James Lemon born 1993, Aotearoa (New Zealand). Melbourne, Australia since 2012. James’ signature ceramic wares are tactile, dynamic objects that uniquely reflect his humour, physical gestures and broader social and philosophical concerns. He weaves references to religion, pop culture, insects and global ceramic forms in his signature forms that traverse contexts of both art and design. They are typically colourful, highly textural and sometimes slapstick. While he primarily works with clay, he often embeds other objects such as bricks, precious stones and discarded ephemera to develop his expressive, sculptural vernacular. He is also known for his creation of online content on social media. While these performative or comedic gestures reflect his ruminations upon daily life, they are often central to the generation of ideas in his studio.
James has collaborated with a range of institutions and individuals in diverse settings. He has developed exclusive collections for the respective design stores of The National Gallery of Victoria and Heide MOMA. He has exhibited multiple times for Melbourne Design Week and has featured in publications such as The National Gallery of Victoria Magazine, Architectural Digest, Vogue Living, Vault Magazine, The Design Files, Yellow Trace, Real Living Magazine, The Journal of Australian Ceramics and Broadsheet.
He is an active member of the arts community, routinely teaching workshops and masterclasses in his studio and showroom. His work can be viewed in his studio in Northcote. He is represented in the permanent collection of The National Gallery of Victoria.