Biography

Duncan James is an Australian Artist, Designer and Film Maker based in the hinterland of Byron Bay.

Born in the United Kingdom, he emigrated as a young child with his family to Perth, Western Australia. Growing up in a new country, he soon became fascinated with the vast richness of colour and texture of the native flora and fauna that were so abundant in Western Australia. What was first a young boy’s art hobby became quickly a business selling many works depicting his vision of the Australian landscape to a multitude of Perth souvenir and art stores. By the age of 16 he had sold over two hundred pieces and had followed this success by enrolling into the Western Australia School of Art.

James’s love of the Australian ‘bush’ seemed deeply entrenched as was his desire to be working outside in nature. He decided to study Landscape Design and Construction in the hills of Perth. Loving his new vocation, working outside in nature and enjoying a new skill set, his creativity flourished. In his early twenties James started his own successful Landscape Design business, venturing into projects with a respected German garden designer and together they designed and constructed many award winning gardens.

After a successful career in Landscape Design, James, aged 34, yearned to spend more time devoted to his Art. He decided to move to the creative hub of Byron Bay, New South Wales at Australia’s most easterly point.

“Living in a rural environment and escaping the daily grind has been very advantageous for my artwork and lifestyle. Utilising skills learnt in landscaping I built numerous outbuildings including a rustic stone and timber art studio. My partner and I collected a menagerie of animals to help share the farm, which in turn provided me with constant inspiration for my artwork” D.James

Some of James beloved birds, his Turkeys became the focus when exhibiting overseas in New York. Dominique Nahas, New York based Art critic and curator summed up his work.

“James depicts {his} turkeys with remarkable force and intensity… creating enduring portraits of his birds, extolling their repelling asymmetrical imperfections, the strangely erotic, carnivalesque dissensions of their features. His depictions of this bird evinces a palpable fascination with textures, surfaces and colours..” D Nahas ( New York Art Critic) 2011

Back in Australia, James created a stir when he painted the then Prime Minister, Julia Gillard as one of his hens. James adds, “ It wasn’t meant to be political, I just noticed the way she walked and it reminded me a lot of one of my hens! I think its healthy to put some humour into your work, at least some of the time! However, my new body of works encompasses a lot more of myself, both abstractly and internally. The style has grown organically and through texture, shape, line and colour, I believe, creates a timeless and original style..” LM 2019