences the soul". Abstract art speaks to parts of us that don’t use words. You don’t need to decode it. It’s instinctive.
It’s about how it makes you feel, how it fits your space, and how it connects with your inner world.
Explore our collection of abstract art prints and find the one that speaks to you.
