Australian artist now outselling Picasso, Da Vinci and Renoir in Europe
Announcement posted by Invigorate PR 24 Jul 2026
Most artists spend a lifetime dreaming of having their work recognised alongside the great masters.
Australian contemporary artist Ashvin Harrison is now doing something even fewer have achieved, outselling several of the most celebrated names in art history.
The Sunshine Coast artist has ranked among the best-selling artists in Europe's highly competitive print-on-demand market, surpassing the print sales of Pablo Picasso, Leonardo da Vinci and Pierre-
Auguste Renoir while sitting behind only Gustav Klimt, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh.
The achievement, confirmed through German fine art publisher Posterlounge during the 2023-2024 period, places Harrison fourth overall in print sales, making him the highest-ranked contemporary artist on the list. The prints part of this extraordinary achievement includes Harrison's 2016-2022 reproduction print collection. Following on from this, in 2023, an intentional decision was made to close out all mass market distribution licences to fully protect the scarcity of his physical market. Everything is now tightly controlled out of Ashvin Harrison Art Studio, elevating the print medium into exclusive low volume museum grade fine art glicées.
For Harrison, the sales accomplishment is difficult to comprehend.
"I never imagined my work would one day be mentioned in the same conversation as artists whose names shaped the history of art," Harrison said.
"To think that people around the world are choosing my artwork alongside some of the greatest masters ever to hold a paintbrush is incredibly humbling."
From classroom to collector walls around the world
Less than a decade ago, Harrison was a Head of Department at a Queensland high school after having worked more than 30 different jobs throughout his life.
Despite being creative from an early age through music and composition, it was only after the passing of his grandfather that Harrison turned to drawing as a way of processing grief.
What began as a personal outlet using charcoal soon evolved into a professional career after people began noticing his unique artistic style. In January 2017, Harrison made the bold decision to leave teaching and pursue art full-time.
"It was one of the biggest risks of my life. I walked away from security because I believed I had something unique to offer the world," Harrison said.
Today, his artwork is collected in more than 50 countries across Australia, North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Creating a style unlike any other
Harrison's work has become internationally recognised for its distinctive artistic style known as Motusrealism, which combines hyper-realistic charcoal drawing using coconut charcoal powder with expressive acrylic and oil painting to create artworks filled with movement, emotion and storytelling.
Rather than producing artwork purely for decoration, Harrison aims to create pieces that connect emotionally with people and invite them to interpret each work through their own experiences.
"I've never wanted to paint what people expect, I want to create artwork that makes people stop, think and feel something," Harrison said.
"My work isn't about perfection, it's about creating emotion."
Building an international art business outside the traditional gallery system
Unlike many artists who rely heavily on gallery representation, Harrison has built much of his international success by connecting directly with collectors through digital platforms.
His artwork videos have generated more than one billion views across social media, helping him build a community of more than two million followers worldwide.
That audience has translated into collectors across more than 50 countries, millions of dollars in artwork sales and growing demand for both original works and limited editions.
"The internet has allowed artists to build relationships directly with collectors in ways that simply weren't possible twenty years ago," Harrison said.
"I've been fortunate to build an incredible community that has followed my journey from the very beginning."
More than commercial success
While Harrison acknowledged the significance of his European sales ranking, he said commercial success has never been the primary motivation behind his work.
"The greatest achievement isn't selling artwork, it is knowing that something I created has become part of someone's life and means enough for them to live with it every day," Harrison said.
"I believe art should remain deeply personal despite increasing global recognition. I still approach every blank canvas exactly the same way I did when nobody knew my name.
"The only thing that's changed is that more people are now watching the journey."
The next chapter
Harrison's international profile continues to grow through gallery representation in New York, Miami, Philadelphia and Montreal, while preparations are underway for his upcoming New York solo exhibition and the release of an Australian-made couture fashion collaboration inspired by his artwork.
He also plans to expand museum and institutional representation while continuing to build what he hopes will become one of Australia's most enduring contemporary art legacies.
"I've never chased fame, I've simply tried to create work that is authentic," Harrison said.
"If that work continues to connect with people around the world, then I feel incredibly fortunate to keep doing what I love every day."
About Ashvin Harrison
Ashvin Harrison is an internationally recognised Australian contemporary artist based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. He is the creator of the distinctive artistic style known as Motusrealism, combining hyper-realistic charcoal drawing with expressive acrylic and oil painting. His artwork is collected in more than 50 countries and is held in private, celebrity and royal collections. Harrison has built a global audience of more than two million followers, with artwork videos viewed more than one billion times worldwide. His work spans original artworks, limited editions, commissions, luxury collaborations and international exhibitions.