COVENTRY.- The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum celebrated the opening of its newest exhibition "Antony Sher: Audience" on Friday night.

After speeches by the Herbert's Chief Executive Ludo Keston and Antony Sher himself, the exhibition was opened as both art and theatre lovers crowded into the exclusive VIP launch.

Ludo Keston noted "Theatre and art has such a close relationship. They are both about looking, seeing and appreciating something that is available to everyone but is also wholly unique to the individual because of their own experiences."

"We're delighted to host such a prestigious exhibition and give audiences in Coventry an intriguing insight into a how an actor and an audience see a performance".

The exhibition runs from 9 April until 28 April in the Studio on the first floor of the gallery.

The centrepiece of the exhibition is The Audience, which Sher painted during 2008 and 2009. It is an autobiographical piece which features some of the people who have influenced his life, from famous figures to family members. It was created to coincide with the new edition of his memoir, Beside Myself.

Born in 1949 in Cape Town, South Africa, Sher started drawing and painting as a young child. While he developed his careers as both an actor and author, he continued to work as an artist, doing illustrations for his novels and theatre journals. Sher has also held exhibitions at the Barbican Centre, the National Theatre, the London Jewish Cultural Centre, and the National Theatre again to celebrate his 60th birthday in 2009.

Sher has received numerous theatre awards, as well as honorary doctorates from the universities of Liverpool, Exeter and Warwick. In 2000 he was knighted for his services to acting and writing.

"Antony Sher: The Audience" exhibits at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum from 9 April until 28 April.