Rachel Jones

In summer 2025, Dulwich Picture Gallery presents an exhibition by Rachel Jones (b. 1991), the first ever solo contemporary show in the Gallery’s main exhibition space. The show will feature a series of newly commissioned works celebrating this leading artist’s exploration into identity and interiority within the self. 

Jones studied at the Glasgow School of Art and Royal Academy of Arts, London, and has exhibited in leading institutions across the UK and internationally, including recent solo exhibitions at The Museum of African Diaspora, San Francisco (2024), Long Museum, Shanghai, China (2023) and Chisenhale Gallery, London (2022). The commissions for Dulwich Picture Gallery will organically develop from the body of work created for her recent solo show !!!!! at the Museum of African Diaspora and will respond to the Gallery’s collection through a contemporary lens. 

Jones explores abstraction and life through painting, installation, sound and performance. Using the full colour spectrum in her works, she provokes different emotions for the viewer, creating sensory landscapes through an instinctive and intuitive mark-making process. Working in layers of oil stick and oil pastel, the artist blends with her hand and builds up distinct tones, which often result in unusual and sometimes unsettling combinations.  

Motifs of mouths are often found in her works. This body part is steeped in historical, cultural and societal meaning, and also represents a metaphorical and literal portal to our inner selves. Using colour, texture and abstraction, Jones expresses the emotions we feel in our bodies – things that often remain unspoken. Working simultaneously on large and small-scale pieces, she creates a dialogue between her works and invites audiences to interpret the paintings through their own personal experiences. 

The exhibition is curated by Jane Findlay, Head of Programme and Engagement, Dulwich Picture Gallery. A colour illustrated catalogue with newly commissioned essays will accompany the exhibition, shedding further light on the remarkable practice and process of Jones as an artist.