Artist Database

James Austin Murray is a contemporary artist best known for his abstract paintings characterised by the use of ivory black oil paint applied on canvases supported by wood panels. His technique involves painting with wallpaper brushes, resulting in textured and atmospheric surfaces.

In the early 1980s, Murray established and managed two influential galleries in Tribeca, New York: the Hartnett-Murray Gallery and The Markham-Murray Gallery. He later pursued formal training at the Parsons School of Design in New York, graduating in 1992. Recognised for his contributions to contemporary art, Murray received the Dedalus Foundation Fellowship Award, which supported his residency at the Vermont Studio Center. Additionally, he has completed residencies at The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild in Woodstock, New York, and the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha, Nebraska.

Murray’s work is held in numerous private and public collections, including the Weisman Collection in Los Angeles, Sofitel and Hotel Palomar in Philadelphia, Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C., Omni Hotel in Nashville, and in the collection of designer Tom Ford. He currently maintains his studio in Piermont, New York.