Born in Sheffield in 1985, James Decent grew up bordering the Peak District, an early awareness of contrasting landscapes that has shaped a practice focused on light and colour rather than place per se.
He studied architecture in Nottingham and London, receiving prizes for design from the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects and a nomination for the RIBA President's Medal, and remains a director of London-based practice Decent Goodfellow Architects. His painting runs in parallel: working in oil, gouache, acrylic, and watercolour, he pursues a sustained inquiry into the portrayal of light across mediums, drawing on the techniques of Sargent, Sorolla, and William Nicholson to produce work that aims for a contemporary yet timeless register. He has exhibited across South Yorkshire and is based in South West London.
