Jonathan Ellery

Who is Jonathan Ellery?

Jonathan Ellery is an English artist and founder of British design studio Browns.

Ellery was born in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire and raised in Cornwall. His father was an artist and ceramicist and set up a family pottery in Newlyn and Penzance.

Ellery studied Graphic Design at Bournemouth and on graduation moved to London to begin his career as a Graphic Designer. In 1998, following success and Creative Directorship at various companies, Ellery co-founded the design studio Browns.

In 2002 Ellery took over ownership of Browns. It is now run creatively by himself and Claire Warner, combining cultural and commercial commissions. Clients include Channel 4, Hiscox, Bafta and Dries van Noten.

In 2008 Ellery launched Browns Editions, the publishing arm of Browns, producing limited edition, hand numbered titles. The Browns Editions catalogue covers photography, conceptual and fine art books.

Ellery’s first notable shift towards balancing design and his work as a solo artist occurred in 2005, with "136 Points of Reference". This took the form of an exhibition held at the Andrew Roth Gallery in New York, and a self-published art title, the first in what is now a series of five.