Robbie Williams is set to showcase his own paintings at his first-ever art exhibition.
The singer and his creative partner, Ed Godrich, will present a series of their black-and-white paintings at Sotheby’s galleries on New Bond Street, London between May 13 and May 25.
They’re also curating an art sale at the auction house that will feature works by some of their favourite artists, including Damien Hirst, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Grayson Perry (via The Guardian).
Additionally, the sale is set to include one of Williams and Godrich’s pieces which is expected to fetch between £15,000 and £20,000. The ‘Contemporary Curated’ sale runs from April 22-28.
“Art is really whatever you want it to be. Just like music it has the ability to soothe and provide company when you’re lonely,” Williams explained of the venture.
“Art and music have punctuated my ups and downs, but more importantly they both have the power to change how I feel in a moment.”
The pop star has been painting in partnership with Godrich – who is an interior designer – for five years, with the pair having bonded over a shared passion for Outsider art (via the Evening Standard).
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Williams compared his ongoing collaboration with Godrich to being in a band, saying that their “outlook on life and sensibilities are eerily similar”.
Artist collaborators @robbiewilliams and Ed Godrich are set to put their stamp on our #London galleries. Together the duo will bring a fresh perspective to ‘Contemporary Curated’ before opening their debut exhibition, ‘Black and White Paintings’ this May💥https://t.co/bVGhyP1ZYn pic.twitter.com/ZwXIwUGCa1
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) April 20, 2022
“In music terms, Ed plays the piano, while I write the melodies and the words,” he added. “To continue the metaphor, we also write songs separately and bring them together. We’re in a band.”
Godrich said that his and Williams’ artwork is influenced by the music they listen to. “Our paintings take on the rhythm of whatever is playing – and that’s usually electronic music,” he explained.
You can find more information here.
Last month saw Williams sell two pieces by Banksy at auction for a total of £7million. His Vandalised Oils (Choppers) piece by the elusive graffiti artist went for just under £4.4m, while Girl With Balloon fetched £2.8m.
Williams received the two works from Banksy himself shortly after their production in the early 2000s. “I love Banksy’s art. It’s iconic and impactful, and it makes me laugh,” he said ahead of the sale.
Back in January, Robbie Williams said he hoped to head back out on tour this year following widespread COVID-related disruption to the live music industry. The pop star’s 11th solo album, ‘The Heavy Entertainment Show’, came out in 2016.