ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Two paintings by Winfred Rembert (American, 1945-2021), which were offered consecutively on the second day of Brunk Auctions’ September 29-30 sale of the estate of Peter Tillou, each sold for $282,900. The paintings — “Chain Gang Picking Cotton #4” and “Hungry Eye” — were each executed in dye on carved and tooled leather and each carried pre-sale estimates of $40/60,000. The results set the new world auction record for the artist, who grew up in poverty and spent time in and out of prison, where he learned how to work leather. In his 50s, the artist began to create pieces that depicted scenes from his life; he met Tillou after he had a show at the Yale University Art Gallery. The paintings, which had been exhibited at Adelson Gallery and the Danforth Art Gallery at Framingham State University in Framingham, Mass., both sold to the same private collector. Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium; a more extensive sale recap will appear in a future issue.