B.  1983

James Drinkwater is a contemporary Australian artist whose interdisciplinary practice is anchored in memory, emotion and the history of place. Working across painting, collage, and sculpture, Drinkwater is known for his gestural mark-making and richly layered works that operate as fragments of lived experience.

Born in Newcastle and trained at the National Art School, Drinkwater has lived and worked in many countries, including Italy, Germany, Kenya and Indonesia. With a practice inspired by Australian artists Fred Williams and Tony Tuckson, Drinkwater creates highly expressive works that are shaped by his own lived experiences. Often abstracted, Drinkwater’s works are inspired and resonant, encapsulating the rhythm and drama of the everyday.

Drinkwater’s work is held in major public collections including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Newcastle Art Gallery and Artbank, and he has exhibited widely both in Australia and internationally. He is a four-time finalist in the Wynne Prize and in 2014 was awarded the Brett Whiteley Travelling Scholarship.