CommissionIt Publishes Guide to Art Commissions as Investment, Highlighting Katya Petetskaya and Historical Sales
CommissionIt has published a guide titled "Investing in Art Through Commissions: A Thoughtful Approach to Collecting," which explores the advantages and drawbacks of commissioning art as an investment. The guide emphasizes the importance of supporting artists while also addressing the unpredictability of art's financial value, mentioning that prices can decrease and resale can be challenging, with no investor protections in the UK. Historical instances include Charles Saatchi's 1991 investment in Damien Hirst's shark sculpture for £50,000, which later fetched $12 million, and Banksy's 2002 Laugh Now mural, which sold for £228,000 in 2008 and $485,000 subsequently. It features artist Katya Petetskaya and recommends extensive research prior to commissioning. CommissionIt may charge fees for its services. Sources were examined in October 2026.
Key facts
- CommissionIt published a guide on investing in art through commissions, emphasizing both potential benefits and significant risks.
- The guide states that direct investment in physical art is unregulated in the UK and lacks Financial Services Compensation Scheme or Financial Ombudsman Service protections.
- Charles Saatchi financed Damien Hirst's shark sculpture in 1991 with an initial charge of £50,000; a later sale to Steve Cohen was reported at $12 million, though market scepticism about that figure exists.
- Brighton's Ocean Rooms nightclub commissioned Banksy's Laugh Now mural in 2002; it sold at Bonhams in 2008 for £228,000 including fees and later at Phillips for $485,000.
- Katya Petetskaya's biography lists exhibitions in Sydney, Leipzig, Venice, and Athens, and finalist selections for the Paddington Art Prize in 2018 and Contemporary Art Award Australia in 2015.
- Petetskaya holds a Master of Art in painting from the University of New South Wales and her work is in the Macquarie Group Collection and Leipzig International Art Programme.
- The guide advises researching artistic development, independent recognition, pricing, professional reliability, and the specific artwork before commissioning.
- CommissionIt offers commissioning services and may earn fees; the article includes a commercial disclosure and notes sources were reviewed in October 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Katya Petetskaya
- Damien Hirst
- Banksy
- Charles Saatchi
- Steve Cohen
Institutions
- CommissionIt
- The Art Newspaper
- MyArtbroker
- Bonhams
- Phillips
- Jacob Hoerner Galleries
- Paddington Art Prize
- Contemporary Art Award Australia
- Macquarie Group Collection
- Leipzig International Art Programme
- University of New South Wales
- Financial Services Compensation Scheme
- Financial Ombudsman Service
- Advertising Standards Authority
- Ocean Rooms
Locations
- UK
- Brighton
- Sydney
- Leipzig
- Venice
- Athens
- Australia