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ABOUT
A Singapore-born and Sydney-based contemporary landscape painter who explores abstraction in landscapes. I look for shapes and colours in the landscape and portray them in simple forms so there is an abstract quality to the work.
"My works are also about characterisation of natural elements found in the land. Giving character to paddock trees, clouds, hills and farm dams creates a unique narrative of the landscape."
A self-taught studio-based painter, his works are not painted from life, rather they are imagined. Painting in a figurative abstract style, he uses a signature palette and gestural brush strokes to express the movements in the land and figurative elements to visually anchor the landscape.
His paintings are first and foremost abstract works and secondly, landscapes. The abstract aspects of the work draw the viewer in and allow them the opportunity to interpret what they see, adding the figurative elements so the viewer appreciates the familiar typical elements of a landscape, which helps them anchor their perspectives on the work.
A finalist in a number of Australian national art prizes, including the 2023 Sir John Sulman Prize, 2019 & 2020 Paddington Art Prize and the 2022 & 2023 Calleen Art Award.
Exhibited with public and commercial galleries in Australia and Europe.
Achievements:
Finalist - Waverley Woollahra Art School 9x5 Landscape Prize (2024)
Finalist - Northern Beaches Environmental Art & Design Prize (2024)
Finalist - Blacktown City Art Prize (2024)
Finalist - Sir John Sulman Prize (2023)
Finalist - Calleen Art Award 2023
Finalist (Commended) - Hawkesbury Art Prize (2023)
Finalist - Lethbridge 20000 Art Award (2023)
Finalist - Calleen Art Award (2022)
Finalist - Lethbridge 20000 Art Award (2022)
Finalist - Northern Beaches Environment Art and Design Prize (2021)
Finalist - Lethbridge 20000 Art Award (2021)
Finalist - SBS Portrait Prize (2021)
Finalist - Paddington Art Prize (2020)
Finalist - Gosford Art Prize (2020)
Finalist - Greenway Art Prize (2020)
Finalist - Little Things Art Prize (2020)
Finalist - SBS Landscape Prize (2020)
Finalist - Lethbridge 20000 Small Scale Art Award (2020)
Finalist - The Alice Prize (2020)
Finalist - Paddington Art Prize (2019)
Finalist - Hornsby Art Prize (2019)
Finalist - Blacktown City Art Prize (2019)
Finalist - Hawkesbury Art Prize (2019)
Exhibitions:
Group exhibition (Stala Contemporary, Perth) 2024
Solo exhibition (Michael Reid Gallery - Murrurundi, NSW) 2024
Group exhibition (Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne, VIC) 2024
Solo exhibition (Woollahra Gallery, Sydney, NSW) 2024
Group exhibition (Inverell Gallery, Inverell, NSW) 2024
Group exhibition (Stala Contemporary, Perth) 2023
Group exhibition (Day Gallery, Blackheath NSW) 2023
Finalist exhibition (Art Gallery of NSW) 2023
Group exhibition (Michael Reid Gallery, Berlin) 2020
Group exhibition (Michael Reid Gallery, Sydney) 2020
Various national art prize finalist exhibitions 2019-2024
James' works are shown in the following galleries:
Scott Livesey Galleries (Melbourne, Victoria)
Michael Reid Gallery (Murrurundi, New South Wales)
Day Gallery (Blackheath, New South Wales)
Stala Contemporary (Perth, Western Australia)
His works are held in private collections in Australia, New Zealand, USA, United Kingdom, Italy and Singapore.