• LOCATION

    Phillips Hong Kong
    G/F, WKCDA Tower
    West Kowloon Cultural District No. 8 Austin Road West
    Hong Kong(map)

  • VIEWING

    27 April - 25 May 
    Monday – Friday, 10am–6pm

    9 -10 May
    Saturday - Sunday, 10am -6pm

    26 - 31 May
    Tuesday – Sunday, 10am–7pm

  • CONTACT

    Cristina Tafuri
    Head of Global Exhibitions, Private Sales
    ctafuri@phillips.com

Exhibition Highlights

Dissecting the Square. Colours and Black by Alexander James showcases a major new body of work and significant moment for British‑born multimedia artist Alexander James. A graduate of Camberwell College of Arts in London, James has exhibited internationally in London, Paris, and New York, and is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most compelling voices of his generation.

ALEXANDER JAMES Blue Pulse, Painted in 2025

The exhibition’s title originates from a formative moment in James’s studio practice. Recalling an early morning when sunlight sharply divided an empty canvas, James describes how the light was “literally dissecting the square.” This moment became the conceptual starting point for the series, framing the canvas as both a physical structure and a symbolic boundary.

Dissecting the Square. Colours and Black brings together a new series of works in which the act of dissecting the square plays a pivotal role, both formally and conceptually. At the core of James’s practice is an ongoing exploration of the square as a site of fragmentation, repetition, structure, and possibility.

Portrait of Alexander James in his London studio. 2025

“I often divide the surface of the canvas into four equal quadrants, each functioning as an individual artwork or collectively forming a unified composition. This process allows me to explore ideas of fragmentation, repetition, and cohesion, while also challenging the viewer’s perception of the whole versus the part.” 

ALEXANDER JAMES Summit of Souls, Painted in 2026

Alexander James’s new body of work is grounded in a rich art-historical lineage, engaging with artists who have explored, challenged, and redefined the square as one of abstraction’s most enduring forms. His practice enters into a conceptual dialogue with the legacies of Josef Albers, Richard Diebenkorn, and Sean Scully, among others, while remaining distinctly his own.

ALEXANDER JAMES, Between Us The Fog, Painted in 2025



James's painting carry the rhythm, pressure, and psychological intensity of contemporary urban life—particularly the pace and dissonance of London—while remaining firmly rooted in abstraction’s ongoing conversation into space, structure, and perception. Ultimately, Dissecting the Square. Colours and Black by Alexander Jame asks what new possibilities might still emerge from painting’s most elemental form: the square.

ALEXANDER JAMES Slowly Dissolving, Painted in 2025

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