James Lewis
Installation views
Ruderal, 2022. Solo exhibition at Nir Altman Gallery, Munich. Installation view Photo: Dirk Tacke 
Ruderal, 2022. Solo exhibition at Nir Altman Gallery, Munich. Installation view Photo: Dirk Tacke 
Staying with the Trouble curated by Marianne Dobner, 2022, Carbon12 Gallery, Dubai 
Staying with the Trouble curated by Marianne Dobner, 2022, Carbon12 Gallery, Dubai 
Cafe Heaven curated by Pina, Kunstverein Salzburg, Salzburg. Installation view Photo: Georg Petermichl 
Temporary Atlas curated by Alfredo Cramerotti, Fondazione Imago Mundi, Gallerie Delle Prigoni, Treviso. Installation view 
Le Club du Poisson-Lune (The Moonfish Club) curated by Cédric Fauq, Capc Musée d’art contemporain de Bordeaux, France. Installation view. Photo: Arthur Pequin -
Bio
Lewis’ sculptures, installations, and sound pieces are reactions to the cognitive dissonance that fills our quotidian lives, as social and political complexities have been increasingly reduced to statistical data, measurements of time, percentiles, and performance standards. At the core of his practice is an interrogation of the empirical boundaries which determine our understanding of the relationships between humans, animals and objects, and confine our experiences of a given environment.
In staging immersive installations such as distorting the natural light in the exhibition space and utilising anthropomorphic sculptures rendered in layers of painted concrete, he hopes to illustrate the fallacy of statistical language and the nature of quantification, instead displaying how disorder and chaos erode and shape reality. Lewis’ works attempt to challenge these capitalistic driven parameters and provoke a short moment of suspension within the viewer that invites a new ontology of relation.
James Lewis b.1986, London, UK; lives and works in Vienna, Austria.
He completed his studies within the Fine Art Department at the Royal College of Art in London (2010 - 2012) and has taught at The University of Applied Arts, Vienna; The Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna; Leeds University, UK; Norwich School of Art, UK; Kingston University, UK; Paris College of Art, Paris, France; and is currently a Lecturer in Fine Art at AVU, Prague, Czech Republic and an Associate Mentor at Conditions, an artist studio complex in his hometown Croydon, UK.
Recent exhibitions include; Temporary Atlas curated by Alfredo Cramerotti, Mostyn, Wales, 2022; Ruderal, Nir Altman Gallery, Munich, 2022 (solo); Man’s Traces in Nature, Galeria Wschód, Warsaw, Poland, 2022; Cafe Heaven curated by Pina, Kunstverein Salzburg, Austria, 2022; Staying With The Trouble curated by Marianne Dobner, Carbon 12, Dubai, UAE, 2022; Temporary Atlas curated by Alfredo Cramerotti, Gallerie Delle Prigioni, Fondazione Imago Mundi, Treviso, Italy, 2022; For some bags under the eyes curated by Romain Sarrot, sans titre, Paris, France, 2021; Injury, Galerie Hubert Winter, Vienna, Austria, 2021 (solo); Le Club du Poisson-Lune (The Moonfish Club) curated by Cedric Fauq, Capc Musée d’art contemporain de Bordeaux, France, 2021.
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CV
James Lewis, *1986 in South London (UK), lives and works in Vienna
EDUCATION
2010 – 2012 Royal College of Art, London, UK
2005 – 2008 Kingston University, Surrey, UK
COLLECTIONS
Collection Frédéric de Goldschmidt
Wiener Städtische
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022
Ruderal, Nir Altman Gallery, Munich, DE
2021
*Art-o-rama, Solo presentation with Galerie Hubert Winter, Vienna, AT
Injury, Galerie Hubert Winter, Vienna, AT
2019
Sagas, Futur Zwei, Vienna, AT
2018
*Vienna Contemporary, Booth F16 with Galerie Hubert Winter, Vienna, AT
2017
*Not Fair, Warsaw with Galerie Hubert Winter, Vienna, AT
Can‘t you hear my voices? w/ Jenine Marsh, Rupert, Vilnius, LTU
2016
Mouse Cleaning, Futura: Karlin Studios, Prague, CZ
Before the hyle, Galerie Hubert Winter, Vienna, AT
The problem I can no longer read, Galerie Joseph Tang, Paris, FR
2015
Leave me alone shadow, LaTrap, Paris, FR
2014
At the limit of primal repression, After Hours, Sevres, FR
*Presentations at Art Fairs
GROUP EXHIBITIONS (selection)
2022
Temporary Atlas curated by Alfredo Cramerotti, Mostyn, Wales, UK
Man’s Traces in Nature, Galeria Wschód, Warsaw, PL
Cafe Heaven curated by Pina Vienna, Salzburg Kunstverein, Salzburg, AT
Staying With The Trouble curated by Marianne Dobner, Carbon 12, UAE
Temporary Atlas curated by Alfredo Cramerotti, Gallerie Delle Prigioni, Fondazione Benetton, Treviso, IT
2021
For some bags under the eyes curated by Romain Sarrot, sans titre (2016), Paris, FR
Le Club du Poisson-Lune (The Moonfish Club) curated by Cedric Fauq, Capc Musée d’art contemporain de Bordeaux, FR
2019
flowers of sulphur, Galerie Hubert Winter, Vienna, AT
Swamp Horses, Spirit Vessel, Espinavessa, ES
IDEAL TYPES (Chapter 2) curated by Alfredo Cramerotti and Elsa Barbieri, Marignana Arte, Venice, IT
non-binary, KS Room, Feldbach, AT
