Tschabalala Self
ValueEgon research · Artist market profile
The market, in context.
Explore Tschabalala Self’s auction history alongside the exhibitions, collections and gallery relationships behind the market.
Institutional research
Collections & exhibitions
Read holdings, exhibition history and their qualifications in context.
Read the institutional research →
Egon investment scores
Market position
Research updated
Auction record
19 registered phone bidders; originally purchased from Thierry Goldberg Gallery for approximately $10,000 — a ~3,400% return
Auction highlights
Scroll horizontally if needed →
| Work | Result | Venue and date |
|---|---|---|
| Lifted Lounge #1 | $12,255 | Phillips, December 2025 |
| Half Full | $154,800 | Phillips, November 2025 |
| The Fast Chaisse Lounge #2 in Yellow | $27,940 | Phillips, July 2025 |
7 further auction entries on record for Tschabalala Self — inside Egon.
Pricing
Price trajectory
Early works (~2015) sold at $10,000 primary. By 2019, auction record reached $382,000 (3,400% return). Since 2020, prices moderated from peak speculation levels but remain in $12,000–$277,000 range depending on scale, medium, and period.
- Average hammer 2025
- $118,049 (from 4 lots)
- Current primary market
- Price on request from Pilar Corrias and Galerie Eva Presenhuber — contact galleries directly
- Historical primary market
- ~$10,000 in 2015 from Thierry Goldberg Gallery
- Auction price range 2024 2025
- $12,255–$277,200 (unique works on canvas and mixed media); prints at lower price points
Liquidity
- Market depth
- Moderate — regular appearance at Christie's, Sotheby's, Phillips, and smaller houses like Forum Auctions
- Sell through
- Generally strong, though some lots sell below estimate
- Annual volume
- Approximately 10-15 lots per year at auction across major and secondary houses
Comparables
Peer artists
- Jordan Casteel
- Toyin Ojih Odutola
- Njideka Akunyili Crosby
- Christina Quarles
- Amoako Boafo
Positioning note
Self sits in the cohort of Black figurative painters who emerged in the mid-2010s with strong market momentum. Her auction record ($382K) is below peers like Akunyili Crosby but reflects her younger career stage.
Collector base
- Geographic reach
- International — US, UK, Europe, Asia (Shanghai exhibitions)
Known collectors
- Jose Mugrabi (mega-collector, purchased Out of Body at $382,000)
- Shah Garg Collection (featured in 2024 BAMPFA exhibition)
- Collector profile
- Mix of established mega-collectors and newer contemporary art collectors; strong interest from institutional collectors
Primary market
Galleries
- Pilar Corrias (London)
- Galerie Eva Presenhuber (Zurich, Vienna, New York)
- Pricing access
- Price on request; likely waitlist for major works
- Gallery pricing note
- Primary market galleries price works as 'Price on Request' across all platforms (Artnet, gallery websites)
Auction history
Auction record
- Date
- June 2019
- Work
- Out of Body (2015)
- Buyer
- Jose Mugrabi (via advisor Adam Chinn, former Sotheby's COO)
- Notes
- 19 registered phone bidders; originally purchased from Thierry Goldberg Gallery for approximately $10,000 — a ~3,400% return
- Venue
- Christie's London
- Estimate
- £40,000–£60,000 ($50,950–$76,430)
- Price USD
- $382,000
- Multiple over estimate
- 5x high estimate
- Price with premium USD
- 471322
- Sell through rate
- 100% in our 2025 database (4/4 lots sold)
- Total lots at auction
- Approximately 84-94 lots at auction (per MutualArt and Artnet)
- Prints and works on paper
- Prints (e.g., Out of Body offset lithograph, 2020) also appear at auction at lower price points (Forum Auctions UK, July 2024)
Market position
- Segment
- Growth-tier contemporary artist with strong institutional momentum and high-profile public commissions
- Risk factors
- Price volatility — some 2025 lots selling below estimate; post-hype market correction from 2019 peak; risk of speculative flipping
Demand drivers
Institutional commissions (Fourth Plinth, New Museum facade), cultural visibility (Met Gala co-chair), major gallery representation, museum acquisitions
Investment outlook
- Risks
- Post-2019 speculative peak correction; some 2025 lots selling below estimate; broader art market softness; potential oversupply from flippers
Trajectory
Institutional trajectory is strongly upward; market pricing has moderated from 2019 speculative peak but remains solid. The 2026 high-profile commissions and cultural visibility should support sustained demand.
