eBay moves into art sales, offering exclusive works by four artists through October

Online marketplace giant, eBay, is moving into art sales, partnering with four artists to sell new and exclusive works directly through the site, and donating part of its proceeds to charitable causes. For its Artober event, eBay will offer pieces by Yoshitomo Nara, Hank Willis Thomas, Simone Legno of tokidoki, and Carlos Rolón, each on sale for a month; the eBay Foundation will meanwhile donate a further $20,000.

Hank Willis Thomas has created a signed, limited-edition print of his All Li es Matter piece, which gained international recognition in 2018 after it featured on the cover of New York magazine, and as one of 52 billboards put up by For Freedoms around the US in the lead-up to the mid-term elections. His print will be available to buy for $375 from 15 October, with 100 per cent of proceeds going to the Public Art Fund of New York.

Carlos Rolón has created a new piece titled Gild the Lily (Caribbean Azulejo), which continues the artist’s exploration of displacement, diaspora and colonisation by fusing images of Caribbean flora and historical Azulejo tiles. The eight-colour screen print is for sale in an edition of 200 for $400 from 28 October, with 100 per cent of proceeds going to Project Backboard.

Simone Legno, co-founder of brand tokidoki, is putting forward two items for the sale: a print titled Chinatown for $85, and a Unicorno art collectable for $45. The globally successful, Japanese-inspired brand has previously collaborated with brands such as Sephora, Marvel, Barbie and the Guggenheim Museum. His sales launch on 4 October at New York Comic Con, at which eBay has a booth, then online on 7 October. A portion of sales will go to the Children Mending Hearts foundation.

The first piece to go on sale will be a bundle by Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara, featuring a print titled Marching on a Butterbur Leaf and five stickers. 1000 bundles will be available from 31 October, priced $150, with 100 per cent of proceeds going to the Dallas Contemporary museum. Nara says of the collaboration: The power of eBay is its ability to reach almost anyone, anywhere, which is a huge asset for most artists. Releasing an exclusive piece of art on eBay is a chance to reach a broader audience who may not necessarily be going to galleries and exhibitions. We’re connecting with those people in an accessible way with something entirely new and impactful."