She also revealed how she speaks to her pictures: “I tell them: You are so beautiful! Look at you, you beautiful little thing,” the US actress told the German Press Agency before the opening of her exhibition “Totem”.
Stone became world famous in 1992 with her role in the erotic thriller “Basic Instinct,” followed by films such as “Casino” (1995), “Catwoman” (2004) and “The Disaster Artist” (2017). Compared to working on a film set, painting is more of a solo experience for her. “Acting is a real team sport. And when you’re done with your work, there’s an editor who cuts it and puts it together.” In painting, however, there is only the artist and the canvas.
Painting has been a part of her life since she was a child. During the corona pandemic, she picked up the brush once more – and now paints for up to 17 hours a day. The 65-year-old is excited regarding the opportunity to present her finished pictures in Berlin: “The paintings fit as if they were created for this place.” In abstract paintings on large canvases, Stone wants to express a number of things – from personal strokes of fate to relationships with men and current world events.
The actress is no longer worried regarding bad criticism of her work. If someone wouldn’t honestly look at her art and take it seriously, she wouldn’t engage with the person, Stone said. “If you’re just another person who wants to tell me that a woman can’t do anything, then I already know that. I learned that with ‘Basic Instinct,’ thank you very much,” said the acting icon with a wink. She got bad reviews when the film came out. “And then it became the biggest hit, not just in my city, not just in America, but all over the world, right?”
“This whole idea that you can’t do more than one thing and stay in your lane – that’s what it was like when I was a young woman,” Stone said. Courageous women are an inspiration to her and she has decided not to allow herself to be restricted. This courage is also needed to overcome the “terrible times we find ourselves in”. “And I believe we will overcome them. And I think we will only be able to do this thanks to women,” said the actress.
A total of twelve paintings can be seen in the Deschler Gallery in Berlin-Mitte until May 18th. On Monday, Sharon Stone will also be a guest at this year’s “Cinema for Peace” gala in Berlin.
