Paintings by Autumn de Forest have generated total sales of seven million dollars, a figure reflecting her rapid emergence as a commercial force in the American art market. Born in 2001 in Los Angeles and raised in Las Vegas, she transitioned from early childhood experimentation to professional representation, eventually capturing significant public attention through high-profile media features and major auction success.
Artistic Development
The artist began painting at age five after observing her father staining furniture. Her parents provided canvases, brushes, and acrylic paints, converting their music studio into a space for her development. By age seven, she participated in public exhibitions, securing an honorable mention at the 2009 Boulder City Fine Arts Festival and winning best of show at a subsequent Art in the Park event. This early activity led her parents to secure representation through Ben Valenty.
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In February 2010, at age eight, she sold over 100,000 dollars in work during a 16-minute auction, with one individual piece fetching 25,000 dollars. Following this, she appeared on programs including the Today Show and The Wendy Williams Show. The Discovery Health Channel featured her in a special on child geniuses. Her commissions include a series of paintings depicting Disney princesses, and she was highlighted as a modern master by Time for Kids in 2013.
Exhibitions and Collaborations
The Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center in Hendersonville, Tennessee, held a solo exhibition in 2017 titled Her White Room: The Art of Autumn de Forest. In the same year, she appeared on the Teen Vogue 21 Under 21 list. During 2018, she featured in the music video for the song Youth by Shawn Mendes and Khalid, which showcased several young individuals.
Technique and Lineage
De Forest works with acrylics, oils, and encaustic melted wax. Her compositions often draw inspiration from commercials, dreams, and everyday observations. She identifies influences including Andy Warhol, Georgia O'Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Grant Wood, Jackson Pollock, Jasper Johns, and Henri Matisse. She is a descendant of 20th-century artists Lockwood de Forest, George de Forest Brush, and Roy Forest, and is related to Robert W. de Forest, a former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Fast facts
- Born: 2001, Los Angeles
- Primary medium: Acrylic, oil, and encaustic
- Auction milestone: Over $100,000 sold in 16 minutes (2010)
- Total career sales: $7 million
- Professional representation: Ben Valenty
- Notable 2017 recognition: Teen Vogue 21 Under 21
Questions readers ask
What materials does Autumn de Forest use?
She utilizes acrylic paint, oil paint, and encaustic, which consists of melted wax on canvas.
Who were the artists that influenced her style?
She cites several artists as inspirations, including Andy Warhol, Georgia O'Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Grant Wood, Jackson Pollock, Jasper Johns, and Henri Matisse.
Achievements
- Began painting at age five
- Called 'an artistic genius' by the Discovery Channel at age eight
- Sold over $100,000 of paintings in about 16 minutes at auction (2010)
- Cumulative art sales reported in the millions
