Robbie Williams was back in London to rub shoulders with a host of celebs at the launch party for his debut art exhibition, Radical Honesty.
Louis Theroux, Leigh Francis, Ella Morgan and Philip Colbert were on the guest list at Moco Museum London at Marble Arch on Thursday night to celebrate the work of the pop star turned artist.
Dressed in a denim jacket and jeans, Williams was joined by his wife, Ayda. The couple had flown in from their Los Angeles home to promote the exhibition, which is now open to the public.
Radical Honesty is formed from a collection of the sketches Williams has posted to great acclaim on Instagram. The drawings are basic but are complemented by a witticism, usually about a medical condition or a comment on modern life.
Who was at Robbie Williams's art show opening night?
- Robbie Williams
- Ayda Williams
- Louis Theroux, broadcaster
- Leigh Francis, comedian
- Philip Colbert, artist
- Chris Levine, artist
- Alison Jackson, photographer and artist
- Daniel Lismore, fashion designer and artist
- Maxim, The Prodigy
- Ella Morgan, television personality
- Precious Muir, television personality
- Molly Lanaghan, 2025 Dancing on Ice winner
- Pips Taylor, broadcaster
Williams has cited David Hockney as an inspiration. He told the Standard’s Dylan Jones: “The reason I thought I could do it is because I was hanging out with Hockney at his studio in LA and he showed me how he draws on an iPad.
“If it wasn’t for Hockney, I wouldn’t have thought that iPad drawings would have been a medium that would be considered worthy. I’ve got all these boxes of pens and paints and canvases and glue and typewriters, but you use an iPad, and it becomes simple and quick.
“And my brain works so quickly and gets bored so quickly, you don’t get a chance to get bored. Hanging out with him was like hanging out with a Beatle, it was incredible.”
The art show comes on the back of a prolific time for Williams during which he has released a documentary on Netflix and then partnered with director Michael Gracey for Better Man, a film about his life. Williams is portrayed as a monkey in the feature, which received positive reviews for its originality and unflinching content but, although the soundtrack album went to number one, it did not make a box office profit.
Williams has been coy about plans for more new music but is set to embark on a massive tour this summer, which will include two dates at London’s Emirates Stadium.
Read more: Robbie Williams on success, cocaine, trauma — and finally growing up
Art has been a therapeutic part of Williams’s life for many years although, unlike his music, he has been unwilling to show it to the world until now.
Williams told Jones: “I didn’t want people to shame me. Most celebrities’ artwork… I don’t rate it.
“I thought, I must be shit too. When a lot of celebrities do art, they have a need to be taken seriously, but I’ve never asked the world to take me seriously. And they’ve repaid in kind. But with my art, it’s not serious, it pokes fun.
“I hope my stuff is ridiculous and shows us how ridiculous we are. I’m not saying my stuff is any better, I’m just saying why it took me so long to show it to people.”
Robbie Williams’s exhibition, Radical Honesty, is now open at Moco Museum London, london.mocomuseum.com
Williams plays Emirates Stadium on June 6 and 7, ticketmaster.co.uk
