My work reflects a relationship to land shaped by observation, memory, and lineage.

Shona Jones is a painter based in Hawke’s Bay, Aotearoa New Zealand. Her work is grounded in place and shaped by an enduring attentiveness to light, land, and lived experience.

Across botanical, landscape, and figurative subjects, Jones explores how light reveals form and presence — whether falling across petals, moving through water, or resting on the human figure within the landscape. Her paintings are characterised by quiet observation and a sense of stillness, inviting close looking and reflection.

Recent works have moved more strongly into figurative painting, reflecting connections between people and whenua through whakapapa, memory, and place. These paintings consider identity as something held within the land — carried through generations, labour, and daily life — rather than as a fixed or symbolic narrative.

Alongside this, Jones continues to draw from rural and working landscapes, including scenes connected to the shearing industry, acknowledging both personal history and the wider relationship between land, labour, and community in Aotearoa.

Working primarily in acrylic and oil, Jones’ practice is rooted in sustained observation and a commitment to making work that is both intimate and grounded. She has participated in the Hawke’s Bay Arts Trail and exhibited in group exhibitions in Hastings and Napier.

Enquiries regarding available works, commissions, and exhibitions are welcome.