James Hillman

Born in London, 1992. He lives and works in Isola del Liri, Italy.

Biography

James Hillman’s art explores the delicate boundary between nature and industry, painting and sculpture, tradition and modernity. His work is profoundly influenced by Isola del Liri, a town defined by its rare central waterfall, which serves as both a Romantic symbol and a marker of industrial history. This unique environment inspires Hillman’s investigation into the tension between natural landscapes and human intervention, challenging conventional ideas of the picturesque.

James Hillman uses traditional oil techniques and a custom rolling process to capture the fluid movement of water, translating it into undulating, layered forms that appear suspended above the canvas. His compositions ripple over bent wooden supports, blurring the line between painting and sculpture and challenging the definition of art itself. Like the waterfall that inspires him, Hillman’s work inhabits a space between the organic and mechanical, the natural and the human.

By combining expressive gestures with precise, semi-mechanized techniques, Hillman creates “object-paintings” that merge sculptural and pictorial forms. His shaped canvases, covered in bright, even color, transform flat surfaces into objects with depth and spatial presence. Influenced by artists like Robert Irwin, Hillman invites viewers to move around his work, engaging in shifting perceptions and optical illusions, creating a dynamic, participatory experience.

Born in 1992, James Hillman has crafted a unique artistic voice, merging technical precision with a meditative exploration of place and form. His work embodies an ongoing dialogue between structure and fluidity, objectivity, and perception, making each piece a compelling exploration of space and movement.

James Hillman’s solo exhibitions include Chute d’eau, waterfalls, cascate, curated by Mirta d’Argenzio at Elizabeth Royer Gallery in Venice (Nov 2023 – Jan 2024); Finestra Episodio VI at Spazio Taverna in Rome (October 2021); Soft Furnishing at Lamb Arts in São Paulo (February 2019); a Solo Booth with Lamb Arts at Untitled, Miami Beach (December 2017); and Impermanent Indelible at Lamb Arts in London (July – August 2015).

His group exhibitions span diverse venues and themes: Metaskene at Galleria Studio G7, Bologna (June 2024); IMAGINA, the XXVII edition of the Biennale di Gubbio curated by Spazio Taverna (October 2023 – May 2024); Premio COMBAT at Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori, Livorno (June 2023); Arte Circolare at Sala del Cenacolo, Camera dei Deputati, Rome (March 2023); Babele, curated by Caspar Giorgio Williams at Spazio Musa, Turin (January 2023); Arte Circolare, Premio CONAI, curated by Spazio Taverna at MAXXI, Rome (January – February 2023); Geographies of Memory at LAMB Gallery, London (December 2022); ROMA PITTURA EMERGENTE OGGI at 21 Gallery, Treviso (November 2022); Twiner #8 Shiny Happy People at Ex Elettrofonica, Foro Italico, Rome (May 2022); Ipotesi Astronomiche at APALAZZO GALLERY + Villa Flor, S-Chanf (July 2021); Vivere di Paesaggio, curated by Mirta d’Argenzio at APALAZZO Gallery, Brescia (March 2021); Annual Exhibition at Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh (April 2020); Change of Matter at Lamb Arts, London (June – July 2018); Orange is red brought nearer to humanity by yellow at Lamb Arts, London (March – April 2018); Aurora with Cult Rise, Rome (June – July 2017); Gorse and Trope at Lamb Arts, London (September – October 2016); Pintora, Pintora at Embassy Tea Gardens, London (March 2015); and In House: Pangolin Makers at Gallery Pangolin, Stroud (May 2013).

Hillman has also participated in various international art fairs, including Vienna Contemporary in Vienna (September 2018); Zsona Maco in Mexico City (February 2018 and 2016); Untitled in Miami Beach (December 2017); ArtBo in Bogotá (October 2017 and 2015); London Art Fair in London (January 2016); Photo London in London (May 2015); and SP-Arte in São Paulo (April 2015).

In print, Hillman was featured in 222 artisti emergenti su cui investire, Exibart (2023); Arte Circolare, CONAI (2023); Paintings & Sculptures, Lamb Arts (2017); and In House: Pangolin Makers, Gallery Pangolin (2013).

He also received the COMBAT 2023 awards: Premio Galleria from Studio G7 and Premio Poliart.

Works

Artwork

Jet

2024 Oil on Paper on Plywood with Aluminum Frame 145 × 57 × 16 cm

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