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Early Sales at Frieze L.A. Signal Renewed Collector Confidence

Galleries including Almine Rech, Hauser & Wirth and Gagosian reported brisk early placements, signaling sustained demand for big names even in a recalibrating market.

Frieze Los Angeles, now in its seventh edition at Santa Monica Airport, serves as a temperature check on the L.A. art scene in a still-volatile market and among ongoing national discussions about affordability. Broad uncertainty has notably reshaped buyer behavior over the past year: following a 12 percent decline in 2024, the global art market continued to contract in 2025 amid recalibration, geopolitical instability and renewed tariff talk. Sales figures in the top tier (over $10 million) showed a sharp drop, while lower price points saw an increase. But on preview day earlier this week, the dealers were beaming.

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Gemini sold prints by Ed Ruscha, David Hockney and Frank Gehry, among others. “We’ve done really well,” said the gallery’s Joni Weyl, turning to a large-scale piece by Julie Mehretu that was still waiting for a home. “It’s a big wall, and we’ve had a lot of nibbles on it at $450,000.” Almine Rech reported similarly brisk sales, placing a painting by Ewa Juszkiewicz in the $800,000 to $850,000 range and a sculpture by Aaron Curry in the $210,000 to $245,000 range, among other works sold. And David Zwirner reportedly sold a mixed-media work by Njideka Akunyili Crosby for $2.8 million and a painting Lynette Yiadom-Boakye for $1.5 million along with works by Lisa Yuskavage, Louis Fratino and Emma McIntyre.

“It’s a........

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