Justin Williams’ paintings seem to rely on the central feeling of nostalgia, of a bygone era when men were closer to nature, closer to each other, an era of innocence, of purity, of insouciance. Painted in bold colors and with only minimal attention to perspective, the canvases are deliberately pierced through and aged to give the feeling of nostalgia and times of old.
In his works, Williams draw inspiration from several well-known masters amongst whom one could spontaneously cite Paul Gauguin, Henri Rousseau, or Paul Cézanne. Yet these influences are digested, interpreted and used to create different perspectives rather than quoted in a servile manner.
As for themes, Justin Williams favors communal scenes inside exotic houses to depict interpersonal relationships or figures in luxuriant environments that recall the garden of Eden. His paintings create atmospheres that elicit emotions and feelings rather than deliver specific messages.
Born in 1984 in Melbourne, Australia, Justin Williams is a graduate of Swinburn University. He has had solo shows at COMA, Sydney, Forma, Paris, Vigo Gallery, London, Galerie Crèvecoeur, Paris and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles.