British pop star Ed Sheeran has swapped the microphone for paintbrushes, and the fruits of his artistic endeavours will go on display later this week, the London gallery exhibiting his work confirmed on Wednesday.
The abstract pieces—colourful, Jackson Pollock-esque paintings and prints—will be available for purchase, with part of the proceeds going to the Ed Sheeran Foundation, which supports music education in schools.
The collection, titled “Cosmic Carpark Paintings”, will be exhibited at Heni Art Gallery in central London from Friday until August 1, the gallery said.
Sheeran, 34, best known for smash hits like “Shape of You” and “Perfect”, took to social media earlier this week to share the news, explaining that he worked on the paintings last year between shows.
He also posted a video of his painting process, showing him splashing large canvases with brightly coloured paint.
“I love painting, more for fun and to give to friends, but this time I was encouraged to do a show of them by @damienhirst and @heni,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I paint when I’m not working on a record—just to do something creative with my brain. It’s mostly just splashing colours on canvases. Think Jackson Pollock, but with colourful house paint.”
Sheeran added that he does not consider himself “an artist”, but said, “I love making art. It makes me feel great, and I love the end result.”
Heni noted that Sheeran’s “painting journey” began in 2019, following his record-breaking Divide Tour. He even used one of his early paintings as the official artwork for his 2020 single “Afterglow.”
The vibrant works in his debut exhibition were “inspired by celestial patterns” and were painted in a disused London carpark last year, the gallery added.
The singer-songwriter, one of the most-streamed artists globally, also ranks among the 40 richest people under 40 in the UK, with an estimated fortune of £370 million ($504 million), according to the Sunday Times’ latest annual Rich List.
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