Madonna’s art collection spans modern and contemporary works, particularly from the 20th century. Among her treasures are Frida Kahlo’s “My Birth” and “Self-Portrait with Monkey,” Salvador Dalí’s “Portrait of My Dead Brother,” Pablo Picasso’s “Buste de Femme à la Frange,” and Damien Hirst's signature spot paintings. She is also a devoted collector of Tamara de Lempicka’s Art Deco masterpieces, including “Andromeda” and “Adam and Eve.” 

Beyond collecting, Madonna has been deeply involved with the art world. She wore a  Keith Haring jacket for her iconic performance of “Like a Virgin” on BBC1-TV's Top of the Pops in 1984. Interestingly, Madonna also had a brief romantic and creative relationship with Jean-Michel Basquiat in the 1980s.

Brad Pitt’s art collection reveals his taste for contemporary works and appreciation for 20th-century design. Among his acquisitions are Neo Rauch's “Etappe,” and works by Banksy and Marcel Dzama. Beyond paintings, Pitt has a passion for collectible furniture that blurs the line between art and design, including works by Frank Lloyd Wright and George Nakashima.

Pitt is also deeply involved in the art world through his philanthropic efforts. In 2007 he founded the Make It Right Foundation to rebuild New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina. The foundation has worked closely with local artists and architects like Frank Gehry, Shigeru Ban and Mia Lehrer to design and build sustainable homes.

An artist himself, Pitt’s sculptures were displayed in the exhibit Thomas Houseago’s WE with Nick Cave & Brad Pitt in Finland in 2022.

Pharrell Williams is passionate about artists like Takashi Murakami, Kaws, and Keith Haring. In 2014, Williams took on the role of curator for the exhibition “This is Not a Toy” at the Design Exchange in Toronto, which featured over 700 “art toys” from his personal collection, including works by Kaws. His creative partnership with Murakami also led to the creation of the sculpture “The Simple Things,” as well as a collaboration for his “It Girl” music video.

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Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi taste in art is reflected in a collection that harmonizes with their love for interior design. Their home, located in Montecito, California, features a mix of modern and mid-century design elements, with clean lines, open spaces, and an emphasis on natural light. It is adorned with works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Mark Grotjahn and Ellsworth Kelly, blending modern art with mid-century elegance. 

In addition to their personal collection, Portia de Rossi has been involved in the art world through her company, General Public, which she launched in 2018. General Public is an art publishing company that collaborates with contemporary artists to create limited-edition prints, making art more accessible to a broader audience. 

Actor and comedian Steve Martin is a connoisseur of Canadian and American art, with a particular affinity for the Group of Seven, a collective of Canadian landscape painters formed in 1920, known for their bold and expressive depictions of Canada’s natural beauty. Martin’s collection includes masterpieces from Lawren Harris, Roy Lichtenstein’s “Girl with Ball,” and Edward Hopper’s Study for “Summer Evening” and Study for “A Woman in the Sun.” 

Martin is a dedicated patron of the arts, and his love for these works extends beyond ownership. He has curated exhibitions, including the 2015 The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson at the National Gallery of Canada.

Kanye West’s art collection is as bold and innovative as his music. His portfolio includes striking works by George Condo, Takashi Murakami and Vanessa Beecroft. West’s collaborations with Condo, including for album covers such as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, reflect his vision of seamlessly merging the worlds of music and visual art. Murakami is also closely associated with West through their collaboration on the Graduation album cover. These works, characterized by their striking visual language and boundary-pushing styles, align with West’s own avant-garde approach to creativity.

The late David Bowie was not only a music icon but also an avid art collector with a refined taste for modern and postmodern works. His collection featured notable pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Damien Hirst, and Frank Auerbach. One of the most significant pieces from his collection was Basquiat's “Air Power,” which sold for £7.09 million at auction in 2016. Bowie also owned Auerbach’s “Head of Gerda Boehm,” which fetched almost £3.8 million after his death. 

Bowie even collaborated with Hirst for “Beautiful, hallo space-boy” in 1995, a ‘spin painting’ whose title alludes to the musician’s signature song character Major Tom. Of the experience, Hirst wrote, “[David Bowie] always said he found my work emotive and expressionistic and he once described it as ‘a reverberation of sorts’. In that way, the spins feel so fitting and constantly alive for David. I feel so lucky to have shared the small experience with him.”

Following Bowie’s passing, the rock star’s carefully curated collection was auctioned off at Bowie/Collector, a two-day auction held at Sotheby’s in London from November 10 to 11, 2016. The auction featured over 350 pieces of artwork, showcasing Bowie's eclectic taste and support for contemporary artists. 

Oprah Winfrey’s art collection is a testament to her sophisticated aesthetic, featuring a blend of classic and contemporary influences. Among her prized possessions was Gustav Klimt’s “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II,” a masterpiece she later sold for a record-breaking price. 

In addition to this, her collection includes works by artists such as Faith Ringgold, including “Sunflowers Quilting Bee at Arles,” which was originally made while Ringgold was creating other works commissioned by Winfrey. This painting depicts a group of famous African American women creating a quilt patterned with sunflowers, sitting in a field of sunflowers in Arles, with the artist Vincent van Gogh approaching them. The women portrayed are Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Madam C. J. Walker, Ida B. Wells, Mary McLeod Bethune, Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks and Ella Baker, who comprise the fictional National Sunflower Quilters Society of America. 

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