Last updated: 28 October 2026
Alvaro Barrington is the London-based artist behind Tate Britain’s 2024 Duveen commission, working across painting, textiles, sculpture and Notting Hill Carnival floats. Here you will find our take, where to see Alvaro Barrington now, his prints and book, recent auction results, and his War Child piece.
Our take on Alvaro Barrington
Barrington was born in Venezuela, grew up between the Caribbean and Brooklyn, and came to London for the Slade in 2015. His work pulls all of that together: burlap, yarn, concrete and paint, plus carnival floats and sound systems. “Carnival is inclusive. It’s a celebration of community. I put my paintings on a float and a million people get to see them,” he told The Observer in 2024.
His War Child panel, Sunset for P, is ink, pencil and chisel on wood. A red-orange sun hangs over a blue sky and a line of trees, and its reflection breaks up in the water below. The carved marks give it a rough, worked surface, so it reads as more than a postcard sunset.
He also works with an unusually long list of galleries, each handling a different strand of his practice. In 2026 alone he is in the Venice Biennale and British Art Show 10, with a solo show opening in Accra. That makes a £100 starting bid look like a rare way in.
Alvaro Barrington: the essentials
- Born in Venezuela in 1983 to a Haitian father and a Grenadian mother, according to Tate.
- Studied at Hunter College, New York, then moved to London in 2015 for the Slade School of Fine Art, graduating with an MFA in 2017.
- First solo show was at MoMA PS1, New York, in 2017, where he recreated his London studio.
- Made GRACE, the Tate Britain Commission for the Duveen Galleries, 29 May 2024 to 26 January 2025.
- Works in public collections including Tate, The Hepworth Wakefield, Towner Eastbourne and ICA Miami.
- Represented by Thaddaeus Ropac, Sadie Coles HQ, Emalin, Massimo De Carlo, Nicola Vassell and Mendes Wood DM.
Where to see Alvaro Barrington now
- Now in the UK: British Art Show 10, Coventry, 2 October 2026 to 10 January 2027, before it tours to Swansea, Bristol, Sheffield and Newcastle Gateshead.
- Now: In Minor Keys, the 61st Venice Biennale, until 22 November 2026.
- Coming up: Sound & Vision 2026, a War Child charity auction online from 27 October to 12 November 2026, with the works on view at Iconic Images Gallery, London, 6 to 8 November. The piece is Sunset for P (2026), ink, pencil and chisel on wood, 21 x 15 cm (8.3 x 5.9 in), lot page.
- Opening 29 October: Western Beef ft. Western Union, his first solo show in Africa, at Limbo Museum, Accra, to 1 February 2027.
- From November: Western Beef-High Line, a public commission on the High Line, New York, according to Thaddaeus Ropac.
Recent Alvaro Barrington auction results
- Baby can I strip for you, 2021, carpet, concrete, wood and mixed media on burlap paper, 101 x 101 cm (39.8 x 39.8 in): US$12,700 (about £9,500), Phillips online, New York, July 2025.
- 1363-1965, 2020, mixed media on burlap paper, 29.2 x 36.8 cm (11.5 x 14.5 in): US$21,590 (about £16,100) against an estimate of US$7,000 to US$10,000, Phillips online, New York, March 2025.
- Untitled (Banana 2), 2019–20, mixed media on banana paper, 63.5 x 84.1 cm (25 x 33.1 in): US$16,510 (about £12,300) at Phillips New York, 25 September 2024.
Prices include buyer’s premium, as published by Phillips. Sterling figures are approximate, at October 2026 exchange rates. Last checked: 28 October 2026.
How to buy an Alvaro Barrington print or book
A few Alvaro Barrington editions are on sale in the UK, alongside a self-published book:
- After Venus Grace Sam, 2024: digital pigment print with screenprint overlays, 60 x 80 cm (23.6 x 31.5 in), edition of 50, £1,650 unframed or £2,500 in an artist-designed frame from the Tate Shop.
- Fish – Down Under, 2024: 60 x 80 cm (23.6 x 31.5 in), edition of 50, £1,650 unframed or £2,500 framed from the Tate Shop.
- Red Hibiscus Yellow Light, 2024: digital pigment print with hand-finished edges, 60.5 x 90 cm (23.8 x 35.4 in), edition of 30, £1,250 plus £20 UK shipping from Goldsmiths CCA.
- Book: Crosses (2020), self-published, 76 pages, £35 from Sadie Coles HQ.
- Sunset for P, 2026: a small ink, pencil and chisel on wood in the War Child Sound & Vision auction, bidding from £100 until 12 November 2026 (bid here).
Alvaro Barrington FAQs
Which galleries represent Alvaro Barrington?
Thaddaeus Ropac, Sadie Coles HQ and Emalin in London, plus Massimo De Carlo, Nicola Vassell and Mendes Wood DM.
Where can I see Alvaro Barrington’s work in the UK?
In British Art Show 10 in Coventry until 10 January 2027, and his War Child piece at Iconic Images Gallery, London, from 6 to 8 November 2026.
Can I buy an Alvaro Barrington print?
Yes. The Tate Shop sells two editions of 50 from £1,650, and Goldsmiths CCA sells an edition of 30 for £1,250.
How much does an Alvaro Barrington work sell for at auction?
His recent Phillips results range from US$12,700 to US$21,590 for mixed-media works on paper.
More from CoolCuration
- Frieze London guide: the fair, the free art around it, and where to start.
- Hospital Rooms poster sale: charity prints by big-name artists at £100.
- Art on a Postcard: another charity art sale where small works by big names go for less.
- Gifts for artists: our edit of presents for people who make things.
Think we’re missing something, got something wrong, or want to be featured? Contact us.
Main image: Alvaro Barrington in his studio, 2021. Photo: Katarzyna Perlak, courtesy Thaddaeus Ropac. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates, prices, auction results and market figures last checked: 28 October 2026.
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