Mr Brainwash Auction Prices and Value Guide
Mr Brainwash auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 14,450 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Mr Brainwash auction prices: quick answer
Mr Brainwash auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Mr Brainwash
- Source records
- 14,450
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Mr Brainwash
Mr Brainwash is the moniker of Thierry Guetta (born 1966, Paris), a French street and pop artist who has been based in Los Angeles since the mid-1980s. He first came to wide public attention through Banksy's 2010 documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, which chronicled Guetta's transformation from amateur videographer documenting the street art world to a prolific artist in his own right. Working across screen prints, mixed media, sculpture, and large-scale installations, Mr Brainwash fuses pop-art iconography with the visual language of street culture. His imagery frequently reinterprets cultural symbols, commercial graphics, and historical photographs through bold color and irreverent juxtaposition. With a body of work that spans limited-edition prints and monumental public installations, he has become one of the most widely encountered figures in the contemporary street art market.
Street artPop artScreen prints and serigraphsMixed mediaSculptureInstallation artPop culture icons and imageryAppropriation and recontextualization of commercial and historical imagery
Common works and media
Mr Brainwash is most commonly encountered at auction in the form of color screen prints and serigraphs, often produced in signed and numbered editions of varying sizes. Mixed media works on canvas, incorporating paint, screen printing, and collage elements, also appear regularly. Three-dimensional works include painted metal and resin sculptures, notably the recurring "Splash" motif visible in his public installations. Posters and smaller-format prints circulate widely as well. Subject matter draws heavily on pop culture references, iconic photography, and repurposed commercial imagery rendered in high-contrast palettes with hand-painted text and graphic overlays.
Market and appraisal context
Mr Brainwash maintains one of the most actively traded markets in the contemporary street and urban art category, with 1,426 cataloged auction lots and 828 with recorded prices spanning from May 2010 through March 2026. The price distribution is heavily right-skewed: the interquartile range sits between $650 and $3,000, with a median of $1,300, while the ceiling reaches $2,600,000 for rare large-scale unique works. Editioned screen prints and serigraphs account for the majority of turnover and cluster near the median. Unique mixed media works, paintings on canvas, and sculptures occupy the upper tier. Recent activity shows 156 priced lots in the trailing twelve months, down from 280 in the prior period, suggesting a cooling but still liquid secondary market. Works appear across a broad roster of houses including Bonhams, Los Angeles Modern Auctions, Rago Arts and Auction Center, Forum Auctions (UK), and Absolute Auction (France), as well as regional firms such as Chamberlain Auction Gallery, Tate Ward Auctions, and Ozbid Auctions, indicating geographically dispersed demand.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Screen prints and serigraphs
- Mixed media on paper
- Mixed media on canvas
- Sculpture (metal and resin)
- Installation art
Value drivers
- Edition size and numbering: smaller editions and artist proofs carry premiums over large open or high-numbered runs
- Medium and substrate: unique works on canvas or three-dimensional pieces command substantially higher prices than editioned screen prints on paper
- Condition: paper-based prints are susceptible to fading, foxing, and handling damage; condition reports directly affect value
- Provenance and authenticity documentation: given the high volume of attributed works, documented chain of ownership and certificates of authenticity are material
- Title and imagery: recognizable motifs (e.g., recurring cat, heart, and splash imagery) may trade at premiums relative to less iconic titles
- Market liquidity trend: the decline from 285 to 154 lots year-over-year may affect time-to-sale expectations
Appraisal caveats
- The very high volume of auction records (over 14,000) means wide price variation depending on medium, edition, size, and condition; collectors should compare comparable lots rather than relying on averages.
- Some debate exists in art-critical discourse about the authorship and production methods of works attributed to Mr Brainwash; collectors should verify authenticity through documented provenance.
- The lot count of 1,474 with 841 priced means many cataloged lots lack a recorded price; unsold or withdrawn lots are not reflected in the price distribution, which may overstate realized values.
- The recorded price range ($50–$2,600,000) is extremely wide; median and quartile figures should guide expectations for typical editioned prints, while unique works require individual comparable analysis.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Library of Congress library authority
- VIAF (OCLC) library authority
- Wikidata library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
- Mr Brainwash artist official site
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.
Artist value FAQ
How much is Mr Brainwash 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 Mr Brainwash artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.