james watkins artist portrait studio london

Portrait: Dalma Berger, 2020

Born in Oxford in 1984, at an early age James Watkins emigrated to and grew up in Auckland, New Zealand. In his late teens, he committed to his interest in photography and writing before travelling around New Zealand and living in the rural communities of Golden Bay and Great Barrier Island. During this time he won first prize at the Golden Bay Art Awards and had his first solo photographic exhibition.

He then relocated to Australia where he spent six years between Melbourne & Sydney. Here, he purposefully engaged with the contemporary art world – exhibiting work whilst employed as an editor-in-chief, writer and photographer; with documentary projects and writing assignments taking him to New York and Japan. The result of his focus on arts journalism was the development of his own mixed media art practice focusing on self-analysis, abstract forms and experimental mark marking.

After leaving Australia, he lived in the UK and Istanbul before spending a year in Paris where he expanded his visual art practice onto the streets and continued to develop his photographic vision. In 2019 he held his first solo painting exhibition at Three Colt Gallery in London, where he currently resides and continues to dedicate his time towards his work.

Born in Oxford in 1984, at an early age James Watkins emigrated to and grew up in Auckland, New Zealand. In his late teens, he committed to his interest in photography and writing before travelling around New Zealand and living in the rural communities of Golden Bay and Great Barrier Island. During this time he won first prize at the Golden Bay Art Awards and had his first solo photographic exhibition.

He then relocated to Australia where he spent six years between Melbourne & Sydney. Here, he purposefully engaged with the contemporary art world, exhibiting work whilst employed as an editor-in-chief, writer and photographer; with documentary projects and writing assignments taking him to New York and Japan. The result of his focus on arts journalism was the development of his own mixed media art practice focusing on self-analysis, abstract forms and experimental mark marking.

After leaving Australia, he lived in the UK and Istanbul before spending a year in Paris where he expanded his visual art practice onto the streets and continued to develop his photographic vision. In 2019 he held his first solo painting exhibition at Three Colt Gallery in London, where he currently resides and continues to dedicate his time towards his work.

James Watkins

Artist | Photographer

Artist | Photographer