‘Antiques Roadshow’ Finds Shocking Kanye West Artwork
Antiques Roadshow often has some incredible finds. The best part about watching the series is seeing people pull something out of their attic that they had no idea was worth tens of thousands of dollars, or maybe even more. However, one episode had something even more unique and bizarre. It was Kanye West’s high school artwork.
Here is a look at how Kanye’s artwork made it onto the reality TV show and how much it ended up being worth.
Kanye West Artwork Shows Up On Antiques Roadshow
On an episode of Antiques Roadshow, a guest brought something no one expected. A woman showed up with some of Kanye’s high school artwork. The artwork came into possession of Kanye’s first cousin-in-law. Her husband inherited it from Kanye’s mother, Donda, who died in 2007.
The artwork included paintings by Kanye, a high school student, as well as a small biography written by him. He called himself a “graduate and artist extraordinaire.” He was 17 at the time. The biography also said that he planned to study art and pursue a career as a music producer. He received an honorary doctorate from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
However, the school revoked the honorary degree after Kanye made several anti-Semitic comments (via Express).
The collection itself includes a black-and-white self-portrait showing him with horns and chains. It also includes a green forest painting, an abstract portrait, and a sketch of a woman.
How Much Was Kanye’s Art Worth On Antiques Roadshow?
Antiques Roadshow art expert Laura Woolley was impressed with the art collection. She mentioned that the important part of this discovery is that most people know Kanye from his rap career. However, not many know how talented he was as an artist.
“These pieces demonstrate an extraordinary facility as an artist. It’s an interesting thing when you look at the art that’s done by a celebrity,” she said. “The values rise and fall along with the popularity of the celebrity. To have early pieces like this from someone who really will be an important cultural figure of our time is really fantastic.”
Laura mentioned they once could be sold for between $12 and $15 each. However, during the episode, she listed the art as worth thousands of dollars. She listed the self-portrait at between $6,000 and $8,000, the sketch of a woman at between $2,000 and $3,000, and the abstract portrait at between $3,000 and $5,000. Finally, the nature portraits (there were two) were worth between $5,000 and $7,000.
Laura said the grouping was worth between $16,000 and $23,000 at an auction. She also revealed that Antiques Roadshow left behind even more pieces of artwork, as they wanted to show the different art mediums Kanye worked in. She said Kanye is “a cultural icon” and that the artwork should hold its value.
What are our thoughts on Kanye West and his high school artwork that showed up on Antiques Roadshow? Do you think Kanye’s words and actions in recent years will cause the value of the artwork to drop, or do you think it will remain valuable for collectors? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
- Hoda Kotb Hints At Heartbreaking Interviews On ‘Making Space’ - March 29, 2025
- ‘Family Feud’ Fast Money Round Dubbed Worst In History By Fans - March 29, 2025
- ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Fans Shocked At Player’s Epic Disney Fail - March 29, 2025