Artist James Vaulkhard spoke to Lee Sharrock for FAD Magazine as he prepared to exhibit new oil paintings and drawings at the British Art Fair with Guerin Projects.
Vaulkhard’s new body of work is inspired by his formative years living in Nairobi, Kenya, a period during which he formed life-long relationships with the local people and fell in love with the Kenyan landscape. Highlights of the new work to be exhibited at British Art Fair at the Saatchi Gallery include a portrait of a fisherman Vaulkhard has known since his childhood and a painting of a canoeist on Lake Naivasha in Nairobi, captured in a fauvist, Post-Impressionist palette.
Vaulkhard studied History of Art at Leeds University before moving to Italy to train at Charles Cecil Studios and Studio Della Statua in Florence, where he learned traditional portraiture and sculpture techniques. In 2013 he was commissioned to participate in a bridge project between Italy and Kenya, developing preliminary studies for The Sacred Heart Cathedral Kericho in collaboration with local Kenyan sculptors.
His most recent body of work is a kind of painterly novel capturing the beauty of nature in Nairobi, and the legacy of the forest surrounding his home in Kenya. A voyeur to his environment, Vaulkhard’s style pays homage to Peter Doig and David Hockney.
Artist Peterson Kamwathi says of Vaulkhard’s new body of work:
I live in a rural area just outside Nairobi and a number of the scenographies depicted in James’ artworks are familiar. Vegetation, terrain and our insertion into these physical sites seem to be at the center to James Vaulkhard’s latest paintings and drawings. Superbly rendered, this subject matter is recognizable as it works to gently nudge at our attitudes towards nature, memory and relationships.
British Art Fair is one of the leading fairs for Modern and Contemporary British Art and returns to the Saatchi Gallery between 26th to 29th September 2024.
Lee Sharrock: Is this your first time exhibiting at the British Art Fair, and what can visitors to the Guerin Projects exhibit expect?
James Vaulkhard: Yes, this is my first time here, and I’m very excited to take part. I’m showcasing a series of drawings and oil paintings inspired by my life back home in Kenya. Although I usually work with oil on canvas, for this exhibition I decided to create some works on paper, which has opened up an exciting new direction for me—one that’s full of vibrant color and fresh possibilities.
At the British Art Fair, you will be exhibiting 4 large oil paintings and some pastel drawings, all inspired by the natural beauty of Nairobi, and featuring some characters you know from the local community. How long have you been working on this new body of work, and what drew you to Nairobi as a source of inspiration for your paintings?
My work has evolved over the last couple of years. After my solo exhibition in 2022, I began exploring seascapes inspired by my time on the south coast of Kenya. However, none of those pieces are on display here, as I’ve since moved in a different direction, and we felt they didn’t align with the overall curation. The pieces in this exhibition have been developed over the past year. In the past, I used to labor intensively over my paintings, but now my approach is fresher and more spontaneous.
There’s a painting of Guerin Projects Founder Marie-Claudine Llamas featured in the British Art Fair exhibition. How did you start collaborating with Llamas, and has she been instrumental in introducing your new body of work to a more international audience?
We decided not to include this artwork in the exhibition. The painting depicts MC smoking a cigarette by a swimming pool in Msambweni last year. MC and I met in Florence in 2012, just as I was finishing my time there. After moving to London, we collaborated on a couple of exhibitions that MC helped curate, where they also showcased their work. Over time, we’ve become close friends, and we’ve built a strong working relationship as well.
Your paintings and drawings remind me of Peter Doig stylistically and Matisse in terms of the bright colours. Who would you cite as your main influences and inspirations?
The fisherman painting does have a certain familiarity with a Doig painting. I visited his show at the Courtauld last year, but what fascinates me even more is his process—how he balances creating art with his daily life. It’s comforting and motivating to understand what happens between those moments of creation. That’s when you refill your creative well, so to speak.
As for my technique, I work both plein air and in the studio. I sketch from life when possible, but I also use photographs as references depending on the subject and situation.
You trained and taught at Charles Cecil Studios in Florence. Consequently, your earlier work was quite classical. How did you break out of that tradition to arrive at the more free and painterly style you embrace now?
The training and overall experience were incredibly rewarding. It really prepares you as a draftsman, giving you a strong foundation and understanding, so that if you choose to bend or break the rules later, you’re doing so with intention. After completing my training, I took my time to grow and develop, and I continue to remain patient with the process.
When you graduated from Studio Della Statua in 2013, you were invited to participate in a bridge project between Italy and Kenya, and you developed preliminary studies for The Sacred Heart Cathedral Kericho In collaboration with local Kenyan sculptors. It seems quite a big leap geographically and culturally from Italy to Kenya. How did you bridge that divide artistically?
This was an incredible opportunity to apply what I had learned in the studio while navigating a real-world commission. I chose to create the studies in Florence under the guidance of my teacher, Jason Arkles, and then shipped the artworks to Kenya, where they were used and replicated by local artists and stone carvers. The result is quite fascinating—a blend of classical composition with a distinctly western Kenyan style.
Do you have any other exhibitions coming up that you can talk about?
I’m heading to the US next month to journey up the Missouri River and across the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific. It’s a trip that has fascinated me ever since I visited the American Sublime exhibition at the Tate back in 2002. While there, I’ll create sketches and studies on-site, then scale them up once I’m back in London. The goal is to put on an exhibition of that work in about 18 months—I just need to find the right space to showcase it.
James Vaulkhard will be exhibiting with Guerin Projects at The British Art Fair at Saatchi Gallery from 26th September – 29th September 2024: britishartfair.co.uk
