b. 1976 in NSW, Australia
Lives and works in Sydney, Australia
Philjames’s practice spans painting, drawing and sculpture. With the skill of a conservator, he is known for carefully inserting new elements on old found paintings and prints, totally hijacking the original image in the process. The amendments are often from the cartoon Golden Age of Walt Disney and Looney Tunes and stretch and squeeze animation style. His work, fun and philosophical in equal measure, shows that beneath the rational functioning of our society is often an anxious, hidden and nightly side. Philjames is also known for his collaborative work with various Australian artists like Polly Borland and Robert Malherbe. Recently Philjames’ series Pleasure Island marked a change in direction for the artist as he abandoned the readymades and instead composed images with heightened vibrancy directly onto canvas.
Philjames received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Printmaking) from the The National Art School, Sydney in 2002. He has been a finalist in the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship (’05,’06), the Dobell Prize for Drawing (‘04), The Blake Prize (’05,’14,’18), The John Fries Memorial Prize (‘12), The Kings Art Award (‘16), and the Sir John Sulman Prize (’17, ’18, 20, 23). In 2020 he was awarded the Waverly Art Prize and The Allan Gamble Award (Mosman Art Prize). Group exhibitions in public institutions include Conquest of Space: Science Fiction & Contemporary Art, curated by Andrew Frost, Galleries UNSW, Sydney; The Future’s Knot, curated by Peter Johnson, The Lock Up, Newcastle; Wondermountain, curated by Joanna Bayndrian, Penrith Regional Art Gallery; and The Boondocks Experiment: Off the beaten track, Hawkesbury Regional Art Gallery, and most recently participated in “The TV Show”, Wollongong Regional Art Gallery (curated by Daniel Mudie-Cunningham), “Course Stories” at Goulburn Regional Art Gallery (curated by Gina Mobayed) and “Caught Stealing” at The National Art School (Curated by Jaime Tsai).
