Honor Titus

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1989, Titus came to prominence in the New York punk rock scene in the early 2010s as the lead singer of the band Cerebral Ballzy (2009-2015).[4] At this time, Titus also became known for his poetry through independent readings in New York City, where he became associated with the artist Raymond Pettibon, who provided the cover art for Cerebral Ballzy’s first album. Titus began working in Pettibon’s studio, where he assisted in painting and developed in interest in stylized graphic art. Later, the artist Henry Taylor also mentored Titus and gave him his first solo exhibition at Henry Taylor Gallery, introducing him to the Los Angeles contemporary art landscape.

Since moving to Los Angeles in 2016, Titus has focused exclusively on his visual art practice as a painter and draughtsman. His work has since received extensive critical acclaim in publications such as The New York Times, Frieze magazine, Artnet, Interview and Art in America. Between May – August 2021, his work was included in the institutional group exhibition 'and I will wear you in my heart of hearts' at the FLAG Art Foundation, New York.[5] He is particularly noted for his use of vibrant, painterly colour and his distinct use of recurring motifs such as the significance of solitude and a nostalgia for the pre-digital era. His work has drawn comparisons to the influences of Edward Hopper and the nineteenth-century French Symbolist group Les Nabis.

Titus' early paintings portrayed faceless figures in minimal urban landscapes, reflecting the sense of isolation and loneliness that results from a condition of anonymity in the urban environment. Later themes have included compositions inspired by the ritual formality of athletic sports, such as swimming and dancing. In their bold immediacy and emphasis on flat, decorative patterns, Titus’s surfaces echo the hyper-realist graphic style practiced by artists inspired by American advertising, such as Alex Katz. He is represented by Timothy Taylor (gallery).

Recent solo exhibitions include a solo booth presentation for Timothy Taylor at Frieze London (2021); For Heaven's Sake , Timothy Taylor, New York (2021); and Goodness Gracious, Henry Taylor Gallery, Los Angeles (2020). Group exhibitions include IRL at Timothy Taylor, London (2021); and I will wear you in my heart of heart, FLAG Art Foundation, New York, NY (2021); and (Nothing but) Flowers, Karma, New York (2021).

Titus' paintings have been met with widespread critical acclaim in publications such as The New York Times, Artnet, GQ and Interview magazine.[16][17] In the summer of 2021, Titus' Olympics-themed painting 'Golden Bella' was commissioned as the cover of Town & Country.[18]