Last updated: 28 October 2026
Sanya Kantarovsky is the Moscow-born, New York-based artist who paints awkward, tender and darkly funny figures. Here you will find our take on his work, where to see Sanya Kantarovsky now, his prints and monograph, recent auction results, and his War Child piece.
Our take on Sanya Kantarovsky
Kantarovsky paints people caught in strange, uneasy moments, often with a cartoonish line and washes that look half dissolved. He does not plan them out. “My objective is to be surprised by what I’m doing. I often start drawing, but it is like a Ouija board type of thing, where I listen to the painting,” he told The Guardian in May 2026.
His War Child piece, Man Child, is watercolour on wood. A pink, hunched figure with a huge black mop of hair sits on a green stool between two violet curtains. It is funny and a little sad at the same time, which is where his best work lives.
London audiences know him through Modern Art and earlier shows at Studio Voltaire and Whitechapel Gallery. If you want to see the range before you bid, his 2024 monograph covers 14 years of work.
Sanya Kantarovsky: the essentials
- Born in Moscow in 1982; lives and works in New York, according to his gallery biography.
- Moved to the US four months after the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991.
- BFA in Painting from Rhode Island School of Design (2004) and an MFA from UCLA (2011).
- Institutional solo shows include Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin (2017), Kunsthalle Basel (2018) and Aspen Art Museum (2022).
- Works in collections including Tate, The Courtauld Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney and Moderna Museet.
- Represented by Galerie Gisela Capitain and Capitain Petzel, Modern Art in London and Paris, and Taka Ishii Gallery in Japan.
Where to see Sanya Kantarovsky now
- Now: Basic Failure, a solo show at Palazzo Loredan, Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, Venice, 6 May to 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 Man Child (2026), watercolour on wood, 15 x 21 cm (5.9 x 8.3 in), lot page.
- Now: Masquerade (group), Ostillo Art Foundation, Austin, Texas, 19 September 2026 to 6 June 2027.
- Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime (group), Sadie Coles HQ, London, 21 January to 21 March 2026.
Recent Sanya Kantarovsky auction results
Market signals
Averages over the last 36 months, all works. Source: Artsy.
- Offending the Audience, 2020, oil on canvas, 140 x 102 cm (55.1 x 40.2 in): £32,000 against an estimate of £40,000 to £60,000, Sotheby’s London, Contemporary Day Auction, 25 June 2026.
- Spleen, 2021, oil, watercolour and pastel on canvas, 140.3 x 99.7 cm (55.3 x 39.3 in): US$204,800 (about £153,000) against an estimate of US$80,000 to US$120,000, Sotheby’s New York, Contemporary Day Auction, 15 May 2026.
- Daisy Dukes, 2018, unique monotype, 50.8 x 40 cm (20 x 15.7 in): US$2,838 (about £2,100), Phillips online, New York, December 2025.
Market signals are Artsy’s averages for all works over the last 36 months. Prices include buyer’s premium; the Sotheby’s results are from Artsy, as the lot pages need a login. Sterling figures are approximate, at October 2026 exchange rates. Last checked: 28 October 2026.
How to buy a Sanya Kantarovsky print or book
Capitain Petzel lists four Sanya Kantarovsky editions, all price on enquiry:
- Woodblock prints, 2019: Good Host, Woe to Wit and Curtain, each on washi paper in an edition of 50 plus 10 artist’s proofs, from Capitain Petzel.
- Pumpkin II, 2022: ditone print, edition of 100 plus 20 artist’s proofs, from the same gallery.
- Book: Sanya Kantarovsky: Selected Works 2010–2024 (MIT Press, 2024), hardback, 280 pages, £52.25 at Bookshop.org.
- Man Child, 2026: a small watercolour on wood in the War Child Sound & Vision auction, bidding from £100 until 12 November 2026 (bid here).
Sanya Kantarovsky FAQs
Which galleries represent Sanya Kantarovsky?
Galerie Gisela Capitain and Capitain Petzel in Germany, Modern Art in London and Paris, and Taka Ishii Gallery in Japan.
Is there a Sanya Kantarovsky book?
Yes. Selected Works 2010–2024 came out from MIT Press in 2024.
Can I buy a Sanya Kantarovsky print?
Capitain Petzel lists three woodblock prints and a ditone print, with prices on enquiry.
How much do Sanya Kantarovsky paintings sell for at auction?
Large canvases have recently made £32,000 at Sotheby’s London and US$204,800 at Sotheby’s New York, both in 2026. Small monotypes sell for a few thousand dollars.
Where can I see his work in London?
His War Child piece, Man Child, is on view at Iconic Images Gallery from 6 to 8 November 2026.
More from CoolCuration
- Louis Fratino at David Zwirner review: another painter of intimate, off-kilter figures.
- Great Art Explained: a readable way into the paintings he draws on.
- Best affordable art in the UK: prints and originals under £500.
- 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: Sanya Kantarovsky in his New York studio, 2026. Photo: Tina Tyrell for The Guardian, via Capitain Petzel. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates, prices, auction results and market figures last checked: 28 October 2026.
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