The Art of Jem Ham

bio .

Jem Ham is a self taught artist who started painting on brick walls with water at the age of four. Fascinated by the way the water marked the brick and the ability to bring to life something from within, his love for art was born. Since then, it has been a journey of self-discovery through art, fuelled by a passionate need to create.

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I jumped into a pool of thought and out of the ripples came a dream.

– Jem Ham

During childhood, his artistic curiosity burgeoned through hours spent alone climbing trees and daydreaming about existence. Today, his impetus for mark marking originates from deeper within the psyche. Jem describes the source of his art as ‘images staring at you from the walls of your mind, throwing up mirrors to our own nature’.

Working primarily on canvas, linen and paper, his art is an attempt to unravel the day to day psyche through surrealist automatism and biomorphic forms. It reflects a journey of evolving self-awareness, reaching from the physical world, to mind and spirit.

His art captures moments of doubt and confusion, of weakness and strength, of joy and sorrow, of fantasy and reality, of whimsy and clarity, and of love and longing. In essence, his works are a soapbox for the subconscious mind, giving voice to the imaginative world within.

Jem has exhibited in Australia and internationally, with works selected as finalists in several major art prizes. His work is held in private collections around Australia and has been featured in a number of online and print publications.

Jem currently lives by the beach in Fremantle, Western Australia.su

Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions

2020
Thoughts from afar – an artist’s journey through a global pandemic
Ootong and Lincoln Gallery, Fremantle, Australia

2018
The Imaginarium of Jem Ham
Basement Gallery, Subiaco, Australia

Group Exhibitions

2023

City of Gosnells Art Awards
The Agonis, Gosnells, Australia

Extensions 
Armadale Arena, Armadale, Australia

Art Lovers Australia Collector’s Edition Exhibition and Book Launch 
Art Lovers Australia Melbourne Gallery, Melbourne, Australia

2022

City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Art Prize 
Goldfields Arts Centre, Kalgoorlie, Australia

Street Gallery Fremantle Project 
Selected shopfronts, Fremantle, Australia

Minnawarra Art Awards 
Armadale District Hall, Armadale, Australia

2021

City of Bayswater Art Awards 
The Rise, Maylands, Australia

City of Stirling Art Awards Exhibition 
City of Stirling Reception Hall, Stirling, Australia

City of Melville Art Awards 
Wireless Hill Museum, Ardross, Australia

Mindscapes 2021
Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle, Australia

City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Art Prize 
Goldfields Arts Centre, Kalgoorlie, Australia

Kennedy Prize 
Royal South Australian Society of Arts, Adelaide, Australia

Canning Art Awards 
Riverton Library, Riverton, Australia

Cossack Art Awards
Cossack Bond Store, Cossack, Australia

City of Belmont Art Awards
The Glasshouse, Cloverdale, Australia

2020
Spring Collection
The Corner Gallery, Subiaco, Australia

Waverley Art Prize 
Online exhibition, Waverley Woollahra Art School, Australia

2019
City of Stirling Art Awards Exhibition 
City of Stirling Reception Hall, Stirling, Australia

Canning Art Awards 
Riverton Library, Riverton, Australia

First Look 2019 – Emerging Artist Exhibition
Buratti Gallery, Subiaco, Australia

2008

Miscellany
The Gallery, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

2005
Two Cities
C-Cubed Art Space, Melbourne, Australia

Awards

2021
Best Painting
City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Art Prize

Finalist
Kennedy Prize

2020
Finalist
Waverley Art Prize 

2019
Westfield People’s Choice Award
City of Stirling Art Awards 

Publications

2023
Art Lovers Australia Collector’s Edition Book

Marvelous Art Magazine, April 2023 [Online and print]

2019
Surrealism Today: “Jem Ham”, December 29, 2019. [Online]

McNeill, Sarah: “Art’s Young Tyros”, Subiaco Post, vol 46, no.11, March 16, 2019. p.67-68

2017
Art People Gallery: “The Art of Jem Ham”, September 4, 2017 [Online]

2016
STYLO Online Magazine, Issue 9 ‘Alive’, October 13, 2016. p.16-17 [Online]

Commissions

2021
Mural – A diver’s dream
Private commission

Mural – Caterpillar (aka Acid Cat)
Private commission

Mural – The Human Puzzle
Private commission

Mural – Homerun Food
Private commission

Painting – Growing new lungs to breathe
Private commission

Drawing – The Natural Explorer
Private commission

2020
Mural – Mr. F. Reo
Private commission

2017
Painting – Oh the possibilities
Private commission

2016
Drawing – The human out of water
Private commission

Curation

2021
Conversations around the kitchen table
Spectrum Project Space, Edith Cowan University, Australia

Memberships

2020 – Present
Artsource
Western Australia

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