Live auction data · Updated weekly

Where art becomes asset.

Real auction returns. Verified hammer prices. Curated access to blue-chip and rising contemporary art — from Damien Hirst and Richard Hambleton to one of the most-watched young artists in the world, Slawn.

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$0M+
Hirst Cherry Blossom (2022)
+0%
Slawn Above Estimate (Sotheby's)
$0K+
Hambleton Record (Artcurial)
— The Three

Three artists. Three trajectories.

A living blue-chip, a posthumous market boom, and one of the most-watched young painters in London. Each tells a different investment story — backed by real, verifiable auction data.

Sotheby's New York · 19 May 2022 · $5,609,900

Damien Hirst · b.1965

British · YBA · Blue-chip · Living artist

Britain's wealthiest living artist and the defining figure of the YBA generation. Hirst's market spans Spot Paintings from £30k to Cherry Blossoms at $5.6M and Butterfly works at £4.7M+. Multiple distinct series mean genuine portfolio diversification within a single artist — and the Cherry Blossom series alone has demonstrated +124% above pre-sale estimate at Sotheby's New York.

$5.6M
Cherry Blossom
+124%
Above Estimate
£4.7M
Butterfly Work
Notable sales: Happy Life Blossom $5.6M (Sotheby's NY 2022) · Eternity £4.7M (Phillips London 2007) · Spot painting £1.76M (Phillips London 2008) · For the Love of God diamond skull at $100M private sale (2007).
Enquire about Hirst works →
Artcurial Paris · Jun 2018 · $552,000

Richard Hambleton · 1952–2017

"Godfather of Street Art" · Estate active

A contemporary of Basquiat and Haring, Hambleton's Shadowman series defined 1980s downtown New York. After his death in 2017, the market revaluation was rapid — works that had been selling for a few thousand dollars at auction climbed into five and six figures within months. The 2018 Artcurial sale of As the World Burns at $552,000 nearly quadrupled estimate.

$552K
Record (2018)
~25×
Pre-2017 → 2018+
$22K
12-mo Painting Avg
Notable: As the World Burns $552k (Artcurial 2018) · Berlin triptych $216k (Artnet 2018) · Fountain of Youth II $150k (Sotheby's 2017) · permanent collections at MoMA, Brooklyn Museum, Andy Warhol Museum.
Enquire about Hambleton works →
Sotheby's London · 21 Mar 2024 · £31,750 (+296% est)

Slawn · b.2000

Olaolu Akeredolu-Ale · Nigerian-British · Rising

The fastest-rising young artist of his generation. Alara, Ajero and Orangun hammered at £31,750 — 296% above pre-sale estimate at Sotheby's London in March 2024. Bobo n Jarrad Go To Church went +58% above estimate at Sotheby's the year before. Slawn designed the 2023 Brit Awards statuette — the youngest artist ever to do so — and currently fronts the Hypebeast Spring/Summer 2026 cover.

£31,750
Record (Sotheby's)
+296%
Above Estimate
2022
Auction Debut
Notable sales: Alara, Ajero and Orangun £31,750 (Sotheby's Mar 2024, +296% est) · Bobo n Jarrad Go To Church £27,720 (Sotheby's Sep 2022, +58% est) · Untitled, 2020 £11,520 (Bonhams Oct 2024). 2023 Brit Awards statuette designer · Hypebeast SS26 cover · Saatchi Yates representation.
Enquire about Slawn works →
— Verified Auction Data

Recent hammer prices.

Selected auction results from Sotheby's, Phillips, Christie's and Artcurial — sourced from publicly reported sale records.

