Fresh ideas and visual wonders are always emerging in the world of contemporary art. Artists are constantly breaking the status quo, and redefining the limits of expressionism. Here's a look at some of the most innovative and intriguing visual artists in 2016.

1. Marcel Witte

An artist based in the Netherlands, Marcel Witte uses a unique blend of contemporary ideas and classic realism in his paintings. He depicts animals in human situations and uses his artwork to remind others that humanity is sometimes found in the most unlikely of places. You can view his fascinating art process here.

2. Jeannie Phan

A Toronto based freelance illustrator Jeannie Phan utilizes bold colors and beautiful gradient textures to create detailed visual compositions that draw influences from manga comics and Japanese printmaking. Phan's works are enhanced by her own keen interest in the micro-kingdom and the physiology of the human body, all of which she sums up in a surrealist twist. You can view her website here.

3. Wayne Thiebaud

Thiebaud is an American Pop art painter who is famous for his colorful works depicting commonplace objects—pies, lipsticks, paint cans, ice cream cones, pastries and hot dogs. His works have a wonderful aesthetic appeal and the contrasting colors seem to jump right out of the image.

4. Riusuke Fukahori

Riusuke Fukahori, a Japanese artist, is known for his realistic depictions of goldfish in an unconventional setting that allows his artwork to appear to be almost three-dimensional. To simulate this effect, he uses layers of poured resin between each layer of paint to achieve a sense of depth in his creations. You can view his works here.

5. Marc Freeman

Can the bright and scintillating discharge of lightning also be welcoming? Perhaps just for a moment, and Marc Freeman seems to catch it in. There is a restless energy to Freeman's paintings that encourages our eyes to dart around the canvas, following erratic lines of color before coming to rest on certain details. This Australian painter uses a collage of textures and patterns to bring an unconventional liveliness to his works.

6. Brad Kunkle

There is a magical quality to Brad Kunkle's paintings that is difficult to capture online and in print alone. The Brooklyn based painter combines oil painting with gold and silver leaf to create ethereal visions of women, often in a state of transcendence or as if they are on some spiritual quest.

7. Misato Suzuki

Misato Suzuki was born in Aomori, Japan, but is currently residing and working in Los Angeles, California. Her work has been featured in galleries worldwide, including solo and group exhibitions in the USA, Europe, Australia, Canada and Japan. Here, Suzuki creates a regal, dreamlike scene by overlapping flat yet textured shapes and by pairing nearly neon hues with subdued tones.

8. Ian Francis

British painter Ian Francis utilizes a unique blend of abstraction and figuration to create striking pieces that illicit powerful emotions from viewers around the world. He pulls fluidly from popular culture and creates synthesized landscapes highlighted by jagged brushstrokes and colorful washes. You can view his artwork here.

9. Sandra Chevrier

Montreal based artist Sandra Chevrier creates mixed media on woven paper paintings. She uses traditional mediums combined with actual pages from comic books to depict her subject, sending a powerful message through her works.

10. Andrew Salgado

Canadian painter Andrew Salgado has created a buzz for himself with bold, generally large scale figurative paintings that have situated him as one to watch in both the UK and North America. His large scale, gestural paintings explore concepts relating to the destruction and reconstruction of identity, transcending conventions of figurative painting through a pursuit toward abstraction. You can view his website here.

11. Silvia Pelissero

An Italian contemporary painter, Silvia Pelissero (under the pseudonym Agnes-cecile) utilizes watercolor and acrylic paints to illustrate dreamy, emotion-laden portraits that brim with color. Her works have a floating, evanescent quality, tied down to this world only by the dark acrylic that provides a stark contrast with soft pastels. You can view her work here.