This 10-year-old boy's paintings sell for more than $100K
At 10 years old, Andres Valencia proves that art knows no age. The young American artist based in San Diego, California, is the newest phenomenon in the art world and he earns up to six figures for each of his artwork.
In a The New York Times article, it mentioned that Andres's first clients were friends and relatives buying his artworks for only $20 or ₱1,179.46. But now, his paintings are being been sold to collectors and celebrities for up to $230,000 or ₱13,563,790. A high jump from merely $20, indeed.
So who is Andres Valencia and how come he is earning like a long-time painter at such a young age? Started his art career at the age of four, Andres has always had a knack for painting. His work is heavily influenced by known artists such as Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat, George Condo, Salvador Dali, and Amedeo Modigliani.
With a clear understanding of contemporary art, Andres started selling his surrealist-style paintings and became the youngest artist to join Art Miami. After his artworks were showcased to the world during the highly-anticipated art show, in just three days he was able to sell every piece from his 17-painting collection.
Dubbed as “little Picasso,” Andres continued to make more art and held his first solo exhibition at the Chase Contemporary gallery in SoHo. The entire collection, which had a total of 35 artworks, was sold out. Pieces were purchased for a price range of $50,000 to $125,000 or ₱2,948,650 to ₱7,371,625 each.
At a Phillips de Pury auction in Hong Kong, Andres's painting got sold for $159,000 or ₱9,376,707. And at a charity gala in Capri, Italy his artwork went up by $230,000 or ₱13,563,790. Some of the notable people who purchased his paintings are Tommy Mottola, Jessica Goldman Srebnick, Sofia Vergara, Brooke Shields, Channing Tatum, and Jordan Belfort.
One of his most famous paintings is his rendition of Picasso's masterpiece Guernica called Invasion of Ukraine. In an interview with Forbes, Andres's mother Elsa Valencia shared, “Andres was in his bedroom as I was watching and listening to the news about the war in Ukraine. When I walked in I saw a small 12-inch by 9-inch canvas sketched and colored with marker. I asked him about the painting. He said it was the 'invasion of Ukraine.' I was absolutely moved.”
The masterpiece aimed to tell the story of the Ukrainian people. As Andres puts it, “I watch documentaries because I want to learn. All wars are bad. I also learn about soldiers and what they did during the war. I think that art tells stories and I am telling the story of the Ukrainian people and what Russia is doing to them. My painting is telling a story that cannot be forgotten.”
Prints of "Invasion of Ukraine" were sold on Andres's website and all of the proceeds went to the Klitschko Foundation. As described on the website, Klitschko Foundation is a charitable organization that develops civil society in Ukraine by providing humanitarian aid, mental health support, and educational and sports projects for those who are affected by the war.
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