Work
Artist
Year
Auction
Hammer + Premium
Happy Life Blossom Household gloss on canvas, diptych
Damien Hirst
2018
Sotheby's New York
19 May 2022 · +124% est
$5,609,900
Eternity Butterflies and household gloss on canvas
Damien Hirst
2002
Phillips London
13 Oct 2007 · +57% est
£4,724,000
3-(5-Chloro-2-Hydroxphenylazo)... Spot painting, household gloss on canvas
Damien Hirst
1998
Phillips London
28 Feb 2008
£1,756,500
As the World Burns Acrylic on canvas
Richard Hambleton
1983
Artcurial Paris
26 Jun 2018
$552,000
Untitled (Berlin Triptych) 3-panel work, Mauermuseum provenance
Richard Hambleton
1986
Artnet Urban Art
27 Jun 2018
$216,000
Alara, Ajero and Orangun Acrylic and spray on canvas
Slawn
2023
Sotheby's London
21 Mar 2024 · +296% est
£31,750
Bobo n Jarrad Go To Church Spray paint on canvas
Slawn
2022
Sotheby's London
7–13 Sep 2022 · +58% est
£27,720
Untitled, 2020 Spray paint on canvas, six-panel
Slawn
2020
Bonhams New Bond Street
16 Oct 2024
£11,520
— Returns Calculator

If you'd invested back then…

Based on actual hammer-price differences between historical and most-recent auction sales. Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns.

£10,000£500,000
Returns are calculated by applying the documented appreciation ratio of the selected work between its historical and most-recent verified public auction sale. This is illustrative only. Individual artworks vary widely. Art is an alternative investment, illiquid, and may go down in value.
Projected Value Today
£0
↑ +0% appreciation
— Trajectory Compared

Three markets, indexed.

Auction value index, normalised to 100 at each artist's market entry. Demonstrative — sourced from public sale data.

Damien Hirst
Richard Hambleton
Slawn

Index reflects relative auction-recorded valuation growth from each artist's market reference baseline. Hambleton baseline = 2010 average; Hirst baseline = 1995 spot painting tier; Slawn baseline = 2022 debut.

— Why Now

An asset class institutional capital is moving into.

— 01

Uncorrelated to public markets

Blue-chip art has historically shown low correlation with equities and bonds, making it a portfolio diversifier favoured by family offices, sovereign funds and HNW collectors.

— 02

Auction transparency

Unlike private art deals, public auctions at Sotheby's, Phillips and Christie's create a transparent price record — making valuation defensible and exit liquidity clearer than ever.

— 03

The post-physical thesis

As wealth digitises, scarce physical art has retained — and amplified — its store-of-value function. Hirst's Cherry Blossom series alone went +124% above estimate at Sotheby's NY in 2022.

— Cultural Cachet

When the press picks the next wave.

Editorial recognition often precedes — and amplifies — auction-market revaluation. Slawn's SS26 cover signals the kind of cultural momentum that historically drives long-term collector demand.

Slawn on the cover of Hypebeast magazine
— As featured in

Slawn fronts Hypebeast Spring/Summer 2026.

The youngest artist to design the Brit Awards statuette is now anchoring the cover of Hypebeast Issue 37 — The Architects Issue. A clear cultural signal: institutional and editorial endorsement is consolidating around an artist who, two years ago, was still trading at debut-tier auction estimates.

Hypebeast · SS26 cover The Observer · feature FAD · profile Saatchi Yates · representation
— Speak to an Advisor

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— Common Questions

Before you invest.

What's the minimum investment?

Investments start from £10,000. Entry-level positions tend to be in editions and prints (e.g. signed Hirst spot prints, Slawn editions). Original canvases and unique works typically begin at £25,000–£50,000+.

How is authenticity verified?

Every work is independently authenticated. Hirst works are verified through Science Ltd / Hirst Studio with Heni-issued certificates where applicable. Hambleton works are verified via the Estate and original gallery provenance. Slawn works come direct from his studio or with verified primary-market provenance.

Where are the works stored?

UK-bonded fine art storage facilities (climate-controlled, fully insured) are arranged on your behalf if desired, or works can be delivered to your home or office once condition-checked.

How do I exit?

The standard exit is via auction (Sotheby's, Phillips, Christie's, Bonhams) or private sale. Our advisors guide consignment and timing. Liquidity varies — blue-chip works typically have shorter time-to-sale than emerging-artist holdings.

Are returns guaranteed?

No. Art is an alternative asset class — illiquid, with values that can fall as well as rise. Past auction results referenced on this site are historical fact, not future projections. ArtCompare is not regulated by the FCA.