Positive catalysts
Fourth Plinth commission (September 2026), New Museum facade commission, Met Gala cultural visibility, strong gallery representation (Pilar Corrias + Eva Presenhuber dual representation), continued museum acquisitions, broadening into sculpture and public art
Institutional presence
Research updated
Exhibitions
Major solo exhibitions
Out of Body
- Date
- 2020
- Venue
- ICA Boston
- Curators
- Ellen Tani and Ruth Erickson
Solo exhibition
- Date
- 2020
- Venue
- Whitechapel Gallery
- Curator
- Lyida Lee
- Location
- London
Solo exhibition
- Date
- 2017
- Venue
- Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art
- Location
- London
Make Room
- Date
- 2022
- Notes
- First European solo museum show
- Venue
- Consortium Museum
- Location
- Dijon, France
Inside Out
- Date
- 2023
- Notes
- Traveled from Consortium
- Venue
- Kunstmuseum St. Gallen
- Location
- Switzerland
View 6 more records
Around the Way
- Date
- 2024
- Venue
- Espoo Museum of Modern Art
- Location
- Finland
Skin Tight
- Date
- 2025
- Venue
- Australian Centre for Contemporary Art
- Location
- Melbourne
The Illusion of the Self
- Date
- 2025
- Venue
- Longlati Foundation
- Location
- Shanghai
Cotton Mouth
- Date
- 2021
- Venue
- Haus der Kunst
- Location
- Munich
Solo exhibition
- Date
- 2021
- Venue
- Kunsthalle Düsseldorf
- Location
- Düsseldorf
Solo exhibition
- Date
- 2021
- Venue
- Baltimore Museum of Art
- Location
- Baltimore
Major group exhibitions
Scroll horizontally if needed →
| Date | Title | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Trigger: Gender as a Tool and a Weapon | New Museum | New York |
| 2019 | Studio Museum Artists in Residence | MoMA PS1 | New York |
| 2019 | Exhibition | Hammer Museum | Los Angeles |
| 2024 | Exhibition | Barbican | London |
| 2024 | Brooklyn Museum exhibition | Brooklyn Museum | New York |
| 2024 | FLAG Foundation | FLAG Foundation | New York |
| 2024 | Highline | High Line | New York |
| 2024 | Making Their Mark: Works from Shah Garg Collection | BAMPFA | Berkeley |
| 2023 | Desert X | Coachella Valley | Not supplied |
| 2021 | Performa 21 Biennial | New York | Not supplied |
Upcoming exhibitions commissions
Scroll horizontally if needed →
| Date | Notes | Title | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | Major public commission; bronze sculpture patinated with lapis lazuli blue; will remain 18 months | Lady in Blue | Fourth Plinth, Trafalgar Square | London |
| 2026 | 13-foot aluminum relief sculpture on museum facade at junction of SANAA and OMA buildings | Art Lovers (Facade Commission) | New Museum | New York |
Publications
Featured in
- New York Times
- Financial Times
- Artforum
- Brooklyn Rail
- Dazed
- Frieze
- Harper's Bazaar
- Vanity Fair
- San Francisco Chronicle
- Los Angeles Times
- Artforum contribution
- Artforum Top Ten column (April 2026)
Museum collections
Tier 1 museums
Scroll horizontally if needed →
| Tier | Museum | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) | New York |
| 1 | Whitney Museum of American Art | New York |
| 1 | Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago |
| 1 | Hammer Museum | Los Angeles |
| 1 | Brooklyn Museum | New York |
| 1 | Smithsonian Institution | Washington, DC |
Tier 2 museums
Scroll horizontally if needed →
| Tier | Museum | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Baltimore Museum of Art | Baltimore |
| 2 | Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) | Miami |
| 2 | ICA Boston | Boston |
| 2 | Astrup Fearnley Museet | Oslo |
| 2 | Hessel Museum of Art / Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College | Annandale-on-Hudson, NY |
| 2 | Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture | New York |
Other collections
Scroll horizontally if needed →
| Museum | Location |
|---|---|
| HOW Art Museum | Shanghai |
| LUMA Foundation | Zurich |
| Rubell Museum | Miami |
| Studio Museum in Harlem | New York |
| Tang Teaching Museum | Saratoga Springs, NY |
| National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens | Athens, Greece |
Awards and recognition
- Year
- 2018
- Award
- Forbes '30 Under 30' list
- Award
- Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters & Sculptors Grant
