Tom Howse was born in 1988. He currently lives and works in London. His paintings balance between realism and fantasy and explore what the artist describes as the dichotomy between our quest to know and our fallibility to comprehend. Explaining the mysteries of the cosmos, the earth and humanity; the theme of life and death; and the causes and meaning of natural phenomena, has bewildered humanity since ancient times. Taking its form in folklore and myths, Howse is interested in how humans are drawn towards explanations found within these stories and how they are used to sooth the fear of the unknown. In 2018 he was one of five artists to receive the John Moore’s Painting Prize and was shortlisted for the Caitlin Prize (2012) and the Prunella Clough Painting Award (2012).

Recent solo exhibitions; Post- Celestial Compost, 2017, Rod Barton Gallery, London; Secondhand Toad Poems, 2017, Tanja Pol Galerie, Munich. Selected group exhibitions: I Must Be Seeing Things,2019, Ratskeller Galerie, Berlin; Kaleidoscope,2019, Saatchi Gallery, London; Condo London,2019, Koppe Astner, London; John Moore’s Painting Prize, 2018, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool