James William Murray’s work develops at intersections of painting, sculpture, and photography. Touch, trace, desire, loss, and bodily fragility are central themes, with memento mori and the theological concept of the relic recurring as key points of reference. His conceptual approach combines the language of formal objectivity with an underlying lyricism that conveys implicit subjectivity. This tension emerges through a range of minimal gestures: solitary handprints made with wine appear as faded vestiges on jute, hemp, and linen cloth; graphite is burnished onto birch and maple panels to produce dark, mirror-like surfaces; and brass tubes, brazed with silver, form frameworks depicting cross forms breaking free from their structures.
Bio
James William Murray (b. 1988) is a British artist living and working in Brighton, UK, and Heiloo, The Netherlands. He received an MA in Photography in 2015 from the University of Brighton. Murray has presented his work in international solo, group, and two-person exhibitions at venues including Dr Julius | AP, Berlin (2025); Saturation Point, London (2024); Stephane Simoens Contemporary Fine Art, Knokke, Belgium (2024, 2022, 2021, 2018, 2017); Museum Jan Heestershuis, Schijndel, The Netherlands (2024); iCOON Museum, Hoek van Holland, The Netherlands (2024); Canopy Collections, London (2023); The Church Tower of Sint Anna ter Muiden, Sluis, The Netherlands (2023); PS, Amsterdam (2023); Abingdon Studios, Blackpool, UK (2021); Rule Gallery, Denver, CO, USA (2021, 2019); and Towner Eastbourne, UK (2018, 2016).
Cv
Cv.pdf
Contact
E-mail: jameswilliammurray[at]gmail.com
Gallery
Stephane Simoens Contemporary Fine Art
Golvenstraat 7
8300 Knokke-Zoute, Belgium
Tel: +32 476 475 928
E-mail: info[at]stephanesimoens.com
Work also available at
Canopy Collections
3 Bloomsbury Place
London WC1A 2QA
United Kingdom
E-mail: contact@canopy-collections.com
RULE Gallery
808 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO, USA
204 E San Antonio St, Marfa TX, USA
Tel: +1 303 800 6776
E-mail: info[@]rulegallery.com