- Year
- 2026
- Award
- Fourth Plinth Commission, London
- Year
- 2026
- Award
- Met Gala 2026 Co-Chair
- Notes
- Rare honor for a contemporary visual artist
Biennials and triennials
Scroll horizontally if needed →
| Year | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Performa 21 Biennial | New York |
| 2023 | Desert X | Coachella Valley |
Career & Biography
Research updated
Career
Timeline
- Period
- Pre-2016
- Milestone
- Early career showing at Thierry Goldberg Gallery, New York (Lower East Side); paintings selling for approximately $10,000
- Period
- 2017
Milestone
First UK solo exhibition at Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art, London; included in New Museum's 'Trigger: Gender as a Tool and a Weapon'
- Period
- 2018
- Milestone
- Named to Forbes '30 Under 30' list
- Period
- 2019
Milestone
Auction record of $382,000 (Christie's, Out of Body); Louis Vuitton ArtyCapucines collaboration; Studio Museum in Harlem Artist-in-Residence at MoMA PS1; Hammer Museum exhibition
- Period
- 2020
- Milestone
- Major solo exhibition at ICA Boston ('Out of Body'); Whitechapel Gallery solo show, London
View 6 more records
- Period
- 2021
- Milestone
- Sounding Board performance at Performa 21 Biennial; Haus der Kunst, Munich; Baltimore Museum of Art; Kunsthalle Düsseldorf
- Period
- 2022
- Milestone
- First European solo museum show 'Make Room' at Consortium Museum, Dijon
- Period
- 2023
- Milestone
- Exhibition traveled to Kunstmuseum St. Gallen ('Inside Out'); Desert X, Coachella Valley
- Period
- 2024
Milestone
Solo exhibition at Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Finland; Highline, New York; Brooklyn Museum; FLAG Foundation; Barbican, London; Art Basel Paris solo booth with Eva Presenhuber
- Period
- 2025
- Milestone
- Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne; Longlati Foundation, Shanghai
- Period
- 2026
Milestone
Fourth Plinth commission for Trafalgar Square ('Lady in Blue', September 2026); New Museum facade sculpture 'Art Lovers'; Met Gala 2026 co-chair; Met Gala host committee member
Residencies
- Studio Museum in Harlem Artist-in-Residence (exhibited at MoMA PS1, 2019)
Identity
- Gender
- Female
- Full name
- Tschabalala Self
- Birth year
- 1990
- Birth place
- Harlem, New York, USA
- Nationality
- American
- Current location
- Hudson Valley, New York
- Notable recognition
- Forbes '30 Under 30' list; Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters & Sculptors Grant recipient
Education
- Graduate
- MFA in Painting and Printmaking, Yale University School of Art
- Teaching
- Faculty at Bard College
- Undergraduate
- BA in Studio Art, Bard College, 2012
Studio practice
Self works across painting, printmaking, sculpture, installation, and performance. She constructs canvases using a combination of sewn, printed, and painted materials, often recycling fabrics and incorporating discarded pieces from previous works. Her mother's practice of sewing at home with scavenged materials from Harlem, South/Central America, and the Caribbean profoundly influenced her artistic methods.
Artistic context
Influences
- Romare Bearden (collage work, Black quotidian life, Harlem cityscapes)
- Mother's practice of sewing with found materials
- African-American cultural traditions
- Quilting traditions
Collaborations
- Louis Vuitton ArtyCapucines collection (2019)
- Brandon Blackwood (Met Gala 2026 dress)
Contemporaries
- Christina Quarles
- Loie Hollowell
- Jordan Casteel
- Toyin Ojih Odutola
- Njideka Akunyili Crosby
Artistic Profile
Research updated
Style
Formal approach
Bricolage technique combining painting, printmaking, and textile construction. Despite mixed media, all works maintain a 'painting language' on canvas.
Distinctive elements
Recycling of fabric and materials from previous works into new compositions; quilt-like surfaces; exaggerated physical features that reference and subvert stereotypes
Signature characteristics
Exaggerated, curvaceous Black figures constructed from collaged materials — sewn fabrics, printed elements, and painted surfaces layered on canvas. Flat, patterned planes with bright, solid color blocks. Figures often fill the entire canvas.
