Pharrell Williams to be art subject at this year's Isle of Wight

Festival Crowd Header

Pharrell Williams' appearance at this year's Isle of Wight Festival is to be forever immortalised by way of a unique portrait that is to be painted at the event.

Artist Pure Evil will create the portrait down at the festival on Saturday 13th June, as well as creating pieces for The Who’s Keith Moon and the legendary Jimi Hendrix, who both played at the original festival in 1970.

The artwork will go on display at the Pure Evil Gallery until July 3rd where silent bids will be available - all money going to music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins.

In celebration of their 40th Birthday, music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins have teamed up with acclaimed street artist Pure Evil and the legendary Isle of Wight Festival to launch an exciting new music and art initiative to raise vital funds for the charity.

Nordoff Robbins is the largest single music therapy organisation in the UK, and is dedicated to transforming the lives of vulnerable children and adults through the specialist use of music therapy.

To launch the initiative Pure Evil, real name Charles Uzzell-Edwards, has created an exclusive special edition logo for The Isle of Wight festival, bearing his trademark ‘dripping’ celebrity portrait image, made famous through his popular ‘Nightmare Series’, and utilising the festival’s original and iconic artwork.

The initiative will also see Pure Evil create four new, unique art pieces exclusively for Nordoff Robbins – three of which will be painted at the Isle Of Wight Festival on Saturday 13th June, with the fourth piece to be painted live at the charity’s annual Silver Clef Awards, which on the 3rd July will celebrate its milestone 40th Anniversary, and kick-off celebrations of the charity’s 40th Birthday.

The subjects of these unique pieces will be 2014 Silver Clef Award winner Pharrell Williams, who will be playing at The Isle Of Wight Festival this year, alongside The Who’s Keith Moon and the legendary Jimi Hendrix, who both played at the original festival in 1970. All pieces will be signed by Pure Evil himself, and Pharrell Williams will be signing his art piece in support of Nordoff Robbins.

These three exclusive creations will be up for grabs to the public at the Pure Evil Gallery until the 3rd July, where silent bids will be taken for each piece. The subject of the fourth and final piece is yet to be unveiled, but will be auctioned off on the day of the awards, with proceeds from all four pieces going towards transforming lives through music therapy.

Pure Evil says “I’m completely blown away to be involved in this project. I believe all art has a soundtrack, and I believe somebody else said ‘without music, life would be a mistake’ - its’ all true. I’m excited to collaborate with Nordoff Robbins, and celebrate the legendary Isle of Wight festival by doing some stonking paintings and to hopefully raise some money for an amazing charity”

John Giddings, Festival Promoter for Isle of Wight Festival, says “The Isle of Wight Festival has supported Nordoff Robbins for a number of years and we are very excited to be collaborating on such a creative and innovative project. I’m looking forward to seeing the three pieces being created on the festival weekend!”

Jo Carter, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Nordoff Robbins says “We are thrilled to be working with both Pure Evil and The Isle Of Wight Festival on this very exciting project which so uniquely brings together art and music. It is wonderful to be launching such an innovative initiative in such a special celebratory year for the charity and it will help us raise those all-important funds to ensure we can keep transforming lives through music therapy”.

Published on 08 May 2015 by Ben Robinson

Recent News More news

  • FLUNK Announces Farewell London Concert

    Norwegian Indie Lo-Fi Electronica Group Flunk has announced their farewell concert in London. The band gained recognition in the early 2000s with their debut album 'For Sleepyheads Only.' Learn more about their musical journey and loyal fan following.

  • Lady Gaga Announces 'The MAYHEM Ball' Tour Across North America, Euro

    Lady Gaga has officially announced 'The MAYHEM Ball' tour with dates across North America, Europe, and the UK in support of her new album, MAYHEM, which received widespread acclaim. The tour kicks off in Las Vegas and includes multiple nights in various cities.

  • Happy Place Festival 2025 Returns to Gunnersbury Park and Tatton Park

    Fearne Cotton's Happy Place Festival is back for summer 2025 with new venues in London and Cheshire. The festival will feature a range of guest speakers, workshops, and activities focused on self-care and wellness.

  • Dot To Dot Festival Adds Bristol and Nottingham Talent

    The third Dot To Dot announcement reveals over 130 local acts from Bristol and Nottingham joining the line-up for the 20th edition of the festival. Find out more about the exciting additions and what to expect at this year's event.

Upcoming Festivals Browse all

  • York Blues Festival

    05 April 2025

    York Blues Festival is a one-day event on April 5th. It will feature the ten best blues bands and support the Charlies Angle Centre Foundation for bereaved families and parents.    

  • Nantwich Jazz, Blues & Music Festival

    17 April - 21 April 2025

    Every year, thousands of people swarmed into Nantwich over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend to enjoy the town’s Jazz, Blues and Music Festival. Warm weather and an impressive line-up of entertain...

  • Le Beat Bespoke

    18 April - 21 April 2025