Jake Wood apologises to Brighton gallery over AI images backlash

Last week, Jake Wood unveiled his Icons series during a private viewing at Indelible Fine Art Gallery, in Jew Street, Brighton.

The actor and artist, best known for his role as Max Branning in EastEnders, created 15 original pieces for the exhibition – each piece celebrating a different public figure.

He described his art style as “quite chaotic”, combining spray paint, acrylic, digital techniques and collage.

After sharing an image of his piece featuring David Attenborough, the work came under fire on social media, with some claiming Mr Wood had used AI to create the image.

The TV star was quick to defend his work, taking to social media to say that the “images and photos I’ve used were already in existence and I have then collaged them (digitally or manually) and then painted over them digitally myself”.

The actor has now released a second statement to say that he will not be using AI-generated images going forward and to apologise to Indelible for “any negative commentary directed towards them”.

He wrote: “Whilst I acknowledge that two of the images featured in the exhibition, Attenborough and Trump, incorporated AI-generated source imagery, these images were not personally generated by me and already existed prior to being used within the works.

“These particular pieces were created in 2024 and were not originally intended for inclusion in this exhibition. Since then I have not used AI within my artworks and do not intend to moving forward. I understand the concerns and wider debate around AI in art, and I respect the opinions being expressed.

“As a relatively new artist, this period has been part of my own creative development in discovering both a style and a process that I am happy with. Inevitably, that journey involves learning, evolving and making mistakes along the way. I would like to apologise to the gallery for any negative commentary directed towards them.

“Indelible Fine Art are a brilliant small independent gallery in Brighton that supported me and the exhibition in good faith, with the shared intention of creating fun whilst also raising awareness of dementia and money for Dementia UK.

 “I am really sad that the conversation around the exhibition has shifted in this direction and may have taken attention away from the cause and the wider intentions behind the show.”