Ed Sheeran’s painting sells for £40,000 at charity auction

A painting by Ed Sheeran has sold for £40,000 as part of an auction which raised a total of more than £500,000 for charity.

The pop star, 29, used house paints to create the colourful abstract Dab 2 2020.

It is the first and only time that one of his paintings has been made available for sale, the auction’s organisers said.

Sheeran donated it to the Ed Sheeran: Made In Suffolk Legacy Auction which was organised with the help of his parents John and Imogen.

His artwork is called Dab 2 because Dab has been Sheeran’s nickname for his father John since childhood and this is the second painting he has given him.

Sheeran also donated handwritten lyrics to his hit single Perfect, which were dedicated to his wife Cherry, to the auction and they fetched £23,500.

A collection of his childhood Lego bricks sold for £4,150 while a signed programme from his Multiply tour fetched the same amount, £4,150.

Celebrities including David Beckham, Kylie Minogue and Usain Bolt also donated items and unique experiences to the auction which had 220 lots and attracted £406,000 in bids in total.

This was topped up by £100,000 by the auction’s lead sponsor.

Sheeran’s parents John and Imogen wanted to create a lasting legacy from the Ed Sheeran: Made in Suffolk exhibition in Ipswich, which tells the story of his rise to global stardom.

The idea of a Legacy Auction to support children and young adults across Sheeran’s home county was created after his parents met Gina Long MBE, founder of the children’s charity GeeWizz.

Proceeds from the auction will help GeeWizz to redevelop a playground for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Funds will also benefit the Zest charity, part of St Elizabeth Hospice in Ipswich, which helps teenagers and young adults with progressive and incurable illnesses to live their lives to the full, supported by specialist nurses and an outreach programme.

Ed Sheeran’s abstract painting Dab 2 made the highest amount for an individual lot, with other top lots including a signed Damien Hirst print fetching £20,000 and an original page from the Love Actually script at £17,000.

Artist Colin Davidson’s Ed Sheeran sketch was sold for £12,400 and John Mayer’s PRS Silver Sky guitar went for £5,100.

Sheeran’s father John Sheeran said: “The total raised is way beyond our expectations and we are so pleased that it will create important lasting legacies to improve the quality of care and wellbeing for children and young adults across Suffolk and beyond.

Imogen and I would like to thank everyone who generously donated lots, joined in the bidding and organised and supported the auction.

“We cannot think of a better legacy for the exhibition to leave.”

Gina Long, founder of GeeWizz children’s charity, said: “Without the incredible generosity of Ed, John and Imogen Sheeran, our sponsors, auction lot donors from around the world, our Legacy Auction fundraiser would simply not have happened.

“We are especially indebted to our headline sponsor Guy Nicholls of Tru7 Group, who in addition to the £406,000 we have raised in the online auction, has donated a further £100,000, bringing our total raised to over £500,000.

“Seeing the huge amount, we have raised, fills all of us on the auction team with joy, knowing our wonderful legacy projects can now become a reality.”