The exhibition was inaugurated with the presence of the artists
Here’s your chance to get a glimpse into the artistic mind of pop icon Robbie Williams. Until 16 December, Sotheby’s Dubai is hosting a solo exhibition of paintings by Robbie Williams and his creative partner, Ed Godrich. Under the name of Williams Godrich, the exhibition, entitled ‘Black and White Paintings II’, features 15 never-before-seen monochrome paintings.
The exhibition opened at the DIFC on 29 November with the artists in attendance. Among the guests was Hala Badri, Director General of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.
Hala Badri with Katia Nounou-Boeuiz, Robbie Williams, Ed Godrich and Hugo Cobb at the opening of the exhibition at Sotheby’s Dubai
“Dubai has a special place in my heart and it seems especially fitting that, after celebrating the New Year in the city, I close the year by discovering my art here. This exhibition is the next step in sharing my creative vision and Ed’s with the world, and I hope that the feelings of curiosity and positivity that fueled our art will resonate with everyone who comes to the exhibition,” said Robbie Williams.
A partnership based on, in their own words, “friendship, communication, respect and trust”, Robbie and Ed came together over a love of abstract art, as well as music, which encouraged them to create together as a duet of artists. In five years they have created works with an aesthetic deeply rooted in the nostalgia of the nineties music scene: vibrant, euphoric and pulsating with life.
In May 2022, the artist duo exhibited their paintings publicly for the first time, in an exhibition at Sotheby’s London. Now, Sotheby’s Dubai welcomes the next step in its artistic journey, with a new body of work that builds on the themes explored in the first iteration. Continuing with the female names that adorned the previous exhibition, the fifteen paintings in this showcase are titled Popular Men’s Names of the 1980s. Together, they consider these to be “the names that define the eighties, an influential era that has inspired our art”, many representing people they knew.
“We are delighted to welcome ‘Williams Godrich’ for its first exhibition in the Middle East. The UAE has a thriving art scene and through their many years of collaborative artistic expression, Robbie and Ed they encapsulate the spirit of creativity that is flourishing here,” said Katia Nounou Boueiz, head of Sotheby’s UAE.
The exhibition will be open from Monday to Thursday from 10 am to 6 pm; Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The exhibition will be closed from December 1 to 4 during the UAE public holiday