Halsey Launches Auction of Original Paintings Created Onstage to Benefit U.S. Abortion Funds
Frazer Harrison/Getty Halsey
Halsey is selling their paintings for a cause they're passionate about.
On Monday, the 27-year-old singer-songwriter announced they're auctioning off five paintings created onstage during their recently wrapped Love and Power Tour via Sotheby's and donating the proceeds to the National Network of Abortions, which supports abortion funds across the United States.
The auction follows the U.S. Supreme Court's recent reversal of Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that protected the right to abortion in every state, which Halsey's remained vocal about since its announcement in June.
RELATED: Halsey Claps Back at Fans Who Left Concert over Speech Supporting Abortion in Phoenix
Each painting available through Sotheby's was created by Halsey in three minutes while performing a song onstage during recent concerts in Detroit; Boston; Nashville, Tennessee; Gulf Shores, Alabama; and Portland, Oregon.
The artworks, which feature faces outlined in black ink and adorned with primary colors, are currently on display at Sotheby's New York gallery, per the company's Instagram. Bidding began online on July 9 with a starting bid of $5,000 as part of the organization's upcoming Contemporary Discoveries auction, which closes July 19.
Other artists featured in Sotheby's Contemporary Discoveries auction include Hugh Steers, Kara Walker, Wolf Kahn, Maureen Gallace, Andy Denzler and Lucian Freud.
Earlier this month, Halsey penned an open letter published in Vogue and said abortion "saved my life."
RELATED: Halsey Suffered 3 Miscarriages and Re-Wrote Will After Almost Dying: 'Abortion Saved My Life'
"Many people have asked me if, since carrying a child to term after years of struggling to do so, I have reconsidered my stance on abortion," wrote the musician. "The answer is firmly no. In fact, I have never felt more strongly about it."
Kevin Winter/Getty Halsey
"My abortion saved my life and gave way for my son to have his," Halsey continued. "Every person deserves the right to choose when, if, and how they have this dangerous and life-altering experience. I will hold my son in one arm, and fight with all my might with the other."
The pop star welcomed son Ender Ridley with partner Alev Aydin in July 2021.
Noting that they had "miscarried three times before my 24th birthday," the singer explained, "It seemed a cruel irony that I could get pregnant with ease but struggled to maintain a pregnancy."
"One of my miscarriages required 'aftercare,' a gentle way of saying that I would need an abortion, because my body could not terminate the pregnancy completely on its own and I would risk going into sepsis without medical intervention," they added.
Alev Aydin Instagram Halsey, Alev Aydin and son Ender Ridley
"During this procedure, I cried. I was afraid for myself and I was helpless. I was desperate to end the pregnancy that was threatening my life."
Halsey also shared that they were traumatized by the past experiences to the point that during the third trimester while carrying Ender, they even rewrote their will.
RELATED: Halsey Says Son Ender, 11 Months, 'Hates' Their Singing: 'My Biggest Critic'
"I was prepared for the worst," Halsey shared. "I gave detailed instructions regarding the donation of my organs should I die or be declared brain-dead, meaning if my heart beat on but my brain wasn't functioning, the state would have permission to cut into my warm and still flush flesh and take my organs to save other lives."
"How funny that while my own heart would amount to nothing more than a series of involuntary movements on an operating table, a beating heart in my womb could mean I couldn't consent to saving my own life," Halsey noted.
Amy Sussman/Getty Halsey
When news of the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade, which had been in effect since 1973, broke last month, Halsey wrote on Twitter that they felt "defeated" by the ruling.
The decision lets individual states decide whether to allow abortions and will likely lead to all but total bans on the procedure in nearly half of the country.
"I have been advocating for abortion, reproductive rights, and bodily integrity for as long as I've had a platform and I'm running out of ways to word and frame the severity of the impact that fundamentalism has on our country," they wrote at the time. "I know some of you look to my page for information or guidance but I need a little bit of time to speak to some people with more authority and experience than me and gather my thoughts. I don't want to just contribute to antagonistic noise."
