# Ken Done artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/ken-done/
Profile generated: 2026-05-27T14:58:13.940Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1940-06-29
- Nationality: Australian
- Movements: Contemporary Australian art
- Common media: Oil and acrylic on linen, Limited edition prints, Design for clothing and homewares

## About Ken Done

Ken Done (born 1940, Sydney) is an Australian painter and designer whose vivid, colour-saturated images of Australian landmarks and coastal life have made him one of the country's most recognisable living artists. He entered the National Art School in East Sydney at age fourteen, studying there from 1954 to 1959, and after a period abroad returned to Sydney in 1969 to devote himself to painting full-time from 1975. While the public often associates Done with his widely sold Done Design brand of clothing and homewares, his primary practice has always been painting. Art critic John McDonald has described him as "a very serious artist." Done continues to exhibit actively, with recent shows at Australian institutions including HOTA on the Gold Coast, and his official studio produces limited edition prints alongside original works in oil and acrylic on linen.

## Common works and media

Original paintings in oil and acrylic on linen featuring reef, harbour, and Australian landmark subjects; limited edition screen prints and giclée prints sold through the artist's studio; poster editions; collaborative design works such as the Ken Done x Saturdays NYC collection; illustrated books including Poems from Home (2026). Collectors may also encounter earlier design-era textiles and homewares bearing Done motifs, which are commercial rather than fine-art pieces.

## Market and appraisal context

Ken Done's work spans both fine art and commercial design, which means collectors encountering his pieces should first establish whether they hold an original painting, a limited edition print, or licensed merchandise. Original oil and acrylic paintings on linen form the top tier of his market. Limited edition prints, sold through his official studio, can carry value depending on edition size, date, and provenance. Done Design-branded clothing and homewares are commercial products and should not be appraised as fine art. Provenance, condition, exhibition history, and clear distinction between fine art and design output are the key factors in any Done appraisal.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research from library authorities, museum records, and official sources with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Ken Done, identity data is supported by VIAF, the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, the Library of Congress, and the artist's official site.

## Sources

- RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/367282
- VIAF (OCLC): https://viaf.org/viaf/79414430/
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1059351
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Done
- Ken Done (official site): http://www.kendone.com/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85250070