Ed Sheeran turned to painting as a "creative outlet" and set up a makeshift workshop in a disused car park in central London

In a statement, Ed explained: "I started painting at the end of my Divide Tour in 2019 and it's something that I've used as a creative outlet ever since.

"When I was growing up, both of my parents worked in art, so I've naturally always been interested in it, and I always enjoyed studying art at school.

"I was back and forth on tour last year, and I used a lot of my downtime in the UK to paint. I'd run to a disused car park in Soho each morning, paint and then run home and I'd do that daily until I headed back out on tour again."

The singer went on to reveal he was encouraged to show his first collection by artist Damien Hirst.

He added: "I told my good friends Damien Hirst and Joe Hage about the paintings and they encouraged me to do my own thing.

"So I decided to use it as a way of raising funds for my Ed Sheeran Foundation which supports music education in the UK and helps fund grassroots music projects, schools and equipment, so all kids have access to music.

"I want to thank Damien and Joe for everything they've done for me on this exhibition and I'm delighted to be putting it on."

Ed's collection is called the Cosmic Carpark Paintings and they will be on display at the HENI Gallery in London from July 11 until August 1.

Fifty per cent of the proceeds from sales of the artworks will go to Ed charity while £300 from each print sale will be donated.

A message posted on the HENI website explained: "HENI is delighted to present Ed Sheeran's Cosmic Carpark Paintings, an exhibition featuring original works on canvas alongside a series of prints ...

"The Cosmic Carpark Paintings release offers the public a first opportunity to collect original artworks and edition prints by Ed Sheeran, which are being sold to raise funds for the Ed Sheeran Foundation, a UK-wide initiative aimed at providing inclusive, high-quality music education for every child.

"The original paintings will be available by application on HENI Primary and the unique prints will be available to purchase on HENI Editions between 10 July and 1 August 2025 ...

"Ed Sheeran's share of the proceeds of sale of each painting (i.e. 50 per cent of the net sales price) and each print ($400 USD) is being donated to The Ed Sheeran Foundation