Madonna’s son, Rocco Ritchie, hosts exhibition in his mother’s LA hair salon

[Brendanlovesu1 12,478]

It came as quite the surprise when it emerged that Rocco Ritchie, 22, son of Madonna and Guy Ritchie, had been painting under the pseudonym ‘Rhed’, now showcasing his work via Instagram under the name ‘Maison Rhed’. There have since been reports that the young artist has launched an exhibition in Los Angeles, displaying his work at an unconventional venue: Hollywood salon Andy LeCompte, owned by the man who cuts Madonna’s hair, according to Richard Eden in the Daily Mail.

With a number of shows at the Tanya Baxter Contemporary gallery in Chelsea, west London, Ritchie has established himself as an expressionist painter using thickly applied oils and gestural brushstrokes for his depictions of the human form. Reportedly inspired by the likes of Banksy – who may well have planted the seed of the idea of anonymity, he’s said he’s ‘fascinated about the inner and outer world, especially where they meet’. The message of his paintings is that there is ‘beauty in the struggle of life’ – more beauty, he is quoted as saying, than when life is easy. He also recently credited his parents Madonna and Guy Ritchie for raising him in a ‘creative household’ that has now led to his art career, according to the Mail. 

Vetoing his parent’s connections, and opting instead for a pseudonym to showcase his raw talent, the artist’s painting’s often sell for up to five figures. They were reportedly going for £24,000 before Rocco’s identity was revealed by Page Six. His show last summer attracted both of his parents to the gallery on the King’s Road. It prompted a media frenzy, even while the public remained in the dark about the true identity of the artist. Guy and his wife, Jacqui Ainsley, as well as Madonna and her boyfriend, Ahlamalik Williams, 27, and adopted children, Mercy and David, arrived for the al fresco gathering. Similarly, a private dinner was held for his work during Art Basel in Miami.

The King’s Road gallery has likened Ritchie's work to Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy, and he has attracted a number of positive reviews, including from Mervyn Davies, a former chair of the Royal Academy. ‘Good artists are those that turn energy into something beautiful that resonates with the eye,’ Davies told the Guardian. ‘Anyone can be a painter, but it is a question of making others think, and provoke feelings.’

https://www.instagram.com/maisonrhed/?hl=en

https://www.tatler.com/article/madonnas-son-rocco-ritchie-artist-rhed-exhibition-hair-salon-los-angeles?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwAR13oMsacr4NRyar2by3YqJiuEvf1OSuH6TOEIM1bPBLvE6fAKcnizaNbZE

 

[Andreo 5,354]

Good for him! Nice to see her children are on their way in life already