What He's Not: A Colourful Conversation with Jonathan Lawes

August 3 , 2025

"Welcome to my studio!" Jonathan Lawes beams, guiding us around the white-walled, welcoming expanse of his South London studio. Light pours through two enormous windows, throwing light on a large drying rack bursting with Jonathan's signature abstract works and his workbench, stacked with brightly coloured paint pots. "The windows are lovely" he enthuses, gesturing out at the Thames, "but when it's pitch black at four pm…" Luckily, today it is sunny, and, as in Jonathan's vibrant, geometric prints, there's not a drop of darkness in sight.

Sunny natured and thrilled to see us, Jonathan welcomes visitors to his Thameside studio. "It's just me in here, talking to myself and listening to music, so when someone comes in it's fun, like having friends over for dinner." There's something special, too, about sharing his printmaking in person; "when everything feels so online, if you see people making stuff by hand, it's quite nice! Nothing beats seeing art in real life." In the age of the internet, he elaborates, "the role of the artist has become more important." There's a responsibility to that, he admits, laughing — so while artists might want to be "locked away with an easel and paints" it's important, "in this day and age, to show who you are."

So who is Jonathan Lawes? Although he's keen to show us who he is, he also tells us a lot about who he isn't. He is not, for example, any kind of celebrity, although, he confides, he may have been a children's tv presenter in another life. With exhibitions in galleries around the UK, from Air Contemporary to The Vanner Gallery, high profile collaborations spanning homeware and accessories, and an ever-growing community on Instagram, would it be fair to add a "yet" to that statement? Jonathan laughs, "Celebrity seems to be a big thing! It's important to be known whether you like it or not." But, does Jonathan like the look of it? "No! It looks exhausting!" he chuckles, "I would much rather be in the background, and let my work do the talking."

The work — screen printed shapes, delicately overlayed in a rhythmic interplay of colour and form — does indeed speak for itself, although it’s the vibrant colours, not words, that do the talking. "I'm not a poet, I just love colour!" Jonathan smiles. From Klein blues to mustard yellows, from the muted minimalism of Berlin accented with flashes of neon, shifting into a punchy pastel when a dash of white is added, to the volcanic grey and cacti green found in Lanzarote, Jonathan works intuitively, finding joy in discovering new colours and forms. "I'm like a kid having fun with my paints" he explains, while touring us around his print table. A childlike enthusiasm, he impresses, "is not a negative thing… it's like when you're a child and you embrace stuff because you don't know anything." Becoming older, he suggests, can make us more judgemental — "I like this or I don't like that" — a discernment Jonathan resists through an openminded curiosity: "who knows if red goes with green?! I'm not going to stare at a colour wheel, I'll just go and try it." Sometimes, he explains, not following the rules can get a really nice outcome. "Why not play a bit?" he asks us, "there's so many formalities in life already!"

With "a memory of shapes", a "good understanding of composition", but, most importantly, "a love for the fun of the process," Jonathan finds inspiration everywhere: from a nice little village on holiday, to a red beanie, stark against a Finnish snowscape. Regardless of his inspiration, he stresses, he is not the custodian of the work after it has left his studio. "I don't want to put a name to a piece that makes it instantly recognisable," Jonathan explains, laying out the brightly patterned pieces along his workbench — "there's no hidden meaning to my work, I'm just having fun and enjoying it, and the names are a part of that." It is, Jonathan tells us, "your future life with the artwork." Whilst a piece might remind him of Italy, "if it reminds you of Spain, I'm not going to correct you when it's hanging in your home! I want you to love it."

Jonathan's also not a teenager anymore, and he's glad of it. "I've never felt the wish to be eighteen again! That feeling that you have of needing to impress everyone, I think that when that's out of your system, everyone feels a bit happier." Looking ahead, then, rather than to the past, what does Jonathan look forward to? "Turning fifty, turning sixty!" He laughs, "I think that I look forward to continuing to be carefree, but still appreciating the people around me… Being respectful, but letting my hair down."

So, who is Jonathan Lawes? He is his work, from intricate patterns to an organic process, colour and play, experimentation and fun. Simply put, "the work, it's just me."

In partnership with SIRPLUS, Jonathan has created the Folio Collection: 12 limited edition prints, printed on fabric from the SIRPLUS archives. Each is unique, offering a little piece of history and celebrating stories of friendships. You can purchase yours from Jonathan's website, with all proceeds going to CRISIS, the national charity for people facing homelessness across Wales, Scotland and England.