> Source: https://www.openingbid.art/artist/kara-walker · updated 2026-11-02

# Kara Walker (b. 1969)

## What is Kara Walker’s work worth? {#value}

As of 2 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 321 auction results for Kara Walker at 20 houses since 1999. Over the last 24 months the median price was $7,303 including buyer’s premium (middle half $3,048–$22,575, n=54). The auction record is $529,200 for Negress Notes (2022, Sotheby's). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.

**Top auction records: paintings, drawings & sculpture**

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Negress Notes, 1995 | Watercolor, ink, ball-point pen and graphite on paper, in 27 parts | $529,200 | Sotheby's | May 2022 |
| 2 | Four Idioms on Negro Art #4 Primitivism, 2015 | Watercolor | $503,001 | Christie's | Jun 2019 |
| 3 | Burn, 1998 | Installation | $400,000 | Christie's | Nov 2021 |
| 4 | the Prescript of the Order of the invisible Empire - Its Peculiar Objects | Paper silhouettes, in 7 parts | $293,000 | Sotheby's | Sep 2013 |
| 5 | Sampler I Booty Call, 2013 | Cut paper | $264,000 | Phillips | Sep 2018 |
| 6 | Untitled (cut paper collage and gouache on paper), 1996 | Gouache | $252,000 | Christie's | Nov 2022 |
| 7 | Picturesque (Panel I: Vagrant, Panel II: A Gentle Reminder, Panel III: Of Your, Panel IV: Complicity In, Panel V: Our Undoing), 2006 | Picturesque (Panel I: Vagrant, Panel II: A Gentle Reminder, Panel III: Of Your, Panel IV: Complicity In, Panel V: Our Undoing) | $242,500 | Christie's | Nov 2009 |
| 8 | Untitled (cut paper on canvas), 2004 | Cut paper silhouette | $225,000 | Phillips | Nov 2016 |
| 9 | From the Series: Negress Notes, Set 5, 1996 | Ink | $216,000 | Christie's | May 2006 |
| 10 | Master and Slave, Together Building a Model for the Future, 1998 | Gouache | $189,000 | Christie's | Mar 2023 |


**Median price by medium (last 24 months, n ≥ 5)**

| Medium | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Paintings | 10 | $82,061 |
| Works on paper | 102 | $18,555 |
| Sculpture | 10 | $10,765 |
| Other | 45 | $7,500 |
| Prints | 138 | $5,835 |

**Median price by size (last 24 months, n ≥ 5)**

| Size | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Large (over 120 cm) | 56 | $61,617 |
| Medium (50-120 cm) | 81 | $9,600 |
| Small (under 50 cm) | 161 | $4,500 |

Data as of 2 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 321 results from 20 houses · [How we compute these figures](https://www.openingbid.art/methodology/price-data)


Kara Walker is an American artist with 359 auction lots recorded since 1999, median price $8,553. Some sold prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium; they are marked on this page. Some sold prices are not yet verified as premium-inclusive or hammer, and are marked on this page.

A work by Kara Walker sold in 2026 for $93,792, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.

**1 Kara Walker work is coming to auction** (as of 2026-11-02).

- [Kara Walker on OpeningBid](https://www.openingbid.art/artist/kara-walker?ref=kg:kara-walker) — follow free in the OpeningBid app for sale alerts.

## What is a Kara Walker work worth?

Across 321 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Kara Walker work is $8,553.

The median Kara Walker print sells for $5,805 across 168 lots.

The median Kara Walker work on paper sells for $20,160 across 81 lots.

The median Kara Walker sculpture sells for $12,500 across 11 lots.

Small (under 50 cm) Kara Walker prints typically sell for $2,772–$5,453 (the middle half of 86 sold lots).

Medium (50–120 cm) Kara Walker prints typically sell for $6,906–$12,675 (the middle half of 62 sold lots).

Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.

