Chefs are curious beings – some are loud and exuberant, others calm and collected; some court the limelight, others downplay their influence. But there are a few things that bind them all: passion, a penchant for long hours, and hands that tell the story of a life spent in the kitchen.

That’s why when photographer Katie Wilson wanted to document 50 of London’s best chefs, she chose to show their hands first, in a series called simply Fifty Chefs: The Hands That Feed London. Destined for a new home following a successful run at Londonewcastle Project Space in Shoreditch, the images are striking in their sparseness and prove that if a picture can paint a thousand words, a pair of hands can say even more.

Take a look at 11 of our favourites in the gallery above.

Find out more at fiftychefs.com