Custom Painting as the New Status Symbol (Alongside the Watch and the Car)
For decades, status symbols were loud and obvious. A watch from a prestigious manufacture on the wrist, a car with the right logo in the driveway, a handbag with a recognizable pattern — all of these worked like a business card that could be read in a few seconds. After 2020, however, this logic began to change. Luxury is gradually shifting from objects that can simply be bought to things that cannot be mass-produced: experiences, stories, and unique objects. In this new landscape, a custom painting becomes one of the most discreet yet readable signs of status. From Possession to Meaning The pandemic, accelerated digitalization, and growing environmental awareness have changed the way elites consume status. Classic symbols — a luxury car or a watch — still work, but their symbolic power is weakening. A car sits in the garage; a watch can be taken off. Both are increasingly seen as lifestyle elements rather than the ultimate proof of position. What is harder to copy is gaining v...
