John Wells was a British abstract artist associated with the St Ives School. He was born in London and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, where he was taught by Henry Tonks. In 1933, he visited St Ives in Cornwall for the first time and was struck by the clarity of the light and the quality of the landscape. He returned frequently to St Ives throughout his career, and it became his permanent home in the 1960s. Wells was a key member of the group of artists who founded the St Ives School in the 1940s and 1950s, alongside Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, and others. His work was characterized by a rigorous geometric abstraction that was influenced by Constructivism and the work of Mondrian. He often used simple shapes and bold colours to create dynamic compositions that conveyed a sense of movement and energy. Wells' work was widely exhibited throughout his career, and he was awarded the Order of Merit by the Polish government in 1968. His work can be found in many public collections, including the Tate Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the National Museum of Wales.