Pierce Brosnan, 68, Reveals Plans For Exhibition Of His Paintings

Jul 23, 2021 by apost team

Pierce Brosnan is a real Renaissance man. Not only is the Irish actor known for his role as one of the most iconic spies in history, James Bond, but the 68-year-old star also has a knack for painting.

And Brosnan doesn’t just dabble in art here and there as some sort of hobby; no, the actor’s art is worth millions of dollars. Back in 2018, the former Bond actor auctioned off his painting of the famous folk singer Bob Dylan for $1.4 million. Rather than pocketing the money, Brosnan donated the piece to the 25th annual gala amFAR Cannes charity event with the $1.4 million going to Cinema Against AIDS.

On Sunday, July 18, Brosnan made another art-related announcement on his Instagram that he would be having his first art show in Los Angeles by the end of the year. While details haven’t been released yet, Brosnan posted the statement alongside a series of his pieces — from psychedelic portraits to a multicolored study of a chair.

Brosnan’s post received an outpouring of praise from fans, colleagues and fellow stars. And since the announcement was posted, it has received more than 155,000 likes for the actor/producer/painter.

But it’s not as if Brosnan suddenly picked up painting and decided to have a show on a whim. In fact, Brosnan has an educational background in art, having started as a trainee artist in a small studio in South London when he was a teenager. On his website, Brosnan showcases paintings from the 1980s all the way up until 2017.

In a June 2020 interview with Parade, Brosnan explained that he became interested in art after he moved to London to be with his mother. As he describes it, he left school “with nothing but a cardboard folder of drawings and paintings” at the age of 16, working at a small studio to perfect his craft. But Brosnan’s art career was sidelined thanks to his other talents in the world of show business. However, art is and has been a part of the actor’s life despite his acting commitments.

“I paint. I have a studio. I am heading toward having an exhibition in Santa Monica, in Venice, sometime in October, hopefully. That will be the first endeavour,” Brosnan says in the June 2020 interview.

He then goes on to describe the moment when his Dylan painting sold for $1.4 million as magical, adding:

“Keely (Shaye Smith) and I just danced into the night. If it could be like that all the time, I definitely would give up the acting game. My art has become more meaningful and more significant in my life over the last few years.”

That quote is quite a statement given all the successful and award-winning movies Brosnan has starred in over his decades-long career. There are his Bond films, his role in “Mrs. Doubtfire” and his more recent work in “Mamma Mia!” But even when he was on set, the world of painting wasn’t far from Brosnan.

"I always set up a studio when I go on location," he told People in January 2021.

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"When I was shooting the action sequences for the movie, the prop master would hand out these packets of ear plugs because of the rifles and the explosions. I found the infographic on the back to be steadily pleasing and compositionally intriguing,” Brosnan added, speaking to a painting of his that features a man using ear plugs.

Brosnan started painting again in 1987 after a hiatus when his first wife, Cassandra Harris, was battling cancer.

"It really came to light out of a very hard time in my life," he told People. "I turned to the world of painting and that gave me a great sense of comfort. Since then it’s matured. I go to the studio each day even if it’s just to clean the brushes or move the paints around."

While Brosnan’s paintings might have fallen under the radar in comparison to his films, the actor’s promise of an art show by the end of the year is sure to give a boost to his notoriety as a painter.

“I do ponder at times whether to show the work slowly practiced since one dark night in 1987 when I first began to paint. However as my darling wife Keely says, your only going to paint so many in your life time. So come year's end I shall have my first art show in LA...if not now when? Time to let them go,” Brosnan wrote on Instagram on Sunday, July 19.

In response to Brosnan’s announcement, “Breaking Bad” actor Aaron Paul wrote, “So beautiful my friend. I call the earplug one.❤️”

“Pierce it’s more than time we saw your works. You are a very talented artist -thank God for Keely!” British actress Trudie Styler added.

To see more of Brosnan’s art, you can visit his website.

What do you think of Brosnan’s art? Do his paintings measure up to his performances on screen? Let us know — and be sure to pass this on to friends and family members.