Ozzy Osbourne's latest canvases: paintings made with chimpanzees for charity


The British rocker, who died yesterday, had recently ended his live career with Black Sabbath. Shortly before his death he had launched a charitable chimpanzee painting project, raising funds for a sanctuary in Florida dedicated to animals rescued from illegal labs and zoos.

Ozzy Osbourne (Birmingham, 1948 - 2025), the historic frontman of Black Sabbath who passed away yesterday, ended his career with one last concert while attracting the attention of the public and press a few days later with an unusual charitable art project, carried out in collaboration with a group of chimpanzees. The news, initially greeted as a curiosity, instead revealed one of the last wishes of the artist, who passed away at the age of 76. The canvases, made by several hands, human and primate, were auctioned off to support Save the Chimps, a sanctuary in Florida that shelters animals removed from animal testing labs, abusive zoological facilities and wildlife trafficking rings. The project was conceived by Osbourne himself, a longtime painting enthusiast. In fact, in the weeks before his death, the artist created five multicolored backgrounds on canvas, then left the chimpanzees housed at the sanctuary to complete the works. The brushstrokes added by the animals transformed the paintings into abstract expressionist works, later auctioned off between July 7 and 17, 2025.

“I paint because it gives me peace of mind, but I don’t sell my paintings,” Osbourne said. “I made an exception with these collaborations as it raises money for Save the Chimps, a sanctuary for hundreds of monkeys rescued from labs, roadside zoos and wildlife traffickers.”

Ozzy Osbourne and the primate paintings. Photo: Omega Audictios
Ozzy Osbourne and the primate paintings. Photo: Omega Audictios

The initiative attracted the interest of art enthusiasts and fans of the musician, achieving a financial response that exceeded expectations. In fact, bids started from 1,000 pounds for each work, but all lots reached much higher figures. The painting Paranoid, created by Osbourne in collaboration with the chimpanzee Janice, sold for £13,820, making it the highest bid. Technical Ecstasy, with Kramer and Sable, went for £10,800. The other canvases, however, Electric Funeral with Sophie, Blizzard of Ozz with Kramer and Tattooed DancerwithSable, registered 10,020, 10,000 and 9,400 pounds, respectively.

The project was publicly announced the day after Osbourne’s last live concert, titled Back to the Beginning, held on July 5, 2025. On that occasion, the artist performed two separate sets: the first solo, the second with the reunited lineup of Black Sabbath, the group with which he achieved international fame. It was his final farewell from the stage, ending a career that began in the early 1970s and was marked by global success, personal excesses and a long endurance of adversity.

Ozzy Osbourne, Paranoid (2025; acrylic on canvas, 20x20 cm). Photo: Omega Audictios
Ozzy Osbourne, Paranoid (2025; acrylic on canvas, 20x20 cm). Photo: Omega Audictios

In recent years, Osbourne had faced a gradually deteriorating health condition, and after a diagnosis of a form of Parkinson’s disease, he had undergone several surgeries on his neck and spine following a fall in 2019. During that time he had also been stricken with pneumonia and an infection that required prolonged antibiotic treatment. Despite the difficulties, he had continued to maintain active contact with fans and to plan activities parallel to music, including, indeed, painting. The decision to combine his passion for visual art with his commitment to animal protection was thus welcomed as an unexpected turning point in the life of the former frontman, best known for stage provocations and excesses in his youth.

Save the Chimps, the recipient organization of the funds raised by the auction, houses more than 200 chimpanzees rescued from situations of mistreatment or exploitation. The works by Osbourne and his primate partners had helped support the center’s mission by funding its day-to-day activities, from veterinary care to improving its housing facilities. The titles of the five paintings sold were chosen as a tribute to Osbourne’s musical career: Paranoid, Blizzard of Ozz and Electric Funeral in fact recalled well-known tracks from his discography, while Technical Ecstasy and Tattooed Dancer evoked lesser-known but nonetheless important moments in his repertoire. With Osbourne’s passing, one of the most controversial chapters in rock history comes to a close. But his latest collective work, born of an unlikely encounter between music, art and animalism, revives his legacy in an entirely new form.

Ozzy Osbourne's latest canvases: paintings made with chimpanzees for charity
Ozzy Osbourne's latest canvases: paintings made with chimpanzees for charity


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