DRAFTING W/ ALEXANDER JAMES
British-born Alexander James has taken on one of art’s simplest shapes — a square — for his new exhibition at Phillips Gallery. The works split the canvas into four sections, creating paintings that feel at once personal and emotional — while nodding to artists who explored the square before him, including Josef Albers, Mark Rothko and Donald Judd.
Blending soft pastels with brighter electric tones, James layers in fragments of faces, memories and notes throughout the work. His process starts loosely, with sketches and handwritten thoughts before becoming something physical in the studio. The paintings almost feel like pages from James’ diary — moments from everyday life broken apart and pieced back together through abstraction.
For DRAFTING, James brings us with him to Hong Kong, where Dissecting the Square has been on display (and closes May 31st), to reveal all the in-between moments that drive his creativity and art practice.
Quick little portrait I made on my iPhone Notes of a woman sitting opposite me at lunch.
And another little sketch whilst I was on the go.
Usually back in the studio, some of the works start with loose oil pastel sketches from those earlier little iPhone Notes.
Quick chat with this man on the way to the train station.
Later stages start to look more like this. Adding more layers and waiting for the oil to dry.
This was one of my favorite spots I ate at in Hong Kong. David Tang opened The China Club in 1991 inside the old Bank of China Building, and it was made to feel like old 1930s Shanghai.
Work from the exhibition at Phillips in Hong Kong. It was my first solo exhibition in the city.
Met this chef whilst walking around the city. Probably the kind of face that finds its way back into a painting later on.
Running on no sleep for the second day in a row. Hong Kong mornings starting before the city fully wakes up.
Shooting around Hong Kong with a few toys with my friend Robin. Video and images usually end up shaping a lot of the paintings in my work.
Passed by this old little watch store on the other side of the road. I think this Patek from the 1960s was my favorite one in there.
