A Q+A with James: Exploring Nature and Memory
From New Zealand to London to Mexico City, James Watkins has woven a rich tapestry of experience into his artistic practice. His work, deeply rooted in observation and memory, captures the essence of the landscapes and moments that shape his creative journey. In this Q+A, James offers insights into his process, inspirations, and contributions to the upcoming NEW COLLECTORS GROUP SHOW.
Your international journey has greatly influenced your art. How have the places you’ve lived—New Zealand, London, Mexico City—shaped your creative practice?
Painting is always a result of synthesis, either conscious or subconscious. My practice has been more influenced by my time in Mexico and now New Zealand, as in both places I started to actively observe my surroundings and incorporate shapes and forms into my paintings, mostly via visual memory. Experiences that left a strong impression on me and could be recalled during the painting process often made their way into my works. In New Zealand, I have been even more actively engaged with my surroundings, especially the landscapes and Indigenous plant life, in an effort to honour the admiration I feel for the natural world here.
How do photography and painting intersect in your art practice?
Photography has always been a big part of my practice, as it is my primary means of documenting the external world. Often, I take a lot of photos while on walks, then bring them back to my studio and sketch anything that really interests me. These drawings end up on my studio walls so that when I am painting, I can easily glance around for ideas to explore. My background in photography has also given me different perspectives and ideas regarding the compositions of my paintings. Now, when I am out for a walk taking photos, I am already thinking about and noting the elements that will work in my paintings. The exchange between the two mediums is entirely natural. It is really just about finding ways to deepen my appreciation of what I am experiencing.
What concepts or themes are you currently exploring in your work? What can we expect from your contributions to this upcoming exhibition?
Right now, my practice is focused on New Zealand landscapes and natural forms. After being overseas for so long, I am finding it a great way to reconnect with my homeland and to share my enthusiasm for the natural beauty that is so abundant here. The broader thematic element of my work is the acknowledgment of nature more generally and how the human experience longs to align (but in the modern world often disaligns) with the rhythms and frequencies of the natural world. Through painting, I acknowledge my place in nature and seek to integrate myself more fully into it.
Born in Oxford in 1984, James Watkins embarked on a journey that would take him across continents, shaping his artistic voice along the way. At a young age, he moved to Auckland, where his passion for photography and writing ignited. His formative years were spent immersed in the rugged beauty of Golden Bay and Great Barrier Island—rural landscapes that deeply influenced his creative vision. It was here that he won first prize at the Golden Bay Art Awards and hosted his first solo photographic exhibition.
In 2010, James relocated to Australia, spending five years between Melbourne and Sydney, where he became deeply embedded in the contemporary art scene. Working as an editor-in-chief, writer, and photographer, he honed his craft in arts journalism, leading to the development of his own mixed media practice. His work, rooted in self-exploration, abstraction, and experimental mark making began to take shape.
His artistic journey then led him across the globe, from Oxfordshire and Istanbul to a transformative year in Paris. There, he expanded his visual art practice into the streets, merging photography and painting in new and unexpected ways. Back in London, he held his debut solo painting exhibition, Somewhere Between at Three Colt Gallery (2019), followed by Jewels for Everyone at Nam House Gallery in Hackney.
In 2021, James moved to Mexico City, where he continued painting while working as an arts writer, consultant, and photographer. He co-founded and co-directed Casa Astrónoma, a contemporary art space, where he held his third solo exhibition, Future Paradise—a vivid exploration of Mexico’s colours, natural forms, and history.
In 2024, James returned to New Zealand, where he now resides, continuing to explore the intersection of nature, abstraction, and personal narrative through painting and photography.
EXHIBITION STATEMENT
After 14 years abroad, these paintings mark James’s return to New Zealand—a way of reconnecting with its landscapes and immense natural
beauty. Though not all these images are tied to specific locations, they are imbued with the spirit of New Zealand—its rolling hills, native flora, expansive mountain ranges and the energy of the land itself. His goal is to create an immersive experience, a space where the viewer can step in, reflect, and form their own personal connection to the work, shaped by their own memories and experiences.
