Brad Pitt missed the Oscars to work on a sculpture.

Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt

The 53-year-old actor was one of the producers on Best Picture winner 'Moonlight' but was noticeably absent from the Academy Awards last weekend, and it has now been claimed he skipped the ceremony because he's tied up with an art project.

A source told The Hollywood Reporter that the 'World War Z' actor had been at the Los Angeles studio of British artist Thomas Houseago for almost 10 days working on the piece, though it is unclear what form the finished work will take.

Brad and his estranged wife Angelina Jolie - with whom he raises six children - were avid art collectors during their marriage, with pieces by the likes of Banksy, Ed Ruscha and Schoony part of their $25 million collection.

And the 'Moneyball' star is also known for his love of architecture and design.

His friend, director Andrew Dominik, previously said: "I never wanted to be rich until I met Brad. Because he knows what to do with it.

"You go to the homes of most movie stars and they're like really, really nice hotel rooms. Brad lives in pieces of art.

"There's a breeze blowing through every window. As soon as you walk through the door, you feel stoned."

Brad - who teamed up with Frank Pollaro for a high-end furniture collection in 2012 - also loves spending quiet time in galleries and museums.

He once said: "It's a lovely experience walking around a museum by yourself."