Ai Weiwei

Chinese · b. 1957 · Painter, Sculptor

Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's… (Wikipedia)

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238lots offered2013–2026years recorded86%sold (204)$6.3kSign up free to seemedian price

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Record prices

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Circle of Animals / Zodiac HeadsPhillips · Jun 2015£3,442,500≈ $5,409,200≈ €4,858,709Sign up to see
Circle of Animals/Zodiac HeadsPhillips · Feb 2015£2,882,500≈ $4,426,944≈ €3,907,966Sign up to see
Circle of Animals/Zodiac HeadsPhillips · May 2017$3,370,000≈ £2,584,951≈ €3,028,125Sign up to see

Ai Weiwei’s highest prices recorded at auction, ranked in US dollars at each sale-date exchange rate and shown in the currency of the sale (with the buyer’s premium where the house publishes it).

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Longest side– Editioned With imagesReset

236 results · page 3 of 6

Colored Vases, 2014
industrial paint on Neolithic vases, in 6 parts
smallest 5 3/4 x 5 3/4 x 6 1/4 in. (14.6 x 14.6 x 15.9 cm) largest 6 7/8 x 6 7/8 x 7 in. (17.5 x 17.5 x 17.8 cm) installation dimensions variable
Phillips · Jul 18, 2023 · Lot 40
$107,950≈ £82,329≈ €95,913Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $80,000–120,000View at Phillips ↗
Finger from the series Ex-Votos, 2019
Sculpture · Panel
10 1/2 x 3 7/8 x 2 3/8 in. (26.7 x 9.8 x 6 cm)
Phillips · Jul 17, 2023 · Lot 84
$8,890≈ £6,798≈ €7,916Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $10,000–15,000View at Phillips ↗
Finger (from Ex-Votos), 2018
Sculpture · Panel
26 x 10 x 6 cm (10 1/4 x 3 7/8 x 2 3/8 in.)
Phillips · Jul 13, 2023 · Lot 144
£6,985≈ $9,129≈ €8,164Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £5,500–6,500View at Phillips ↗
Artist's Hand, 2017
Multiple · Board
4 7/8 x 3 3/4 x 4 1/4 in. (12.4 x 9.5 x 10.8 cm)
Phillips · Jun 21, 2023 · Lot 133
$6,985≈ £5,488≈ €6,395Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $2,500–3,500View at Phillips ↗
Pequi Tree, 2021
Multiple · Panel · ed. 156/250
multiple 32 x 9.5 x 9.5 cm (12 5/8 x 3 3/4 x 3 3/4 in.) box 36 x 16 x 15.5 cm (14 1/8 x 6 1/4 x 6 1/8 in.)
Phillips · Jun 7, 2023 · Lot 245
£1,905≈ $2,375≈ €2,216Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £1,000–1,500View at Phillips ↗
Artist's Hand, 2017
Multiple · Board
12.5 x 9.5 x 10.8 cm (4 7/8 x 3 3/4 x 4 1/4 in.)
Phillips · Jun 7, 2023 · Lot 246
£4,826≈ $6,016≈ €5,614Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £2,000–3,000View at Phillips ↗
Thin Line, 2017
Acrylic · ed. 90/100
50cm high x 50cm wide x 25cm deep (19 5/8in high x 19 5/8in wide x 9 7/8 in deep)
Lyon & Turnbull · Apr 28, 2023 · Lot 389
£4,536≈ $5,657≈ €5,151Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £4,000–6,000View at Lyon & Turnbull ↗
Artist's Hand (A Study in Perspective), 2017
Sculpture
12.5cm x 10cm x 10cm (5in x 4in x 4in)
Lyon & Turnbull · Apr 27, 2023 · Lot 60
£4,536≈ $5,664≈ €5,130Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £3,000–5,000View at Lyon & Turnbull ↗
Artist's Hand, 2017
Multiple · Board
4 7/8 x 3 3/4 x 4 1/4 in. (12.4 x 9.5 x 10.8 cm)
Phillips · Apr 18, 2023 · Lot 441
$4,826≈ £3,877≈ €4,398Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $2,500–3,500View at Phillips ↗
CATS (PINK EDITION), 2022
Screenprint · ed. 125/300
the sheet 45cm x 62cm (17.75in x 24.5in), unframed
Lyon & Turnbull · Apr 4, 2023 · Lot 218
£863≈ $1,077≈ €988Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £800–1,200View at Lyon & Turnbull ↗

Also offered, result not published (2)

Lots by Ai Weiwei that were offered at auction where the house did not publish whether they sold. Not counted in any statistics.

Ai Weiwei paintings (20)Ai Weiwei acrylic paintings (8)Ai Weiwei works on paper (3)Ai Weiwei prints (97)Ai Weiwei lithographs (22)Ai Weiwei screenprints (30)Ai Weiwei multiples (39)Ai Weiwei photographs (9)Ai Weiwei sculpture (60)

Ai Weiwei signature

91 catalogued lots by Ai Weiwei record a signature line. The most common placement is on the reverse (50% of lots that state a placement). Most often: signed.

Placement

on the reverse4
lower right3
on the base1

Form

signed73
signed and dated13
signed in pencil3
with seals2

Signed 'Ai Weiwei' on the certificate of authenticity affixed to the reverse — On Attersee, Phillips, Jun 23, 2026
Signed lower right: Ai Weiwei; editioned lower left — Everyone is a Dragon, Leonard Joel, Apr 16, 2025
Signed, numbered and dated "WeiAi . 2009 . 1/18" on the reverse — Hanging Man (Gold), Phillips, Sep 25, 2024

Ai Weiwei signature: all forms and examples →

About Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese government and its stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of "tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 earthquake. In April 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport for "economic crimes", and detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a figure in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and a prominent political commentator.

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.