The buzz around British artist Rachel Jones has been growing steadily ever since her breakout appearance in a 2020 group show at Thaddaeus Ropac. Known for her colourful, large-scale abstract paintings, Jones explores themes of identity, emotion and, in particular, the lived experience of Black people. Her vibrant compositions often feature recurring motifs – notably teeth and mouths – which act as gateways to inner worlds, inviting viewers to reconsider their perceptions of the body and self.
In April 2025, Jones made her US solo debut with Dark-Pivot at the prestigious Regen Projects gallery in Los Angeles – an influential platform for contemporary art. In this new body of work, she continued her exploration of colour and form, juxtaposing vivid palettes with imagery such as mouths and brick walls, and exploring the boundaries between abstraction and figuration.
And in June 2025, Jones opened her highly anticipated exhibition Gated Canyons at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, the first contemporary solo show in the Gallery’s main exhibition space. This show features bold new paintings responding to Pieter Boel’s Head of a Hound and the historic Collection at the Gallery.
Hurtwood is proud to be the publisher of say cheeeeese, the first book dedicated to Jones’s work. Published to coincide with her acclaimed 2022 solo exhibition at Chisenhale Gallery, London, this documents a key moment in her practice.
The book features high-quality reproductions of her work, a photo essay by the artist and a unique, collectible insert: a die-cut sticker of an original artwork, designed by Jones herself and reflecting her signature playful use of stickers – seen most vividly in her exhibition Say Cheeeeese, where she created a series of stickers for the gallery’s interior walls and exterior doors.
say cheeeeese also includes essays by Anaïs Duplan (artist and poet), Ellen Greig (Chisenhale Gallery Senior Curator), Aïcha Mehrez (curator and researcher), Claudia Rankine (MacArthur Fellow) and curator Yates Norton, as well as a foreword by Chisenhale Gallery Director, Zoé Whitley.
A graduate of The Glasgow School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools, Jones has exhibited internationally. Her work is held in major collections including Tate, Arts Council England and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami. The collection Say Cheeeeese has been acquired by Southampton City Art Gallery for its permanent collection.
say cheeeeese
Co-published by Hurtwood and Chisenhale Gallery
Contributors: Rachel Jones, Anaïs Duplan, Ellen Greig, Aïcha Mehrez, Claudia Rankine, Yates Norton and Zoé Whitley.
Design: Type as Image, David Pearson
Print production by Hurtwood
say cheeeeese, can be purchased in our online shop here
