KELLY ROWLAND VENTURES FROM POP STAR TO STAR COLLECTOR

The 4-time Grammy Award winner and former member of Destiny’s Child brings her unique perspective to Sotheby’s.

Four-time Grammy Award-winning artist, songwriter, actor and executive producer Kelly Rowland is bringing her unique perspective to Sotheby’s Contemporary Curated auction. As the guest curator for the upcoming sale on 9 March in New York, Rowland has handpicked a selection of contemporary artworks that reflect her personal style and taste.

Rowland is a global pop superstar who has made a name for herself not only in the music industry but also in television, film and fashion. She has guest-starred on several hit sitcoms and has appeared in films such as The Curse of Bridge Hollow, Think Like a Man and Bad Hair. But Rowland’s talents extend far beyond the entertainment industry; she is also a published author and executive producer of her own docuseries, Chasing Destiny, which premiered in 2016. The show follows Rowland as she searches for the next big girl group, and offers viewers an inside look at the music industry. With such a diverse array of accomplishments under her belt, it’s no surprise that Rowland’s picks for the Sotheby’s auction are as exciting as they are eclectic.

“There are so many young people and young artists who want to be a part of this art world. This is a beautiful way to fuse these worlds together and to allow this conversation to start.” — KELLY ROWLAND

She has sold over 40 million records as a solo artist and was a founding member of one of the best-selling female groups of all time, Destiny’s Child, certifying her as an international superstar. For many, such effusive recognition in the music industry would be achievement enough for one lifetime, but Rowland is never one to rest on her laurels. In 2017 she made her literary debut with Whoa, Baby!: A Guide for New Moms Who Feel Overwhelmed and Freaked Out (and Wonder What the #*$& Just Happened) and just last year became an instant New York Times best-seller with her children’s book, Always With You, Always With Me.

In addition to her many talents in the entertainment business, Rowland has also shown off her skills in the world of fashion releasing three capsule collections with Fabletics, delivering on their shared mission to make women feel confident and beautiful.

We are excited that Kelly was able to bring her considerable talents and unique perspective to Sotheby’s as the next curator of our ongoing auction series Contemporary Curated. Below the singer, songwriter, actress, author and producer reveals her picks from the sale and what spoke to her about those works in particular.

Kelly Rowland’s Picks

Reggie Burrows Hodges

“Reggie Burrows Hodges’s piece felt like I was looking into a dream. I didn’t know what a dream or a memory could really feel like – and this was it, right in front of me. I liked that it kind of felt like a shadow; it was a little bit of melancholy. I love the colors. It made me feel calm.”

REGGIE BURROWS HODGES, PLAYING REGGAE RECORDS AT THE PACE HOUSE #2. ACRYLIC AND PASTEL PENCIL ON PAPER, 19½ BY 27 IN. ESTIMATE: $20,000–30,000

Peter Bradley

“The Peter Bradley piece is something that’s very new in my world because I’m so used to figurative art. I love the colors. I love that it was cooling. I love that it just made me feel really relaxed. That’s how I connected with it.”

PETER BRADLEY, STORMY WEATHER, 1975. ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 81 BY 45 IN. ESTIMATE: $120,000–180,000

Ernie Barnes

“The Ernie Barnes piece [‘The Dunk’] felt so different to the Reggie and, of course, the Stanley Whitney. It has so much soul. The way she was dunking on that goal was hard – in a good way. It felt empowering.”

ERNIE BARNES, THE DUNK, 1998. ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 36 BY 24 IN. ESTIMATE: $250,000–350,000.

“Four Ladies with Gold Hat reminded me of my Houston, Texas, days. It put me in the hair salon, which is a part of my upbringing, with these beautiful, Black, intelligent women. They were sharing conversation, and it felt like they were either talking about how good she looks or she’s talking about how great they look. It’s just a space for imagination to take place, and that’s what I love about that picture.”

ERNIE BARNES, FOUR LADIES WITH GOLD HAT, 1998. ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 25 BY 19 IN. ESTIMATE: $25,000–35,000.

Robert Longo

“The Robert Longo piece, I love that it was simple, that it is honest. I felt like she is just laying there with so much thought in her brain a woman: What are we thinking? How are we going to conquer the day? I just connected to it. As a woman I feel like that’s a position we find ourselves in so much. Sometimes you need a breather to just sit there, and she and I shared that.”

ROBERT LONGO, GRETCHEN (MEN IN THE CITY), 1990. CHARCOAL, GRAPHITE AND INK ON PAPER, 38 BY 50 IN. ESTIMATE: $80,000–120,000Stanley Whitney

“I really connected with the Stanley Whitney because it was abstract. I literally just told my husband I want us to find something for the house. We love it. We love the colors. It felt happy; it’s so beautiful. We immediately envisioned it in our home.”