This rare David Bowie self-portrait is going up for auction

Griffin Jaeger · CBC News

· Posted: Oct 09, 2026 12:52 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Turn and face the strange: Ch-ch-changes could be coming to your living room wall. A rare signed David Bowie self-portrait is going up for auction and it's even got his handprints — though it'll cost you a pretty penny.  

The piece, made by the singer in 1996, is going to the market for the first time as part of  Sotheby’s Modern British and Irish Art Day Auction on Oct. 15.

It's estimated to sell for between £35,000 to £55,000 (roughly $66,000 Cdn to $104,000 Cdn).

Bowie originally gifted the painting to his St Ives gallerist. Now, after three decades of being in a private collection, the work is on public view in London ahead of its upcoming auction.

WATCH | Remembering David Bowie:

It's part of a series of eight large-scale portraits he made in the mid-1990s, this one being the most expressive of the group. 

"This self-portrait captures David Bowie at his most creative and self-reflective. His direct gaze and handprints pressed onto the composition create an unusually personal connection to the artist," wrote Sotheby's senior specialist Jen Hardie in a press release.

"Bold and richly coloured, it demonstrates the strength of Bowie's painting practice in the 1990s and offers a rare opportunity to encounter him not as a musician or cultural icon, but as an artist in his own right."

In case it doesn't end up on your living room wall, have a look at it here.

This self portrait, made by David Bowie in 1996 is going to the market for the first time as part of Sotheby’s Modern British and Irish Art Day Auction on Oct. 15. (Courtesy Sotheby's)

In the painting, which was done on paper, the musician, actor and performer stares directly at the viewer, emphasizing his famously uneven sized pupils — one was larger than the other, creating the impression of differently coloured irises.

And of course, the handprints Bowie pressed himself on either side of the painting's lower third are an especially intimate touch. 

 So if you’ve ever wanted a literally hands-on piece of Starman history, now’s your chance.