Kanye West’s teenage artwork valued at $3.1 million
A collection of teenage artwork by Kanye West is reportedly worth millions of dollars.
Entrepreneur and art collector, Vinoda Basnayake, bought the rapper’s work in 2021 after seeing it on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow.
Although it was purchased for an undisclosed amount, it was appraised for around $16,000 to $23,000.
However, Basnayake now claims the collection is worth $3.1 million, according to a valuation by the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice last year.
He told Page Six that the TV valuation “materially missed the bigger picture because they approached the work as typical celebrity art, which on its own doesn’t usually command major value.”
The collection consists of five paintings and drawings, with a 1995 drawing of Ye’s late mother, Donda West, valued at $335,000. Kanye drew the piece of work when he was an art student at Polaris School in Chicago.
Basnayake said that the USPAP’s appraiser view “was that the pieces should instead be contextualised as the opening chapter in the creative journey of Kanye West, someone who went on to become one of the best-selling producers, musical artists, and fashion designers of an entire generation.”
During an interview with SHOWstudio, Ye once spoke about dropping out of school and receiving an honorary art degree.
“Eventually, I got a PHD this year, like a honorary PHD at the Art Institute of Chicago,” he said in 2015. “I dropped out of that school and I wanted to go back to the school of hard knocks.”
He continued, “Right now, in all honesty… You know whatever the fuck I’m going to say today, I’m going to say it and I’m just gonna fucking own it and that’s how I feel right now. If I feel differently in three years, I’ll tell you how I feel.”