Evolution
Mid career
Expansion into sculpture, functional art/furniture, and performance (Performa 2021, 'Sounding Board'); bronze casting with worked patinas (2018-2023)
- Trajectory
- Consistent expansion from 2D canvas-based practice to multimedia, sculptural, and public art without abandoning core painting practice
- Early career
- 2D paintings and collages on canvas exploring Black female figuration (2012-2017)
Current phase
Large-scale public commissions in bronze and aluminum; deepening engagement with sculpture and architectural-scale works (Fourth Plinth, New Museum facade, 2024-2026)
Influences
Personal
- Mother's sewing practice and scavenging of materials
- Growing up in Harlem
Art historical
- Romare Bearden (collage, Black life, Harlem)
- Quilting traditions (African-American craft heritage)
Critical comparisons
Peter Schjeldahl compared her work to Arshile Gorky and Willem de Kooning; Frieze critics have referenced Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in analyzing her figure construction
Visual language
- Color palette
- Bold, saturated colors; kaleidoscopic combinations; bright solid blocks contrasted with patterned textiles
Material language
Textiles carry cultural significance — fabrics collected from Harlem, South/Central America, and the Caribbean reference her mother's sewing practice and diasporic material culture
- Compositional approach
- Figures dominate the picture plane; flat patterned backgrounds; layered textures create visual depth despite 2D surface
Themes and subjects
Core themes
- The Black female body — exaltation, objectification, and reclamation
- Race and gender as intersecting constructs
- Domesticity and interior life
- Cultural attitudes toward the racialized and gendered body
- Black quotidian life and public space
Subject matter
Predominantly figurative — depictions of Black women and couples in domestic, social, and public settings. Recent public works (Art Lovers, Lady in Blue) expand into universal themes of intimacy and public presence.
Conceptual framework
Self describes her practice as absorbing 'fantasies and attitudes surrounding the black female body' rather than merely commenting on them, creating 'alternative narratives around the Black body' that are both accepted and rejected, generating 'new possibilities' through disorientation
Movements and periods
- Primary
- Contemporary Black Figuration
Related movements
- Post-identity art
- Neo-Expressionism (thematic links)
- Feminist art
- Afrofuturism (tangential)
Art historical context
Part of a generation of Black figurative artists (alongside Jordan Casteel, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Njideka Akunyili Crosby) who emerged in the mid-2010s, reclaiming representation of Black bodies in painting
Techniques and mediums
Techniques
- Collage
- Sewing/stitching
- Printmaking
- Mixed-media layering
- Fabric stretching and folding for dimensional effect
- Scale range
- From intimate works on paper to monumental public sculptures (13-foot New Museum facade; Fourth Plinth scale)
Primary mediums
- Oil paint
- Acrylic
- Sewn fabric collage
- Printed textiles
- Canvas
Additional mediums
- Bronze sculpture (patinated)
- Aluminum relief sculpture
- Stainless steel
- Performance art
- Animation
- Functional art/furniture
Critical Reception
Research updated
Critical reception
Major critics
- Critic
- Peter Schjeldahl
Assessment
Compared Self's work at the New Museum's 2017 'Trigger' exhibition to works by Arshile Gorky and Willem de Kooning — a significant art-historical validation
- Publication
- The New Yorker
Critical themes
- Reclamation and re-imagining of the Black female body
- Intersection of craft traditions (quilting, sewing) with fine art painting
- Critique of stereotypical representations through exaggeration and abstraction
- Domesticity, race, and gender as intersecting themes
Scholarly positioning
Self is positioned within the discourse on Black figuration, post-identity politics, and the reclamation of the Black female body. Her work is frequently discussed in relation to Romare Bearden's collage tradition and contemporary debates about representation.
