Trio Of Banksy Works To Be Auctioned Off By Pop Star Robbie Williams

Image ID 34828443 © via Featureflash and Sotheby’s

This March, pop star Robbie Williams will auction off three of his Banksy works, with the trio going for a combined £10 million (US$13.6 million).

The collection includes one of the street artist’s most famed works, Girl with Balloon, an earlier version of the shredded piece created in 2002. Vandalised Oils (Choppers) and Kissing Coppers, both painted in 2005, round up the sale.

According to The Financial Times, the singer had bought the artworks directly from Banksy soon after they were made, and is now cashing in on their incredible value.

All three paintings, as noted by Artnet News, were painted across the UK in the artist’s early years. The locations include Waterloo Bridge, Whitecross Street Market, and a pub in Brighton. 

Image via Sotheby’s

Williams revealed he had bought the pieces as they “combine three things I love: hip-hop culture, naughtiness, and comedy.”

“I believe they are some of his best paintings and I love how closely linked they are to street pieces. As a collector of Banksy’s work, you become part of a broader cultural movement,” he said, as reported by Sky News.

Hugo Cobb, head of the auction at Sotheby’s, explained that Williams’ celebrity status adds another dimension to the sale of these highly-coveted Banksy works.

Image via Sotheby’s

“These works unite the cultural legacies of two of Britain’s biggest stars: Robbie Williams and Banksy,” he said. 

The trio of paintings will go on tour from New York to Hong Kong and London before being auctioned off.

[via Artnet News and Sky News, images via various sources]