Merlin James

Merlin James (born 1960 in Cardiff, Wales) is an artist living and working in Glasgow, Scotland.

Life and work

James studied at Central School of Art and Design, London, and the Royal College of Art, London. James moved from London to Glasgow in 2004.

Of roughly the same generation as the Young British Artists, James is perhaps unusual in making work on the model of the traditional easel picture. He also makes drawings and prints.

As a critic, Merlin James has published widely, including many articles and contributions to books and catalogues. In 2002, he became the first to hold the Alex Katz Visiting Chair in Painting at Cooper Union. In 2007 James represented Wales at the 52nd Venice Biennale.

Notable solo exhibitions 1995 Poussin's Phocion, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, Wales 2005 Merlin James, Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York, NY, US

Notable group exhibitions Source:

2004 The Edge of Real, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, UK 2006 Faces of a Collections, Kunsthalle Mannheim, Germany 2008/9 21: Selections of Contemporary Art from the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY, USA 2009 Nus, Fortes Valeca, São Paulo, Brazil 2010 Long Long Gone, Leo Koenig, New York, NY, USA 2013 Picture Show, Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, Scotland 2013 Inevitable Figuration, Museo Pecci, Prato, Italy