Major reviews and features
Titles
- 'Tschabalala Self's Pantheon of Vexed Interiority'
- 'Tschabalala Self's Moving Collage' (Performa 2021)
- Assessment
- Extended critical essays engaging deeply with her conceptual framework
- Publication
- Frieze
- Note
- Self contributed an Artforum 'Top Ten' column in April 2026, indicating peer recognition within the critical establishment
- Publication
- Artforum
- Notes
- Multiple features including auction market analysis and Met Gala coverage
- Publication
- Artsy
- Notes
- Market analysis features including 2019 auction blotter coverage of 3,400% return
- Publication
- Artnet
- Notes
- Coverage of Met Gala 2026 artist presence
- Publication
- The Art Newspaper
- Notes
- Coverage of New Museum facade commission
- Publication
- New York Times
- Notes
- Feature on 2019 auction record at Christie's
- Publication
- GARAGE (Vice)
Publications and media
Press coverage
- New York Times
- Financial Times
- Artforum
- Brooklyn Rail
- Dazed
- Frieze
- Harper's Bazaar
- Vanity Fair
- San Francisco Chronicle
- Los Angeles Times
- Forbes
- GARAGE/Vice
- Artsy
- Artnet News
- The Art Newspaper
- Ocula
- FAD Magazine
Fashion crossover
Louis Vuitton ArtyCapucines collaboration (2019); Brandon Blackwood Met Gala dress collaboration (2026); Met Gala 2026 co-chair role bridges art and fashion worlds
Cultural visibility
Extremely high for a Growth-tier artist — Fourth Plinth commission, Met Gala co-chairship, and New Museum facade commission all in 2026 represent unprecedented cultural visibility
Gallery & Representation
Research updated
Fair presence
Galerie Eva Presenhuber
- Fair
- Art Basel Paris 2024
- Format
- Solo booth ('My House')
- Fair
- Frieze London
- Notes
- Represented through Pilar Corrias
- Fair
- FIAC
- Notes
- Historical presence through galleries
Representation
Former galleries
Scroll horizontally if needed →
| Notes | Period | Gallery | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early primary market; works sold for ~$10,000 | Early career (~2015) | Thierry Goldberg Gallery | New York, Lower East Side |
| West Coast representation | Early career | Diane Rosenstein | Los Angeles |
| Primary market with waitlist reported | Early-mid career | Rachel Uffner Gallery | New York |
Primary galleries
Pilar Corrias
- Tier
- Tier 2 (strong mid-major, international reach)
- Location
- London
- Relationship
- Long-standing representation; multiple solo exhibitions (Thigh High; Bodega Run, 2017; Home Body)
- Other notable artists
- Pacita Abad, Loie Hollowell, Christina Quarles
Galerie Eva Presenhuber
- Tier
- Tier 2 (established international gallery)
- Notes
- Works listed as 'Price on Request' on Artnet through this gallery
- Location
- Zurich, Vienna, New York
Relationship
Active representation; solo booth at Art Basel Paris 2024 ('My House'); group exhibition 2025 in Zurich; solo drawings show in Vienna (March-May 2025)
Geographic reach
Primary markets
- London (Pilar Corrias)
- Zurich/Vienna/New York (Eva Presenhuber)
- Exhibition reach
- Global — US, UK, Europe (Germany, France, Switzerland, Finland, Belgium, Greece), Asia (Shanghai), Australia (Melbourne), Middle East (Athens)
Sources & research notes
Egon’s artist research combines historical auction records, recent sales, institutional history, critical reception and gallery information. Researched auction records and auction highlights are identified separately.
Read prices with their work, sale date, currency and stated basis. Egon’s market assessments are distinct from reported auction results.
Reference: Egon, “Tschabalala Self: Market Intelligence & Investment Profile.”
Research bibliography · 16 sources
Sources recorded for this artist’s research. This bibliography does not assign every source to an individual claim.
- Tschabalala Self | Biography | Pilar Corrias
- Tschabalala Self - Art & Prints for Sale | Artsy
- Tschabalala Self - Wikipedia
- Tschabalala Self | Artnet
- Tschabalala Self | 84 Artworks at Auction | MutualArt
- Tschabalala Self Sold at Auction Prices | Invaluable
- Auction Blotter: Tschabalala Self's 3,400% Return | Artnet News
- Tschabalala Self's Auction Record Broken Amid Fevered Bidding at Christie's | Artsy
- Tschabalala Self Smashes Her Auction Record At Christie's - GARAGE
- Tschabalala Self | Studio Museum in Harlem
- Tschabalala Self - Exhibitions
- Tschabalala Self | Bard College Faculty
- Tschabalala Self - Galerie Eva Presenhuber
- The 2026 Trafalgar Square Fourth Plinth Installation | Londonist
- New Museum Unveils Tschabalala Self's Art Lovers Facade Commission - FAD Magazine
- Tschabalala Self's 'Art Lovers' Debuts On New Museum | Hoodline
Research updates by section
These dates show when Egon’s research sections were updated. Source retrieval dates, where supplied above, refer to individual evidence notes.
Ranking updated . Research sections follow their own update dates.
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