A posh hotel in Canary Wharf is turning itself into a jazzed-up art gallery with a bombshell collection from reformed alcoholic-turned-artist Lincoln Townley.

East London Advertiser: Russell Brand and his portrait by TownleyRussell Brand and his portrait by Townley (Image: Marriott Hotels)

The collection includes Townley’s colour-bursting portrait of comedian, actor, TV celeb and radio host Russell Brand, which raised $20,000 for the Recovery Trust, a charity helping addicts get over drink or drug use through abstinence.

The five-star London Marriott in West India Quay has opened a gallery on site and has this week appointed Townley as its resident artist.

His Banker Collection of abstract paintings reflects addiction and “the madness of consumption”.

Townley’s most recent art showcase reflected on getting through addiction.

East London Advertiser: Russell Brand and his portrait by TownleyRussell Brand and his portrait by Townley (Image: Marriott Hotels)

“I am now nearly four years sober from drink and drugs,” he says. “My art has been my form of therapy.”

He openly concedes to living life to excess, but meeting actress Denise Welch dramatically changed his life.

“My early paintings are about consumption, madness, the darker side of life,” he adds. “Living in Soho was all about consumption—you really didn’t feel like you were doing anything wrong, but pushed yourself to the limit. I knew I had to get out of there.”

Lincoln Townley’s collection captures the raw emotions exorcising his experiences from the punishing influence of substance abuse and alcohol indulgence.

The ex-salesman and best-selling author has recently had commission requests from Mickey Rourke, Gary Oldman and Charlie Sheen who praised his work as “the true face of addiction”.

The Marriott’s hotel manager, Bertrand Dijoux, was bowled over when he visited Townley’s West End art show in November and invited him to display his ‘Banker’ collection and other paintings in the luxury Docklands setting.

He has also asked Townley to install 12 more paintings on each floor of the hotel.