Collection: James McQueen | Artist

James McQueen is a British contemporary artist, born in 1977, who has lived between New York and London while working as an actor for over thirty years. Best known for his distinctive Penguin book paintings, James McQueen's limited-edition prints and original artworks celebrate the beauty of classic book design with wit, nostalgia and remarkable craftsmanship.

"I've always been a lover of art, my grandfather read and had a huge collection of Penguin books, which I was fascinated by as a child. He would often read them to me, but I was more interested in the way the books looked. I started my own Penguin book collection as an adult and decided I wanted to own a life size canvas version. I had no desire to buy one, so started to create my own. I painted one to begin with, then a neighbour of mine expressed his interest and friends started asking too. I soon had other people requesting commissions. Planning and painting the books was always something I enjoyed doing in my spare time and still is. It has always just been a bit of fun to me and always will be! Having a collection of more than 300 Penguin books myself, I just love everything about them, recreating different versions of the old classics is a pleasure. The finished articles are designed to reflect the age of the books, using layers and layers of paint, which are then sanded down to create amazing patina, and finished with lacquer. My work is designed so that people can own affordable pieces of art to enjoy." - James McQueen

James McQueen's collectable book paintings and limited-edition prints are sought after by collectors of contemporary British art, pop art and affordable art looking for witty, nostalgic pieces that bring the romance of classic literature to any wall.