James Seow
Biography
A graduate of Central St Martin’s and the Royal College of Art, James Seow draws on his ancestral roots and the beauty of the natural world to create stunning fantastical landscapes. Third generation Chinese, he was born in Malaysia where grew up before relocating to London, where he now resides.
For James, it’s his hybrid Malaysian and British identity that has inspired themes of architecture and nature in his work. His upbringing in Malaysia during the 1990s saw him witness a huge transformation of the country through mass deforestation and urban planning, which has clearly contributed to his focus on nature’s relationship with urban life. Often using public squares, parks and gardens to demonstrate human attempts to impose order on natural forces, a running theme in Seow’s work is to depict constant struggles between the natural and the artificial, often observing cultural, socio-political and environmental issues in the process.
‘The Garden Path III’ is Seow’s first limited edition print with Eyestorm and sees him use digital photomontage techniques, sourcing images from classical Chinese ink paintings and 17th and 19th century Western still life and landscape painting to produce a mythical landscape that bridges the gap between Eastern and Western references to nature in art. His intention with this piece was to create a harmonious scene that presents an uncertain balance of reality and illusion.
James Seow’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is in the collection of various private individuals as well as Central St Martin’s School of Art and Design, the Royal College of Art and Brookfield Asset Management Inc. A recent commission involved a 5 metre long piece in an architect’s office in London, and exhibitions are planned in China for the latter part of 2015.