A young Kanye West’s artwork has been acquired by an art collector.
According to Page Six, an entrepreneur named Vinoda Basnayake finally tracked down West’s paintings and drawings two weeks ago after seeing them on an episode of PBS’s “Antiques Roadshow.”
“Kanye’s cousin owned the trove, which was created by Kanye during his days as a student at Polaris School [in Chicago],” said a source.
Basnayake did not reveal how much he paid for the pieces due to an N.D.A, but Kanye’s portfolio of original artwork was appraised for around $16,000 to $23,000 on “Antiques Roadshow.” That collection, which includes a pencil portrait and botanical garden painting, was done in 1995 when Kanye was a 17-year-old student at Polaris School. He later went on to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the American Academy of Art in Chicago.
Just this week, Kim Kardashian shared Kanye’s “throwback” artwork on Instagram while defending North West against critics who questioned her 7-year-old daughter’s art skills.
“Throwback to some of her dad’s artwork that he did when he was a kid,” she wrote.