Jack Hilton, b.1996, is a London-based painter.

“My work always starts with source material. This could be a novel (I have an ongoing series drawing on 'The Master and Margarita' by Bulgakov), a reference to a painting such as Caravaggio's 'Judith and Holofernes', or a historical event. I use these varied sources as a leaping-off point for a more formal experimentation in colour and pattern. 

Narrative is an important driver initially for me, but then in practice it becomes more about creating something that has the mystery and ambiguity of an abstract expressionist painting whilst retaining elements of figuration and narrative drama. For instance, a recent painting took a diagram of fish evolution as a starting point and was quite graphic, before being pared down to its bare elements with swathes of flat colour. My interest in history and literature has always been as a form of escapism and my aim is to capture that feeling.”

Following a degree in English Literature at the University of Sussex, Hilton began painting professionally in 2020. He has been part of many group exhibitions, including with Felt Collections (London) and Reuter Bausch (Luxembourg.) His first solo show came in the winter of 2023 at The Table, Hay-on-Wye followed by another at Galleriet Agnes in Copenhagen in summer 2024. He has recently had another show of solo work at The Vanner Gallery in Salisbury.

Hilton comes from a family of painters. His grandparents were the acclaimed St Ives artists Rose and Roger Hilton.