> Source: https://www.openingbid.art/artist/theaster-gates · updated 2026-11-02 # Theaster Gates (b. 1973) ## What is Theaster Gates’s work worth? {#value} As of 2 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 89 auction results for Theaster Gates at 17 houses since 2005. Over the last 24 months the median price was $25,400 including buyer’s premium (middle half $7,426–$55,880, n=19). The auction record is $763,195 for Dirty Red (2021, Poly Auction Hong Kong (保利香港拍賣)). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database. **Top auction records: paintings, drawings & sculpture** | # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | Dirty Red | — | $763,195 | Poly Auction Hong Kong (保利香港拍賣) | Jun 2021 | | 2 | Dirty Red, 2016 | Installation | $763,195 | Phillips | Jun 2021 | | 3 | Resolution 3: Get to Know the Frankfurt School, 2013 | Mixed media installation | $400,000 | Christie's | Nov 2021 | | 4 | From time to time these Hot Days get Lonely, 2011 | Panel | $381,262 | Phillips | Oct 2025 | | 5 | In The Event of a Race Riot, 2011 | Glass | $378,000 | Sotheby's | Sep 2022 | | 6 | For Race Riots and Salon Gatherings, 2011 | Glass | $370,964 | Christie's | Feb 2015 | | 7 | Ground Rules (White Stars), 2015 | Installation | $352,800 | Sotheby's | Nov 2022 | | 8 | Topological Study with Hose, 2012 | Wood | $276,578 | Phillips | Dec 2022 | | 9 | Landscape Exercise with Black Mountain in Industrial Blue, 2012 | Sculpture | $228,600 | Sotheby's | May 2023 | | 10 | Creamy Rich Sky, Asphalt Horizon Roll, 2014 | Wood | $203,200 | Phillips | Sep 2024 | **Median price by medium (last 24 months, n ≥ 5)** | Medium | Sales | Median | |---|---|---| | Other | 42 | $45,123 | | Sculpture | 23 | $28,160 | | Paintings | 9 | $22,680 | **Median price by size (last 24 months, n ≥ 5)** | Size | Sales | Median | |---|---|---| | Large (over 120 cm) | 29 | $81,900 | | Medium (50-120 cm) | 37 | $28,833 | | Small (under 50 cm) | 13 | $3,951 | Data as of 2 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 89 results from 17 houses · [How we compute these figures](https://www.openingbid.art/methodology/price-data) Theaster Gates is an American artist with 108 auction lots recorded since 2005, median price $31,566. 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 Theaster Gates sold in 2026 for $38,400, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results. ## What is a Theaster Gates work worth? Across 89 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Theaster Gates work is $31,566. The median Theaster Gates sculpture sells for $37,800 across 19 lots. The median Theaster Gates print sells for $1,080 across 7 lots. The median Theaster Gates painting sells for $122,575 across 4 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 | 10 | $1,080† | $2,234 | 70% | 2024-06-27 | | Paintings | 5 | $122,575 | $381,262 | 80% | 2025-10-18 | | Works on Paper | 2 | $26,607 | $47,880 | — | 2026-04-02 | | Sculpture & Installation | 23 | $37,800 | $228,600 | 82.6% | 2026-04-02 | | Masterpieces (top of market) | 18 | $215,900 | $763,195 | — | 2026-07-01 | † hammer price — buyer's premium not included. Theaster Gates's market splits by medium. Prints & Editions (10 lots) median $1,080 with 70% sell-through. Paintings (5 lots) median $122,575, record $381,262. A typical Theaster Gates painting sells for around 113× the price of a typical print. At the top of the market (top 5% of sales, 18 lots) the median is $215,900. ## Price by size ### Sculpture & Installation | Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record | |---|---|---|---|---| | medium (50–120 cm) | 8 | $29,245–$46,165 | $37,780 | $55,447 | | large (over 120 cm) | 6 | $54,088–$69,462 | $64,250 | $228,600 | Size is the work's longest edge. Cells appear only with at least 5 sold lots. ## Notable results | Medium | Year | Price | |---|---|---| | Paintings | 2025 | $381,262 | | Sculpture & Installation | 2023 | $228,600 | | Paintings | 2020 | $176,400 | | Sculpture & Installation | 2025 | $70,950 | | Works on Paper | 2023 | $47,880 | | Works on Paper | 2026 | $5,334 | | Prints & Editions | 2022 | $2,234 | | Prints & Editions | 2023 | $1,260 | 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 Theaster Gates worth? Across 89 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Theaster Gates work is $31,566. The median Theaster Gates sculpture sells for $37,800 across 19 lots. The median Theaster Gates print sells for $1,080 across 7 lots. The median Theaster Gates painting sells for $122,575 across 4 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 Theaster Gates sculpture? Based on 19 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Theaster Gates sculpture is $37,800. ### What is Theaster Gates's most expensive sculpture? The highest price recorded at auction for a Theaster Gates sculpture is $228,600. ### What is Theaster Gates's auction record? Theaster Gates's auction record is $763,195, set in 2021. --- Data last updated 2026-11-02. OpeningBid tracks 15,390,829 auction lots from 577 auction houses, refreshed nightly. Cite this page as: OpeningBid, “Theaster Gates auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/theaster-gates (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.