Special Exhibition - Soft Lines: Illustrating Empathy with Ruby Jones

Dunedin-born illustrator Ruby Jones is one of New Zealand’s most exciting contemporary illustrators. Her work explores themes of love, relationships, mental health, and body image, often highlighting everyday moments with warmth and empathy. Ruby first gained international recognition following the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, with a powerful illustration of two women embracing and the words, “This is your home and you should have been safe here.” Since then, she has illustrated a cover for Time magazine, released her international best-seller All Of This Is For You, and illustrated former prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s debut children’s book, Mum’s Busy Work.

This exhibition features dozens of Ruby’s most famous, impactful, and personally cherished works. It also offers a glimpse into her early life, with personal belongings from her childhood that reveal her love of drawing from a young age.  Now based in Melbourne, Ruby remains deeply connected to her Dunedin roots.

Free entry