I want to speak openly about something almost every professional artist knows, but very few dare to say out loud.
Most artists are dramatically underpaid.
Let me give you a real calculation.
When my artworks cost 500–3000 euros, and I deducted:
• 50% gallery commission
• 24% taxes
• materials
• studio rent
• production costs
• time for photography, documentation, uploading, marketing
• exhibition and promotion expenses
• years of education, research, spiritual exploration, and artistic development
…I realized I was earning 1 euro per hour.
One. Euro. Per. Hour.
Would you work for 1 euro per hour?
No professional in any field would tolerate this. Yet artists do. Not because their art has no value, but because they are taught to undervalue themselves.
And also because our society undervalues art and the people who create it.
Yes, “great” artists in museums are celebrated and auctioned for millions, but they are usually no longer alive.
Living artists, who still need to eat, live, work, research, and create, rarely receive recognition or fair compensation. So neither artists value themselves, nor does society value them.
The truth: low prices are not “humility.”
Low prices are disrespect and self-disrespect.
They send a message: “I am not a professional. My work is a hobby. My time doesn’t matter.”
And then we wonder: Why does the world not respect art? Because many artists don’t respect themselves first.
The uncomfortable truth in the art world
If an artist sells large original artworks for 500 euros, or even 1000–2000 euros, then one of these must be true:
They are not a full-time artist.
They produce work extremely quickly and superficially.
They are unaware of their actual costs or they are afraid.
Their work lacks depth, research, intention, and is treated as decorative.
Harsh? Yes. Necessary? Also yes.
A meaningful artwork for me takes:
• 1–2 months to create (and present even longer)
• years of artistic development
• emotional, spiritual, conceptual investment
• technical mastery
• curatorial presentation
• professional communication
This is not décor. This is not “just paint.” This is intellectual, emotional, and spiritual labor.
This is why artists are often forced to either lower quality, or take a second job to support their art, or find other ways to financially survive while creating.
Meanwhile, in Ireland, the government now provides a minimum salary for artists - 1500 euro per month support - because they understand that culture is a national treasure. But in most of the world, this isn’t the case.
So I raised my prices. To 5–20k euros.
Not to be “expensive.” But to be professional.
To honour the value of my time, my mind, my research, and my vision.
These prices may seem high to some, but they do not represent “luxury.” They simply cover my actual expenses and provide a modest salary for my labor.
For me, this is the beginning of an honest energy exchange with the world and with my collectors.
Collectors who understand art do not buy “cheap work.” They invest in:
• rarity
• concept
• transformation
• the artist’s worldview
• depth and meaning
Cheap art cannot carry this value. It is not collected - it is consumed.
My art is a reflection on consciousness, on unity, on remembering who we are as the Creator. This work is not mass-produced. It cannot cost 500 or 1000 euros. Doing so would be a lie to the work itself.
Artists need to hear this:
If you want the world to value your art, then you must be the first one who values it.
Raise your prices. Stand by your vision. Create deeply, honestly, consciously.
And I want to ask fellow artists: How do you feel about this? Do you believe your work should cost more? How do you deal with the pressure to undervalue yourself?
And I want to ask collectors: How do you see this issue? What do you value in an artwork?
If you are a collector, curator or art professional who wishes to explore my latest works, commissions or collaborations, feel free to reach out directly.
Art deserves respect. And we, as artists, deserve it too.
— Elisaveta Sivas Art & Consciousness | Sculpture | Painting | Spiritual Coaching
#ArtEconomy #ArtistLife #CreativeIndustry #ArtMarket #ContemporaryArt #ArtPricing #ValueOfArt #ArtProfession #ArtCollectors #ArtDiscussion #CultureMatters #ElisavetaSivas
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