James Seow, originally from Malaysia and trained as an engineer, has been based in the UK since the late 1990s. He earned his MA in Printmaking from the Royal College of Art in 2014 and has since diversified his practice to include print, photography and sculpture. His work navigates the intersection of traditional Eastern aesthetics and contemporary Western art, often exploring the tension between natural and urban environments. Using digital techniques and a modern visual language, Seow examines the impact of human intervention on nature, drawing on his experiences witnessing Malaysia’s rapid deforestation and urbanisation.
Seow’s work prompts a reconsideration of contemporary reality, engaging themes like the contrast between organic and artificial elements and the interplay of structured spaces and fleeting natural forms. His art has been exhibited internationally and is part of various collections, including those at Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design, the Royal College of Art, and the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts.
Morning Mist I, 2023
Digital Archival print – Edition of 15, 125 x 90 cm
What inspires your art, and how do you bring those ideas to life?
Air and mist have always fascinated me and have become central themes in my recent work, inspired by their delicate portrayal in classical Eastern ink paintings. I’m drawn to how mist distorts our perception, creating a sense of mystery, fear, and transcendence while symbolising reality's fleeting nature. To me, mist feels like a metaphor for life itself—constantly shifting, blurring what’s clear and leaving us navigating the unknown.
But mist, for me, is more than just a poetic symbol. In a contemporary sense, it also speaks to the fragility of our environment, hinting at issues like pollution and climate change. I capture that delicate balance between nature and the human world by reimagining mist through digital tools and photography. Combining these ideas with opacity, scale, colour, and light creates almost weightless yet deeply complex pieces. It’s my way of expressing a sense of time, space, and impermanence—inviting viewers to pause and reflect on what’s visible, what’s hidden, and what might just be slipping away.
Garden Path, 2018
Image print on acrylic panel with LED - backlit Aluminium lightbox
420 x 190 x 10 cm
Which of your works holds the most meaning for you, and why?
Garden Path is one of the most meaningful pieces I've created because it marked a transformative moment in my journey as an artist. It was my first commissioned work after graduating from the Royal College of Art, and it pushed me to explore how we experience nature in a digital world. Using flora and fauna motifs sourced from various online platforms, I built a lush, almost naturalist garden that plays with the boundary between reality and illusion. The winding paths and flowing waterways are meant to celebrate the beauty of nature. Still, if you look closer, you’ll notice hints of digital aesthetics as the compositions merge and dissolve into one another— reflecting how our connection to nature can feel increasingly distant.
What makes Garden Path unique is how it bridges many different artistic traditions and cultural influences that have shaped me over time. I drew from Chinese classical ink painting, Japanese lacquer art, Western Romantic landscapes, and even 17th-century still-life paintings. This blend of styles reflects my journey of balancing Eastern and Western influences. As a third-generation Chinese born in Malaysia, now living in the UK, I’ve always felt caught between different worlds. This piece allowed me to reflect on my heritage and navigate my cultural identity in a new way, honouring where I come from and where I am now.
Creating Garden Path felt like piecing together different parts of myself into a cohesive whole. It became a space where I could reconcile my roots and reimagine my cultural background, making it deeply personal. When I see people wander through its visual narrative, I hope they experience that same sense of complexity and discovery. Ultimately, it’s more than just an artwork—it’s a place where I’ve found a bit of harmony between my story, the natural world, and my evolving cultural identity.
James's Studio
How has your artistic style evolved, and what challenges have you overcome?
My artistic style has changed a lot over time. I started focusing on printmaking, but now I also work with digital media, photography, ceramics, and sculpture. At the beginning of my career, one of my biggest challenges was figuring out how to combine Eastern and Western influences in a way that felt true to me. It took a lot of experimenting and thinking about what I wanted to say through my art.
Although I began with printmaking, I’ve always enjoyed exploring different mediums. My practice flows between various forms, letting me try different techniques and materials. For example, learning about digital media and ceramics pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me rethink my creative process. Over time, I blended these different disciplines, allowing them to influence each other. This process was often challenging, but it inspired me to explore new ideas and expand my artistic vision unexpectedly.
