Brad Pitt recalls taking up sculpting following bitter split from Angelina Jolie – Brad Pitt has recounted taking up sculpting in the aftermath of his contentious split from Angelina Jolie.
The actor, 58, who recently debuted his first-ever collection of sculpture at an art gallery in Finland, recalled bonding with artist Thomas Houseago back in 2016 over their ‘mutual misery’, several months after officially splitting from Angelina.
The duo were both grappling with heavy issues at the time, but Brad told the Financial Times their ‘mutual misery’ ultimately turned into a ‘flame of joy.’
‘Out of this misery came a flame of joy in my life’: Brad Pitt has recounted taking up sculpting in the aftermath of his contentious split from Angelina Jolie (pictured with Nick Cave, left, and Thomas Houseago, centre)
Brad Pitt recalls taking up sculpting following bitter split from Angelina Jolie
‘Our mutual misery became comic,’ Pitt, who met Houseago at a New Year’s Eve party in 2016, told the publication. ‘And out of this misery came a flame of joy in my life. I always wanted to be a sculptor; I’d always wanted to try it.’
After their meeting, Pitt found himself hanging out at Houseago’s art studio, where he was able to explore his new passion for artwork.
Pitt has joined forces with singer Nick Cave and Houseago for their joint exhibition, WE, which debuted last month at the Sara Hilden Art Museum in Finland.
‘We were thrown together in trauma and catastrophe,’ Houseago told the site, referring to their shared past struggles. Both Houseago and Pitt have grappled with alcohol in the past, while Cave suffered from a heroin addiction in the 1980s and also lost two of his sons in the past decade. Pitt, of course, is also still in the throes of an ugly legal battle with ex Angelina.
Speaking to Finnish broadcaster Yle last month at the opening, Brad said: ‘For Nick and I this is a new world and our first entry. It just feels right.
‘To me it’s about self-reflection. It’s about where I have gotten it wrong in my relationships, where have I misstepped, where am I complicit.
Sculpture: The Once Upon A Time in Hollywood star, who is largely ‘self-taught’, had nine entries in the exhibit
‘For me, it was born out of ownership of what I call a radical inventory of self, getting really brutally honest with me and taking account of those I may have hurt, moments I have just gotten wrong.’
Pitt did not elaborate on who he ‘may have hurt’, but his most noteable past relationships were his marriages to Angelina and Jennifer Aniston.
The actor was married to Aniston from 2000 to 2005 and then entered into a relationship with Jolie the same year.
Exhibit: The film star, 58, flew to the city of Tampere last month for his first-ever public exhibition at the Sara Hilden Art Museum where he was joined by singer Nick Cave and artist Thomas Houseago who also had works in the exhibit
The Mr. & Mrs. Smith co-stars married in 2014 and divorced in 2019 and share six children together; Maddox, 21, Pax, 18, Zahara, 17, Shiloh, 16, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 14.
The Once Upon A Time in Hollywood star, who is largely ‘self-taught’, had nine entries in the exhibit.
The original pieces included several under the umbrella title of ‘Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound to the House’ consisting of trapped bullets crystalized in platinum silicon.
Larger pieces included a coffin-sized bronzed box with hands, feet and faces breaking through in various angles, and a plaster wall sculpture called ‘Aiming At You I Saw Me But It Was Too Late This Time.’
Relationships: Pitt and Angelina married in 2014 and divorced in 2019 and share six children together; Maddox, 21, Pax, 18, Zahara, 17, Shiloh, 16, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 14 (pictured in 2014)
Difficult times: Pitt took up sculpting following his contentious split from Jolie; pictured 2015
Past: Pitt was married to actress Jennifer Aniston from 2000 to 2005 (pictured together in 2000)
One of the smaller pieces included a modest miniature house made from what appeared to be blocks of wood and tree bark.
The Oscar winner crafted several wooden ‘Candle Holders For Loved Ones’ which the artist described as ‘made in the time of Covid.’
No word on how much the various pieces are going for or if any has been sold.
The actor is scheduled to re-team with his Ocean’s 13 buddy George Clooney, 61 for the as yet Untitled George Clooney/Brad Pitt/Jon Watts project described on IMDB.com as a story of ‘two lone wolf fixers who are assigned to the same job.’
Wall piece: The Bullet Train star created a plaster wall sculpture called ‘Aiming At You I Saw Me But It Was Too Late This Time’
Original: The original pieces included several pieces under the umbrella title of ‘Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound to the House’ consisting of trapped bullets crystalized in platinum silicon
Rustic: One of the smaller pieces included a rustic miniature house made from what appeared to be blocks of wood and tree bark
His friend, deBranne Treu, attended the show and posted about it enthusiastically on social media.
‘Last night we celebrated our dear friend, Brad Pitt’s first art show and everyone was BLOWN AWAY. To say his work is great is an understatement as he is a true artist creating out of extreme passion and drive.’
‘The dedication to his craft is humbling and inspiring.’
DeBranne, who is an artist herself, used spicier language to heap compliments on the Bullet Train star’s work in her Instagram stories.
Covid project: The Oscar winner crafted several wooden ‘Candle Holders For Loved Ones’ which the artist described as ‘made in the time of Covid