2018
Schmalz, Guimarães, Vienna, AT
SM, A collaborative exhibition organised by Margaux Barthélemy and Sans titre (2016), Marseille, FR
Carved and Shaped by Proximity, Pina, Vienna, AT
2017
Identify your limitations, acknowledge your periphery, Vitrine Gallery, Basel, CH
*Art Vilnius curated by Juste Jonutyte, Litexpo, Vilnius, LTU
2016
not really really, Collection Frédéric de Goldschmidt, Brussels, BE
2015
Future Days, Le Doc, Paris, FR
DOC, Le Doc, Paris, FR
Tomorrow Today, Galerie Hubert Winter, Vienna, AT
Collecting Artist, Galerie Joseph Tang, Paris, FR
*Là où sont mes pieds je suis à ma place curated by Shanaynay, Paramount Ranch, California, USA
2014
Hell, Le Chiquito, Paris, FR
Macao default stroke, Futur II, Sevres, FR
59e Salon de Montrouge, Le Beffroi, Montrouge, FR
Push and Paint, Touch and Display curated by Alys Williams und Vlada Tcharyeva, Vitrine Gallery, London, UK
2013
Everything is Material, Le Point Perché, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, FR
*More or less poems curated by Gallien Dejean, art berlin contemporary, Berlin, DE
La victoire ou la mort, Galerie Crous, Paris, FR
Pumphouse Open curated by Hannah Conroy, Pumphouse Gallery, London, UK
mass. en masse. mass medium curated by Alys Williams, CGP London, London, UK
Mostyn Open 18, Oriel Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno, UK. Selected by Ryan Gander, Alfredo Cramerotti and Adam Carr
CURATED PROJECTS
2020
As time went on, a rumour started, Gianni Manhattan , Vienna, AT
2013
Everything is Material, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, FR
2009
Panda Malin Head, Auto Italia South East Gallery, London, UK
2007
Then + Then, Shoreditch Town Hall, London, UK
RESIDENCIES
Rupert, Vilnius, LTU
Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, FR
EMPLOYMENT
Lecturer Fine Art
AVU, Prague, Czech Republic
(October 2022 - ongoing)
Associate Mentor
Conditions Artist Studios, London, England
(January 2020 - ongoing)
Visiting Lecturer
Fine Art Department
Norwich School of Art, Norwich, England
(May 2022)
Visiting Tutor
Fine Art Department
UMPRUM, Prague, Czech Republic
(December 2020)
Freelance Technician
Kiki Kogelnik Foundation, Vienna, Austria
(June 2018 - April 2019)
Visiting Tutor
Ortsbezogene Kunst Department
Universität für Angewandte Kunst, Vienna, Austria
(January 2018 - August 2018)
Visiting Lecturer
Ortsbezogene Kunst Department
Universität für Angewandte Kunst, Vienna, Austria
(March 2018 - August 2018)
Visiting Tutor of Fine Art
Photography Department
Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Vienna, Austria
(February 2017 - July 2017)
Professor of Sculpture
Fine Art Department, Paris College of Art, Paris, France
(September 2013 – June 2016)
Printmaking Technician
Fine Art Department, Paris College of Art, Paris, France
(September 2013 – June 2015)
Project Co-ordinator and Visiting Tutor
Across all departments at Paris College of Art (Critical Theory, Design Management, Fashion, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Illustration and Photography)
Paris College of Art, Paris, France (January 2013 – June 2013)
Visiting Tutor of Fine Art
Foundation Department
Kingston University, London, England (December 2012)
Visiting Tutor – Fine Art Department
University of Leeds, Leeds, England (April 2011)
Visiting Tutor – Fine Art Department
Paris College of Art, Paris, France (May 2013)
Drawing Instructor - Fine Art Course
Foundation Department, Kingston University, London, England
(July – August 2012)
Visiting Lecturer
Fine Art Course - Foundation Department
Kingston University, London, England (June – July 2011)
Visiting Lecturer
Fine Art Department
University of Leeds, Leeds England (June – July 2011)
Visiting Lecturer
Fine Art Department
Norwich School of Art, Norwich, England (June – July 2011)
Visiting Lecturer
Fine Art Department - Summer School
Parsons School of Art and Design, Paris, France
(June – July 2011)
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Gallery exhibitions
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Works
Not just suffering, but all forms of consciousness (Resend), 2022 , Wood, plaster bandage, concrete, steel 209cm x 78cm x 102cm 
Coming home, cleaning up, making dinner, 2023 , Wood, plaster bandage, concrete, glass, whiskey 85 x 85 x 55 cm 
The Age of Decanting (Biscuit Tower), 2018 , Cast aluminum 70 x 70 x 3 cm 
Not just suffering, but all forms of consciousness (Reciprocate), 2022 , Wood, plaster bandage, concrete, steel, 193 x 65 x 70 cm 
Not just suffering, but all forms of consciousness (Reabsorb), 2022 , Wood, plaster bandage, concrete, steel, 136 x 78 x 80 cm 
Panic Landscape: Yellow ‘blob’, 2022 , Wood, inkjet print on photographic paper, aluminium tape, poly filler, plexiglass, plastic, steel, 60 x 42 x 4 cm 
Panic Landscape: Rock/Mineral, 2022 , Wood, poly filler, plexiglass, plastic, steel, 60 x 42 x 4 cm 
Panic Landscape: Wild/Poultry, 2022 , Wood, poly filler, plexiglass, plastic, steel, 60 x 42 x 4 cm
