Created between global tour dates in an improvised Soho studio, the Cosmic Carpark Paintings reveal a parallel dimension of Ed Sheeran’s creative practice — one grounded in gesture, rhythm and physical immediacy.
The Cosmic Carpark Paintings emerged in moments of interruption — between performances, recordings and travel — in a disused car park that became a temporary studio. Removed from the scale and structure of stadium production, this environment shaped the character of the works: direct, physical and unpolished.
Working primarily with household gloss paint on canvas, Sheeran approached painting as instinct rather than discipline. Colour is splashed, poured and pulled across the surface in accumulative layers. The compositions do not resolve into illusionistic space; instead, they hold onto movement, density and immediacy. Decisions remain visible. Corrections are rarely concealed. The surface records action rather than refinement.
The paintings sit within a broader lineage of gestural abstraction, where the act of making becomes the subject. Yet they resist theatricality. There is no overt attempt to perform authorship. Instead, the works function as a parallel outlet — a space of release distinct from the expectations attached to his musical career.
Rhythm underpins the process. Layers build in a manner not unlike musical looping: repetition generating structure, structure generating momentum. The result is work that feels charged but unforced — a material record of energy translated into colour.
Originally published by HENI, the series marked the first formal presentation of Sheeran’s visual practice. Creed Gallery is the only gallery presenting the Cosmic Carpark Paintings on Artsy, offering collectors access to a body of work that expands the understanding of Sheeran’s creative identity beyond music and into contemporary abstraction.
For private viewings, further availability, and acquisition enquiries regarding the Ed Sheeran: Cosmic Carpark limited editions, please contact the Creed Gallery team directly.
Collectors are welcome to arrange an in-gallery appointment or request additional details, including pricing, edition information, and current works available.
The full collection can also be viewed online via our website here: Ed Sheeran Collection.