An experienced artist, Jonathan Oakes has developed a creative journey shaped by both rugged landscapes and the realities of industrial life. Growing up in Sheffield, U.K., he found early inspiration in the contrasting environments of the Peak District’s natural beauty and the dark, heavy atmosphere of welding workshops. These opposing forces continue to inform the textures, layers, and moods within his art.

After years of working across different creative fields including design, audio-visual work, and digital music production, Jonathan returned fully to painting in 2022. A period of long-term illness became a turning point, reigniting his drive to create physical artworks and release years of stored imagination. He has since exhibited his artwork in galleries across the country. Now based in Tewkesbury with his family, he is dedicated to producing work that reflects both personal resilience and a profound respect for nature.

Jonathan’s practice is rooted in environmental concerns and a fascination with the natural world. His art, abstract in definition, has been described as organic in style, with layered surfaces and mark making that add depth and narrative. His artworks are created using mixed media on paper, canvas, or large abandoned photographs. Within his art he hopes to create a starting point for the viewer’s imagination.

Jonathan’s artworks are held in private collections, including some notable collectors. Rhinoceros was sold in 2023 to the Principal of Cheltenham Ladies College, Mrs. Eve Jardin-Young. The renowned poet Eley Furrell has also purchased a number of his artworks between 2023 and 2024. His exhibitions and consistent engagement with galleries across the country have established him as an artist whose work resonates with collectors seeking thoughtful and expressive artworks.

Awards:

Amazing Abstracts, Open Online Competition 2025

Amazing Abstracts, Open Online Competition 2024

U.K. Artists Exhibition, Leamington Spa, 2023

Best Contemporary Art Practice, Open Exhibition Artizan Gallery Torquay 2022

Exhibitions:

The Bigger Picture (2025), The Sub Rooms, Stroud

Original artworks (2025), Gardens Gallery, Cheltenham

Square (2025), Gardens Gallery, Cheltenham

Abstracted (2025), Lansdown Gallery, Stroud

Introduction (2024), Gardens Gallery, Cheltenham

Winter (2024), Lansdown Gallery, Stroud

Original artworks (2024), Sixteen Gallery, Cheltenham

Art Trail Venue (2024), Roots Coms Hall, Gloucester

4 Stories (2024), The Settings Gallery, Nailsworth

Review (2024), Lansdown Gallery, Stroud

Adventures Wild (2024), Kunst Matrix (Online)

Original artworks (2024), Gardens Gallery, Cheltenham

WWF Endangered (2024), Tebbs Gallery, Coventry

Abstracted (2023), Meta Space Gallery (Online)

Humanity, National (2023), Hove Museum, Hove

Cornucopia (2023), Cupola Gallery, Sheffield

Original artworks (2023), Gardens Gallery, Cheltenham

Beneath the Earth (2023), Fronteer Gallery, Sheffield

Landscapes (2023), Fronteer Gallery, Sheffield

Delphic(2023), Cupola Gallery, Sheffield

Telling Stories(2023), The Orb Walls, Leeds

Humanity, National (2023), Sotheby's, London

Togetherness(2023), D31 Gallery, Doncaster

Winter II (2022), The Flux Review (Online)

Winter (2022), Artizan Gallery, Torquay

Fringe Art Prize (2022), 44AD Artspace, Bath

The Landscape (2022), Open Gallery, Halifax

Art4oka (2022), Direct Art Action, Sutton C’field