Rachel Jones is a significant new voice in abstraction whose work explores the interiority of the black body through textured compositions that blend figuration and abstraction in surprising ways. In this work on paper, Jones uses the abstracted forms of mouths and teeth to indicate a symbolic and literal entry point to the interior and the self. Three central monoliths suggest teeth, which are framed by a graphic indication of a lip on the left and the dark abyss of the mouth on the right. Created with oil pastel and oil stick, the discrete sections of the mouth emerge and recede from view as the layers of pigment collapse into a single abstract surface pattern.

Jones is known for repeating symbols and motifs across her work to create associative relationships between them, often choosing to use the same title on multiple pieces. She has been making work with the title A Sliced Tooth since 2020. A different painting from this same series has recently entered the permanent collection of the ICA Miami.

Rachel Jones (b. 1991, London) joined Thaddeus Ropac when her work was included in the group exhibition A Focus on Painting (2020), curated by Julia Peyton-Jones. A graduate of the Royal Academy Schools, London, in 2019, her work has been exhibited at the New Art Centre, Salisbury (2019) and in a solo show following her residency at The Chinati Foundation, Marfa, Texas. She has also exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts, London (2019 and 2018); Fleming Collection, London (2014); and Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh (2014). Jones was awarded the André Dunoyer de Segonzac Hon RA Prize in 2019 and the Machin Foundation Painting Prize in 2018, as well as a residency at the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art in 2016.