Ian Hamilton Finlay

Scottish | 1925 - 2006

Ian Hamilton Finlay was a Scottish artist who was born in 1925.

How much does an Ian Hamilton Finlay cost?

Ian Hamilton Finlay's work has been offered at auction multiple times, with realized prices of up to 17,500 USD for sculptures, and 5,479 USD for photographys.In the past 12 months, his prints & graphic art have averaged 508 USD.

What is Ian Hamilton Finlay's most expensive sculpture?

Since 2001 the record price for this artist at auction is 17,500 USD for 1789 Ribbons with Everything, sold at Heritage Auctions, Dallas in 2020.

Where can I see Ian Hamilton Finlay's works?

His work is currently being shown at multiple venues like Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), North Miami. Numerous key galleries and museums such as The British Museum have featured Ian Hamilton Finlay's work in the past.

Ian Hamilton Finlay in the news

Ian Hamilton Finlay has been featured in articles for e-flux, Kunstkritikk and Wallpaper . The most recent article is Ways of Seeing at Muzeum Sztuki in Lodz written for ArtDaily in August 2025. The artist died in 2006.

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Featured for Sale

A minimalist artwork featuring two rectangular panels with diagonal lines and scattered dashes.

TWO PRINTS FROM 'REEF-POINTS': 'WEST COUNTRY GAFFER' & 'MANX NOBBY' , 1996

By Ian Hamilton Finlay

Lyon & Turnbull Edinburgh

At Auction

Notable Lots

12 works: THE BLUE AND BROWN POEMS - Ian Hamilton Finlay

12 works: THE BLUE AND BROWN POEMS , 1968

By Ian Hamilton Finlay

-12%

below mid-estimate

28 Juillet 1794 , 1994

By Ian Hamilton Finlay

-40%

below mid-estimate

A graphic print featuring six orange rectangular cards with white text quotes.

Collection of 45 prints and 28 artist books , 1965–89

By Ian Hamilton Finlay

VIEW 321 ARTWORKS

Upcoming Lots

TWO PRINTS FROM 'REEF-POINTS': 'WEST COUNTRY GAFFER' & 'MANX NOBBY' , 1996

By Ian Hamilton Finlay

Lyon & Turnbull Edinburgh

Recent Auction Results

A tri-fold flag-like object with text, divided into three colored sections.

Bicentenary Tricolour

By Ian Hamilton Finlay

+6%

above mid-estimate

Duke's Auctioneers

A minimalist purple wall calendar featuring bold typography and a simple spiral binding.

Jargon 68 / 69, The Blue and The Brown , 1969

By Ian Hamilton Finlay

+8%

above mid-estimate

Ramsay Cornish

A flat-lay composition of various printed booklets and pamphlets arranged on a white surface.

a collection of printed ephemera, pamphlets, exhibition cards, postcards

By Ian Hamilton Finlay

-64%

below mid-estimate

Ramsay Cornish

VIEW 321 AUCTION RESULTS

Current Exhibitions

Permanent Collection Focus: Anchors of Light

Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), North Miami

Miami | Florida | USA

Apr 15, 2026 - Oct 04, 2026

ONLINE Disruptors: Fractured Images and Migrant Wordl

Ben Uri Gallery & Museum

St. John's Wood | London | UK

May 14, 2026 - Sep 04, 2026

Through Their Eyes: The Pier Arts Centre Collection and the unfolding Asprey gift

The Pier Arts Centre

Stromness | UK

May 02, 2026 - Nov 07, 2026

VIEW 119 EXHIBITIONS

Articles

Ways of Seeing at Muzeum Sztuki in Lodz

ArtDaily Aug 25, 2025

Ways of Seeing is the new permanent exhibition of the Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź—a multifaceted narrative about 20th- and 21st-century art and about the museum itself as an institution of artistic experimentation, avant-garde thought, and solidarity.

Ways of Seeing

e-flux Aug 23, 2025

A Difficult Man

Kunstkritikk Aug 21, 2025

Fascist, fool, or philosopher? Ian Hamilton Finlay still stirs the pot. At the centenary of his birth, a Stockholm show revisits the tensions at the heart of his work.

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Coverage

“ ..These Definitions present Finlay's own interpretations of the meanings of words, and in conjunction with related sculptural works, display Finlay's adroitness in exploring the written word's materiality... ”
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Victoria Miro, London (Wharf Road)

“ ..Finlay's ongoing endeavour throughout his lifetime of practice was to expand, liberate and challenge our understanding and perception of the written word, its limitations and its role in unspoken, communicative... ”
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Victoria Miro, London (Wharf Road)

“ ..Finlay's adept use of syntax and narrative configuration weaved refined distinctions with a lyrical philosophy... ”
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Victoria Miro, London (Wharf Road)

“ ..Finlay's diverse production encompassed a variety of creative forms including prints, poems, books, inscriptions, neons, sculptures, permanent installations and landscape design, all celebrating the sustaining... ”
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Victoria Miro, London (Wharf Road)

“ ..These words and ideas in Finlay’s work are as important as the images Finlay loved the graphic beauty of prints... ”
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GoMA, Gallery of Modern Art Glasgow