Hannah Catherine Jones: UNEARTHING(S)
Leeds Art Gallery, 22nd May–30th August 2026
Yorkshire Contemporary is delighted to announce a major new commission by Hannah Catherine Jones (born Doncaster, 1987). UNEARTHING(S) is the first exhibition in her home county and largest solo exhibition to date. The site-specific installation will respond to Leeds Art Gallery’s Central Court.
Artist, composer and multi-instrumentalist Jones is known for her use of performance, layered soundscapes and spatial interventions to conjure other-worldly installations. Jones’ work focuses on questions of decolonisation, seeking to disrupt the status quo, (re)centre marginalised voices and create space for collective healing.
UNEARTHING(S) will explore individual and collective themes of grief and regeneration. Considering personal and cultural losses across space and time, the exhibition draws upon the artist’s own history and experience growing up as part of the region’s Caribbean diaspora.
Riffing off the Central Court’s chapel-like architecture, Jones proposes to create space for contemplation by using combinations of sculpture, light and sound. UNEARTHING(S) will reference and sample Yorkshire and Bajan culture, filtering it through her unique artistic style, infused with subtle mixtures of poignancy and subversion.
The exhibition is commissioned and curated by Yorkshire Contemporary in partnership with Leeds Art Gallery. It forms part of the Leeds 400 celebrations in 2026.
Hayley Dixon, Director of Yorkshire Contemporary says: “Hannah Catherine Jones is an artist I have long admired. I am delighted that audiences in our region will get to experience her radical and innovative approach to sound and installation in her largest presentation to date. Yorkshire born and bred, she’s an incredible example of the talent from the county. Our thanks go to Leeds Art Gallery and our generous funders for this collaboration, as Yorkshire Contemporary continues to work towards establishing our new home.”
Jane Bhoyroo, Principal Keeper at Leeds Art Gallery says: “It’s wonderful to be partnering with Yorkshire Contemporary on this new commission. Summer 2026 sees us pay homage to sculpture in many different forms, and as part of this we are pleased to welcome a Yorkshire-born artist to animate our Central Court space. We are passionate about commissioning artists connected to the region, and I know that Hannah’s innovative sculpture and sound work will surprise and captivate visitors to the gallery.”
UNEARTHING(S) will open alongside Arp: The Plasters and Garth Evans: The Anti-Virus Sculptures as part of Leeds Art Gallery’s Summer of Sculpture.
Contact Information for Media Enquires:
Helina Bassey, Marketing and Development Coordinator helina.bassey@yorkshirecontemporary.org
Notes to Editors:
UNEARTHING(S) is commissioned by Yorkshire Contemporary in partnership with Leeds Art Gallery. It is funded by Arts Council England, Henry Moore Foundation and a Research Support Award from Goldsmiths, University of London.
Leeds 400
Leeds 400 is a year-long celebration marking 400 years since Leeds was granted its charter in 1626. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the city’s rich history, celebrate its culture and communities, and look forward to its future.
Listings Information
Hannah Catherine Jones UNEARTHING(S)
22nd May–30th August 2026
Leeds Art Gallery, The Headrow, Leeds LS1 3AA
Tuesday–Friday, 10am–5pm; Saturday, 10am–4pm; Sunday: 11am–3pm
A Give What You Can gallery
About Hannah Catherine Jones
Hannah Catherine Jones (aka foxymoron) is a Doncaster-born, Bajan-diasporic, London-based artist, researcher, multi-instrumentalist, broadcaster/DJ (BBC Radio/TV, NTS – The Opera Show), composer, conductor, and founder and creative director of the Peckham Chamber Orchestra and Chiron Choir.
Jones uses sound and sculpture to conjure transcendental installations. Her soundscapes are created by layering vocals, samples, as well as electronic and traditional instruments, to transport audiences via experiential sonic interventions.
Jones completed her AHRC DPhil scholarship at Oxford University in 2021 for which the ongoing body of work The Oweds was presented as a series of live and recorded, broadcast, audio-visual episode-compositions, using disruptive sound as a methodology of institutional decolonisation.
Jones has performed, exhibited and lectured widely including: Barbican Centre, National Gallery, Southbank Centre, Institute of Contemporary Arts, V&A, Oxford University, Trinity Laban, Cafe Oto, Nottingham Contemporary and Britten Pears Arts (UK); Ocean Space (IT); ECAL (CH); Sandberg Institute (NL); University of Bayreuth (GER); Beirut Art Centre (LEBN); Oi h Futuro (BR); Eyethu Centre (SA); New York University and Harvard University (U.S.); NIRIN: 22nd Biennial of Sydney and Liquid Architecture (AUS); Wonderfruit (TH); among others.
About Yorkshire Contemporary
Yorkshire Contemporary produces and presents ambitious contemporary art that connects people, artists and ideas.
Based in Leeds and working across West Yorkshire, we champion emerging and underrepresented artists, offering sustained support, networks and visibility, creating the conditions for artists to thrive, and shining a spotlight on the region’s most exciting, diverse talents.
Working beyond gallery walls, we spark creativity and inspire communities through playful, stimulating encounters, working in partnership to make new things possible, and welcoming everyone to actively explore, create and discover the joy and power of art.
yorkshirecontemporary.org
@yorkshirecontemporary
About Leeds Art Gallery
Founded in 1888 as a civic art gallery, Leeds Art Gallery has strong collections of 19th and 20th century British painting and sculpture, widely considered to be one of the best outside national collections. Alongside an extensive painting and sculpture collection, the gallery holds a significant collection of moving-image work. To accompany the collection Leeds Art Gallery presents a dynamic and diverse programme comprising exhibitions, commissions, acquisitions and projects by artists whose work is globally significant and locally relevant. In recent years, Leeds Art Gallery has launched British Art Show 8, established Yorkshire Sculpture International, presented Sonia Boyce’s award-winning Feeling Her Way from the Venice Biennale and has co-commissioned major moving-image works.
artgallery.leeds.gov.uk
@leedsartgallery
