Robbie Williams has said he is not looking forward to the criticism he expects to get for venturing into the art world.
For the next two weeks, 14 artworks by Williams and his creative partner Ed Godrich will be on display at auction house Sotheby’s in central London.
One of the large-scale black and white paintings, called Beverly, was sold by Sotheby’s last month for £40,000 to a private foundation in Central America.
In an interview with The Times, Williams, 48, said: “I don’t think that there is a celebrity or actor who has gone into the art world without being kicked in the head.
“People like you being in your box. I remember in the Nineties seeing musicians doing acting and thinking, ‘What the f*** are they doing that for?’ So I liked being in my box too.”
He added: “I’m not looking forward to being kicked in the head. And I will be.”
Williams said that doing art has been good for his mental health. “I would definitely say I spend a lot of time not having to deal with Radio Rob,” he said, talking about his internal commentary.
“It’s safer for me to be out here doing this than it is being in there,” he continued, gesturing to his head.
In 2020, Williams said of his newfound passion for art: “It used to be cocaine and strippers – now it’s colouring in.”
