Born 1975, Singapore
Lives & works Sydney NSW

Singapore-born and Sydney-based contemporary landscape painter, James Lai explores abstraction in landscapes.

Self-taught, my works are not painted from life, rather they are imagined. Painting in a figurative abstract style, I use a signature palette and gestural brush strokes to express the movements in the land and figurative elements to visually anchor the landscape.

My paintings are first and foremost abstract works and secondly, landscapes. The abstract aspects of the work draw the viewer in and allow them the opportunity to interpret what they see, and then I add the figurative elements so the viewer can appreciate the familiar typical elements of a landscape; which enables them anchor their perspectives on the work...

A career highlight includes being a Finalist in the 2023 Sir John Sulman Prize.





AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

2025 - The Vincent Prize (NSW) - Finalist
2025 - Georges River Art Prize (NSW) - Finalist
2024 - Waverley Woollahra Art School 9x5 Landscape Prize - Finalist
2024 - Northern Beaches Environmental Art & Design Prize - Finalist
2024 - Blacktown City Art Prize - Finalist
2023 - Sir John Sulman Prize - Finalist
2023 - Hawkesbury Art Prize - Finalist (Commended)
2023 - Lethbridge 20000 Art Award - Finalist
2023 - Calleen Art Award - Finalist
2022 - Calleen Art Award - Finalist
2022 - Lethbridge 20000 Small Scale Art Award - Finalist
2021 - SBS Landscape Prize - Finalist
2021 - Northern Beaches Environmental Art and Design Prize - Finalist
2021 - Lethbridge 20000 Small Scale Art Award - Finalist
2021 - SBS Portrait Prize - Finalist
2020 - Paddington Art Prize - Finalist
2020 - Gosford Art Prize - Finalist
2020 - Greenway Art Prize - Finalist
2020 - Little Things Art Prize - Finalist
2020 - SBS Landscape Prize - Finalist
2020 - Inverell Art Prize - Finalist (Acquired into Inverell Art Gallery’s permanent collection)
2020 - Lethbridge 20000 Small Scale Art Award - Finalist
2020 - The Alice Prize - Finalist
2019 - Paddington Art Prize - Finalist
2019 - Hornsby Art Prize - Finalist
2019 - Blacktown City Art Prize - Finalist
2019 - Hawkesbury Art Prize - Finalist


RECENT EXHIBITIONS

2025 - Terra Sonder - Scott Livesey Galleries (Melbourne, VIC)
2024 - James Lai - Scott Livesey Galleries (Melbourne, VIC)
2024 - Nature Theatre - Michael Reid Gallery (Murrurundi, NSW)
2024 - Group exhibition - Inverell Art Gallery (Inverell, NSW)
2024 - Solo exhibition - Woollahra Gallery (Sydney)
2023 - Sulman Prize Finalist Exhibition - Art Gallery of New South Wales