$265,000 Kehinde Wiley painting leads sales on the first day of The Armory Show 2025.
The Armory Show 2025. Photo by Casey Kelbaugh. Courtesy of The Armory Show and CKA.
The 2025 edition of The Armory Show is underway at the Javits Center in New York, and galleries have reported a clutch of sales at the end of its VIP day on Thursday, September 4th. The leading transaction reported thus far is a Kehinde Wiley painting, which sold for $265,000 at the booth of Sean Kelly Gallery.
This year’s edition of The Armory Show runs until September 7th and hosts more than 230 galleries from more than 35 countries. Several high-profile galleries including White Cube and Esther Schipper have returned to the fair after a hiatus, and newcomers include the nomadic gallery Superposition and Los Angeles–based Megan Mulrooney.
Initial reports from the ground at the fair suggested a buzzy and positive start to the fair. In particular booths showcasing works in lower five-figure price ranges reported sustained collector interest across the day. Megan Mulrooney reported selling out its solo booth of works by Piper Bangs in the first few hours of the VIP preview, with prices ranging from $5,000 to $20,000.
Installation view, The Armory Show 2025. Photo by Casey Kelbaugh. Courtesy of The Armory Show and CKA.
This year’s edition of The Armory Show is also the first under the full leadership of director Kyla McMillan and the second under the ownership of the art fair conglomerate Frieze, which is also operating Frieze Seoul 2025 this week in the Korean capital. Notable attendees at The Armory Show 2025 VIP day included actors Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, mefa-collectors Don and Mera Rubell, and Studio Museum chief curator Thelma Golden.
Here, we round up some of the leading sales reported by galleries at The Armory Show 2025. Check back on Monday for our full sales report.
Top sales from The Armory Show 2025
- In addition to the Wiley sale, Sean Kelly Gallery’s leading sales included a sculpture by José Dávila for $90,000, and “a number of works” by Hugo McCloud for $35,000 each.
- White Cube’s reported sales were led by “several” works from its solo presentation of TARWUK, including paintings ranging from $65,000 to $100,000. It also reported sales including a mixed media work by Emmi Whitehorse for $150,000 and a Tunji Adeniyi-Jones painting for $85,000.
- Tang Contemporary Art’s sales were led by an Ai Weiwei sculpture for a price in the range of $150,000 to $180,000.
- Berry Campbell Gallery reported the sale of a Perle Fine painting for $125,000.
- Galerie la Forest Divonne reported the sale of four works by Vincent Bioulès, including a painting for $100,000.
- Nara Roesler’s leading sales included a work by Sheila Hicks for $87,000 and a work by Vik Muniz for $50,000.
Installation view, The Armory Show 2025. Photo by Casey Kelbaugh. Courtesy of The Armory Show and CKA.
- Miles McEnery Gallery’s leading sales included a painting by Karel Funk for a price in the range of $70,000 to $90,000 and a work by Jacob Hashimoto for a price in the range of $70,000 to $90,000.
- Southern Guild’s leading sales included two paintings by Roméo Mivekannin for $40,000 to $60,000 each.
- Eric Firestone Gallery’s sales were led by “several” Huê Thi Hoffmaster paintings, for prices in the range of $25,000 to $75,000.
- Galerie Forsblom sold a painting by Iria Leino for $58,000.
- Anat Ebgi’s leading sales included a Tammi Campbell painting for $50,000 and a Marisa Adesman painting for $35,000.
- Galleria Lorcan O'Neill sold an unnamed work for $1 million.
