5 Latin American Artists with Market Momentum
In an increasingly diverse international art market, recent years have seen an upsurge in attention towards Latin American artists. Contemporary Hispanic artists in particular are drawing substantial interest from collectors and institutions alike. Auction seasons in recent years had many notable works by Latin American artists either meet or exceed estimated values.
Many of these burgeoning artists explore their complicated history with representation, working within various artistic mediums, such as painting, collage, sculpture, and installation. They delve into distinct cultural contexts in these forms, producing thought-provoking artworks that boldly tell their stories.
Here, we spotlight five Latin American artists who are experiencing considerable momentum from collectors.
Alvaro Barrington
B. 1983, Venezuela. Lives and works in London.
Auction Record: Leaving on a jet plane sold for £37,800 ($42,228) at Sotheby’s London contemporary day auction in October 2022, 78% above its mid-estimate.
Since Alvaro Barrington graduated from London’s Slade School of Art in 2017, the Venezuelan-born artist has firmly established himself beyond the British capital.
Barrington’s artworks have consistently surpassed their mid-estimates, with one breakout piece being the sale of his painting Leaving on a jet plane, which sold for £37,800 ($42,228) in 2022.
Works by the artist—who is represented by Blum & Poe, Thaddaeus Ropac, Sadie Coles HQ, Emalin, Corvi-Mora, Mendes Wood DM, Karma, and Nicola Vassell Gallery—continues to secure estimate-beating auction sales. Soon after his record sale, 1923-1942 (2018) sold for 303% above its mid-estimate at $20,160. Most recently, Painting: PP18-38 (2018) sold for $16,510 in July 2023 at Phillips New York, 94% above its mid-estimate.
Barrington’s fifth solo exhibition with Ropac, “They Got Time: You Belong to the City,” will open during Paris+ par Art Basel. This year, the prolific artist has shown work with several of his affiliated galleries, ranging from São Paulo to New York and London.
Julio Galán
B. 1958, Mexico. D. 2006, Mexico.
Auction Record: Los cómplices (1987) sold for $214,200 at the Sotheby’s contemporary day auction in November 2022, 22% above its mid-estimate.
Julio Galán, a prominent Neo-Expressionist artist most active in the late 1980s and ’90s, continues to resonate with today’s collectors. At a Christie’s auction in March 2023, No tengo sueños (1994) achieved a remarkable $52,920, surpassing its mid-estimate by an impressive 32%.
Galán’s paintings regularly secure six figure results under the hammer, such as Si tu te vas, yo me quedo hasta el final (1996), which commanded $100,800 at a Christie’s auction this March. Earlier pieces like El Hermano (The Eggplant Boy and the Santa Claus Girl) (1985) and Los cómplices (1987) sold for $182,700 and $214,200, respectively. Galán’s artwork continues to resonate with collectors, underscoring his enduring influence.
Lucas Arruda
B. 1983, Brazil. Lives and works in São Paulo.
Auction Record: Untitled (2013) sold for HK$3.78 million (US$487,651) at Phillips Hong Kong’s 20th-century and contemporary art evening sale in 2021, 89% above its mid-estimate.
Known for his atmospheric and ambient landscape paintings, Brazilian artist Lucas Arruda continues to mesmerize collectors worldwide. Arruda first received widespread attention with his solo show “Deserto-Modelo” at Mendes Wood DM in 2014, a pivotal moment in his early career that stirred up high demand for his paintings among collectors. Since then, works by the painter have outperformed their mid-estimates at auction by 82% since 2020.
Most recently, Untitled (2010) sold for $88,900 at Sotheby’s “Contemporary Curated” auction in September 2023. Arruda—represented by David Zwirner—routinely achieves six-figure sales on the secondary market. In May 2023, for instance, Untitled (2023) sold for HK$882,000 (US$112,575). His work is featured in the collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Fondation Beyeler, and the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo.
Ilana Savdie
B. 1986, Colombia. Lives and works in Brooklyn.
Auction Record: Marimonda Desplegada (2020) sold for $176,400 at Phillips New York’s 20th-century and contemporary art evening sale in November 2022, 194% above its mid-estimate.
Ilana Savdie, known for her psychedelic abstract paintings, has received growing international recognition over the past four years. After her breakout exhibition at ltd los angeles in 2019, Savdie’s work first reached a six-figure sum at a Phillips New York November 2022 auction when Marimonda Desplegada (2020) sold for $176,400—194% above its mid-estimate.
Represented by White Cube, Savdie’s work continues to get strong collector attention. This March, her painting Bedfones (2016) sold for $66,040 at Phillips New York. Her work is currently on view as part of “Radical Contractions” at the Whitney Museum of American Art until November 5th.
Tania Marmolejo
B. 1975, Dominican Republic. Lives and works in New York.
Auction Record: Let the Hurricane In (2019) sold for HK$1.08 million (US$137,900) at Poly Auctions in October 2022, 439% above its mid-estimate.
Tania Marmolejo’s artistic journey truly started after she graduated from the Altos de Chavón School of Design in the Dominican Republic. Shortly after, she moved to Brooklyn, where she attended Parsons on the Bluhdorn Scholarship. In the decades since, the painter’s signature enigmatic wide-eyed portraits have caught the attention of the secondary market, breaking six figures in 2022 with Let the Hurricane In (2019) at HK$1.08 million (US$137,900), which remains an auction record for the artist’s work to this day.
Over the last year, Marmolejo’s massive canvases featuring women with intense gazes continue to grab the attention of collectors. In March 2023, her paintings A Great Escape (2022) and Dream of Escape (2021) sold for HK$635,000 (US$80,892) and $88,900, respectively. In the past two years alone, Marmolejo has presented work for five solo gallery shows at venues such as Villazan and GR Gallery; her latest was at Stockholm’s Loyal this June.
