Storm Tideline, Calgary Bay Painting

Irish-British Contemporary Abstract Painter Based in Bristol, UK. James O'Dwyer creates bold, layered abstract paintings where texture, gesture, and colour collide. Combining control and chance, they use squeegees, scribes, and brushes to build canvases that are both a record of process and a dynamic, immersive visual experience. Process-Driven Gestural Abstraction: Each painting evolves through a process of inscription, erasure, and transformation. By embracing experimentation, O'Dwyer produces works that balance gestural abstraction, materiality, and visual discovery. The surface of every canvas becomes a palimpsest—a history of movement, redaction, chance, and intentional mark-making. Influences and Inspiration: Having lived in London, Malmö, Newcastle, and now Bristol, O'Dwyer draws inspiration from urban hinter-landscapes. Earlier series, such as Liminal Landscapes, combined painting, photography, and found objects to explore entropy, memory, and transformation—an exploration that continues to inform his current work. Exhibitions and Collections: Exhibited widely across the UK, O'Dwyer's work is held in private and public collections in Europe, the UAE, and the United States. Following a 2022–23 sabbatical from teaching, O'Dwyer is now devoted to a full time to studio practice, creating a bold new body of abstract paintings. Bristol artist UK abstract painter Contemporary abstract painting Gestural abstraction Process-based painting Contemporary British artist Abstract expressionism Layered painting Textured painting Experimental painting Palette knife painting Modern abstract art UK contemporary art Liminal landscapes Painting as performance