Robbie Williams unveils Radical Honesty at Moco Museum
Robbie Williams has had a career spanning music, film and now art. Swapping pop for paint, on Thursday evening, he unveiled his latest in a long line of fine art. His newest work, Radical Honesty, is a deeply personal solo exhibition at Moco Museum in London. Fans began queuing from the early hours, just hoping to catch a glimpse of him. When he finally arrived – walking the pink carpet hand-in-hand with his wife, Ayda Field – he was met with roaring screams before ascending to the main show.
Perched above Moco’s collection of Basquiats and Koonses, Radical Honesty is a reflection of Williams’s inner life. One of the first works visitors encounter is a painting of the artist looking into a mirror. In loopy blue handwriting, the canvas reads: “I forgive you for being a dickhead, you twat.” Then, in smaller script: “We still need to work on this.” Nearby, another piece features Williams practising small talk in the mirror, trying out lines that “won’t sound insane”, ultimately settling on: “Smelt anything cool lately?” This portion of the display was focused on morning affirmations, with Williams explaining that “words become rituals and affirmations can shape reality”.
Language is key throughout the exhibition. Every piece features text, whether it’s painted, sewn or chiselled in stone, perhaps a residual connection to Williams’s songwriting roots. However, these words aren’t polished lyrics, they’re nervous, raw and darkly funny. One sculpture, a gravestone, reads simply: “I’m dead now, please like & subscribe.” Some attendees remarked that there was a Gen Z-esque self-deprecation to the works. Yet, it feels authentic –Williams is self-aware enough to be able to poke light at himself, the industry and wider culture.
That voice runs through much of the show. You could particularly feel this in his Emotion Sweater piece. From far away, it’s a life-sized hype-beast jumper covered in logos, up close, a threadbare exposition of inner emotion, with words like “Empathetic”, “Narcissistic” and “Anxious”, scrolled across. The piece alongside it takes sharing what’s on the inside a bit more literally. A huge hoodie with patches like: “Halcion Ozempic”, “Morphine Lemsip” and “Zolpidem Valium”, all sewn on like pockets.
Williams has publicly spoken about his anxiety. This exhibition acts as an open letter, detailing his relationship with it. Or rather, her. Williams has named his anxiety and encourages viewers to as well. In a large-scale painting of a kooky-old-lady type, he wrote, “Give your anxiety a silly name. Mine is called Blanche. This is Blanche,” accompanying which is a Greco-Roman style bust of Blanche herself. Turning his fear into a muse, and his hand to sculpture, for the first time in his fine art career.
Despite the crowd of press, industry figures and celebrity supporters – such as documentarian Louis Theroux – the evening felt grounded. Conversations about vulnerability washed over the room, as did the alcohol free champagne. Celebrity art can often feel detached or gimmicky, but Radical Honesty doesn’t try to impress. Instead, it invites viewers into the messy, awkward, self-deprecating world of someone still figuring things out. No matter who you are, there is something to relate to in Radical Honesty.
Williams has always been a multitude of things: pop star, actor, fascination of the British press. Here, he is something new: simply a man trying to be honest.
Sara Belkadi
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Robbie Williams: Radical Honesty is at Moco Museum from 2nd May 2025. For further information or to book, visit the exhibition’s website here.
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