## Price breakdown by category

| Category | Lots tracked | Median price | Record price | Sell-through | Last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prints & Editions | 184 | $5,805†‡ | $151,200 | 91.3% | 2026-10-01 |
| Paintings | 7 | $174,560 | $503,001 | 85.7% | 2026-03-07 |
| Works on Paper | 86 | $20,160 | $529,200 | 94.2% | 2026-10-22 |
| Sculpture & Installation | 11 | $12,500† | $171,977 | — | 2025-10-21 |
| Photography | 8 | $9,540 | $10,200 | 75% | 2023-04-18 |
| Masterpieces (top of market) | 24 | $172,314 | $529,200 | — | 2026-05-21 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

Kara Walker's market splits by medium. Prints & Editions (184 lots) median $5,805 with 91.3% sell-through. Paintings (7 lots) median $174,560, record $503,001. A typical Kara Walker painting sells for around 30× the price of a typical print. At the top of the market (top 5% of sales, 24 lots) the median is $172,314.

## Price by size

### Prints & Editions

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 86 | $2,772–$5,453† | $3,500† | $25,600 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 62 | $6,906–$12,675‡ | $8,820‡ | $125,000 |
| large (over 120 cm) | 11 | $14,212–$50,210 | $31,500 | $151,200 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

### Works on Paper

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 40 | $3,042–$20,552 | $8,438 | $529,200 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 17 | $9,600–$27,940 | $15,120 | $56,250 |
| large (over 120 cm) | 24 | $41,875–$119,194 | $77,625 | $264,000 |

### Sculpture & Installation

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 8 | $6,574–$12,550† | $8,372† | $82,550 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

Size is the work's longest edge. Cells appear only with at least 5 sold lots.

## Notable results

| Medium | Year | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Works on Paper | 2022 | $529,200 |
| Paintings | 2019 | $503,001 |
| Works on Paper | 2018 | $264,000 |
| Paintings | 2009 | $242,500 |
| Sculpture & Installation | 2023 | $171,977 |
| Prints & Editions | 2022 | $151,200 |
| Prints & Editions | 2013 | $125,000 |
| Sculpture & Installation | 2024 | $101,600 |

The highest recorded result in each medium. The full sale history is in the OpeningBid app (free sign-up).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a Kara Walker worth?

Across 321 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Kara Walker work is $8,553. The median Kara Walker print sells for $5,805 across 168 lots. The median Kara Walker work on paper sells for $20,160 across 81 lots. The median Kara Walker sculpture sells for $12,500 across 11 lots. Small (under 50 cm) Kara Walker prints typically sell for $2,772–$5,453 (the middle half of 86 sold lots). Medium (50–120 cm) Kara Walker prints typically sell for $6,906–$12,675 (the middle half of 62 sold lots). Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.

### What is the average price of a Kara Walker print?

Based on 168 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Kara Walker print is $5,805. Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.

### What is Kara Walker's most expensive print?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Kara Walker print is $151,200.

### What is the average price of a Kara Walker work on paper?

Based on 81 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Kara Walker work on paper is $20,160.

### What is Kara Walker's most expensive work on paper?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Kara Walker work on paper is $529,200.

### What is the average price of a Kara Walker sculpture?

Based on 11 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Kara Walker sculpture is $12,500. Some prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium.

### What is Kara Walker's most expensive sculpture?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Kara Walker sculpture is $171,977.

### What is the average price of a small Kara Walker print?

Based on 86 sold lots, the median auction price of a small Kara Walker print (small (under 50 cm)) is $3,500, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results. Some prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium.

### What is the average price of a medium Kara Walker print?

Based on 62 sold lots, the median auction price of a medium Kara Walker print (medium (50–120 cm)) is $8,820, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results. Some prices are not yet basis-verified (premium-inclusive or hammer).

### What is Kara Walker's auction record?

Kara Walker's auction record is $529,200, set in 2022.

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Data last updated 2026-11-02. OpeningBid tracks 15,390,829 auction lots from 577 auction houses, refreshed nightly.

Cite this page as: OpeningBid, “Kara Walker auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/kara-walker (updated 2026-11-02).

Historical auction data, not investment advice. Prices are premium-inclusive USD where the buyer's premium is recorded. Figures marked † are hammer prices (buyer's premium not included); ‡ marks a price whose basis is not yet verified. Non-USD results are converted at the sale month's rate.