Minjun Yue Auction Prices and Value Guide

Minjun Yue auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 699 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Minjun Yue auction prices: quick answer

Minjun Yue auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
Minjun Yue
Source records
699
Market update
2026-02-16

Artist context

About Minjun Yue

Yue Minjun (born 1962, Daqing, China) is a Chinese contemporary artist working in Beijing. He is recognized internationally for oil paintings that depict his own face frozen in exaggerated, often unsettling laughter, a motif he has extended into sculpture, watercolour, and prints. Though frequently associated with the Cynical Realist movement that emerged in China around 1989, Yue has distanced himself from that label. His signature laughing self-portrait has become one of the most widely reproduced images in contemporary Chinese art, appearing in major museum exhibitions and private collections worldwide. Educated at Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Yue began exhibiting in the mid-1980s and rose to prominence during the boom in Chinese contemporary art in the 2000s. Collectors encounter his work across a range of media at auction and in gallery settings.

Cynical Realismoil paintingsculpturewatercolourprintsself-portraiturelaughter and smiling figures

Common works and media

Yue Minjun's most commonly encountered works at auction and appraisal include oil paintings on canvas featuring his repeated laughing self-portrait in varied compositions, often rendered in bold, saturated colour. Sculptural editions — typically bronze or painted fiberglass figures with the same laughing visage — also appear regularly. Collectors may also find watercolours, screen prints, and lithographic editions. Subject matter ranges from isolated self-portraits to multi-figure tableaux referencing art-historical and political imagery.

Market and appraisal context

Yue Minjun's work appears frequently at international auction, with nearly 700 lots recorded in Appraisily's database spanning oil paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and prints. Large-scale oil paintings from his signature laughing-self-portrait series have historically attracted the strongest demand at major auction houses. Smaller paintings, editions, and sculptural works trade more accessibly. Key valuation factors include medium, scale, date of execution, provenance, exhibition history, and condition. Editioned works should be verified for edition number and authenticity documentation. Collectors should note that the volume of circulating work means condition, provenance, and period quality are meaningful differentiators.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Appraisal caveats

  • No specific auction price data is available in the source pack; Appraisily should cross-reference with Invaluable and major auction-house records for realized prices.
  • Yue Minjun's auction volume is substantial (699 recorded lots in the source input), suggesting active secondary-market circulation across multiple media.

Evidence

Sources for artist context

This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.

Source-grounded artist Markdown

Data basis

This page is built from Appraisily's public auction market index. Private transactions, incomplete sale feeds, and attribution changes may not be fully represented.

LLM-readable Markdown summary for Minjun Yue

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Minjun Yue worth?

Comparable public auction sales are the best starting point, but final value depends on the specific artwork, condition, size, medium, provenance, and attribution confidence.

Can Appraisily value my Minjun Yue artwork?

Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.