Bio
James Needham was born in Rugby, England in 1983 and currently lives and works in Sydney, Australia. He studied at the Oxfordshire College of Art in the UK, graduating with a Diploma in General Art & Design in 2002 and is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Fine Art at Sydney's National Art School.
Artists Statement
My Latest series of paintings engage with the history of art to form a group of works dealing with contemporary life. Taking themes and compositions from a range of art historical sources I will re contextualise them, investigating themes of gender roles, power dynamics and sexuality. I will investigate them in terms of what Kuspit refers to as the "Metanarratives of the modern world"- namely lack of social cohesion, loneliness and an overt sexuality. My interest lies in human relationships and the often conflicted feelings one feels when engaging with others.
Exhibitions
2017- BFA Graduate Exhibition - National Art School, Sydney
2017- "Gridlock" - National Art School, Sydney
2016 - "Another Landscape Exhibition" - National Art School, Sydney
2016 – Blacktown City Art Prize
2015 – Immortality & Vulnerability - group show, Zhou B Art Centre, Chicago, USA
2014 -“Being” - joint exhibition with Amber Subaki, CK Gallery, Newtown, Sydney
2014- Cycleorama Bicycle Art Exhibition - Protohub, Darlinghurst, Sydney
2014- Group Exhibition – “Out Loud” (part of the Mardi Gras Festival) Tap Gallery, Sydney
2013- Cycleorama Bicycle Art Exhibition - Protohub, Darlinghurst, Sydney
2013 – Group Exhibition – Box Gallery, West End, Brisbane
2012 – Group Exhibition – “In your Face” Portrait Exhibition, The Old Ambulance Station, Nambour, QLD
2012 - Solo Exhibition – Just Us Gallery, West End, Brisbane
2001, 2002 - Group exhibitions - North Oxfordshire College
Awards and Prizes
2017 William Fletcher Foundation artist's grant
2016 Semi Finalist Doug Moran National Portrait Prize
2016 Finalist Blacktown City Art Prize
Collections
Princess Alexandria Hospital, Brisbane
Private Collections in The UK, USA, NZ, Germany, Spain, Brazil, China, Australia
Publications
Work featured in several issues of Poets/Artists magazine 2013-16
Work featured in Serendipity Magazine, Vol. 4 Issue 1, Summer 2014
Work featured in the book “Creating Intimacy” - Published 2013
Illustrated book “The Pavilion” - published 2005
James Needham was born in Rugby, England in 1983 and currently lives and works in Sydney, Australia. He studied at the Oxfordshire College of Art in the UK, graduating with a Diploma in General Art & Design in 2002 and is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Fine Art at Sydney's National Art School.
Artists Statement
My Latest series of paintings engage with the history of art to form a group of works dealing with contemporary life. Taking themes and compositions from a range of art historical sources I will re contextualise them, investigating themes of gender roles, power dynamics and sexuality. I will investigate them in terms of what Kuspit refers to as the "Metanarratives of the modern world"- namely lack of social cohesion, loneliness and an overt sexuality. My interest lies in human relationships and the often conflicted feelings one feels when engaging with others.
Exhibitions
2017- BFA Graduate Exhibition - National Art School, Sydney
2017- "Gridlock" - National Art School, Sydney
2016 - "Another Landscape Exhibition" - National Art School, Sydney
2016 – Blacktown City Art Prize
2015 – Immortality & Vulnerability - group show, Zhou B Art Centre, Chicago, USA
2014 -“Being” - joint exhibition with Amber Subaki, CK Gallery, Newtown, Sydney
2014- Cycleorama Bicycle Art Exhibition - Protohub, Darlinghurst, Sydney
2014- Group Exhibition – “Out Loud” (part of the Mardi Gras Festival) Tap Gallery, Sydney
2013- Cycleorama Bicycle Art Exhibition - Protohub, Darlinghurst, Sydney
2013 – Group Exhibition – Box Gallery, West End, Brisbane
2012 – Group Exhibition – “In your Face” Portrait Exhibition, The Old Ambulance Station, Nambour, QLD
2012 - Solo Exhibition – Just Us Gallery, West End, Brisbane
2001, 2002 - Group exhibitions - North Oxfordshire College
Awards and Prizes
2017 William Fletcher Foundation artist's grant
2016 Semi Finalist Doug Moran National Portrait Prize
2016 Finalist Blacktown City Art Prize
Collections
Princess Alexandria Hospital, Brisbane
Private Collections in The UK, USA, NZ, Germany, Spain, Brazil, China, Australia
Publications
Work featured in several issues of Poets/Artists magazine 2013-16
Work featured in Serendipity Magazine, Vol. 4 Issue 1, Summer 2014
Work featured in the book “Creating Intimacy” - Published 2013
Illustrated book “The Pavilion” - published 2005