Harry Holcombe-James
Tasmanian-born Harry is an artist working across image, moving image, sound, and experiential art. He graduated with Honours in Furniture from the University of Tasmania’s School of Architecture and Design in 2019, incorporating digital elements into traditional furniture-making. His work integrates physical objects, sensory effects, and digital control, often engaging the viewer as an active participant.
Harry has exhibited at Design Tasmania, Burnie Makers Studio, Sawtooth ARI, Good Grief Studios, and The Henry Jones Art Hotel. He has also presented work at festivals including Party In The Paddock, Junction Arts Festival, and Mona Foma. His major experiential artwork, SELF, was presented at Mona Foma 2021 and received positive responses. The Sydney Morning Herald described it as “an intense internal confrontation,” while Broadsheet noted its “melancholic feeling.”
His most recent work builds on SELF, exploring its themes through an image-based exhibition. The Mercury described the exhibition as “beautiful in a deeply weird way” and noted that “the artist knows what an arresting image is… filled with cryptic beauty.” Using portraiture, colour fields, and biometric data, Harry examines time, solitude, memory, and meaning in a reflective and structured way.
CV
BORN
1994 Born in Launceston, Tasmania
EDUCATION
2017-19 Bachelor of Environmental Design (Furniture) w/ Honours, University of Tasmania
2015-16 Certificate IV Graphic Design, TasTafe
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024
PACIFY. Town Hall Underground. Presentation of a new body of work PACIFY. Experiential furniture and kinetic sculpture.
2024
SELF: Documentation of SELF. The Henry Jones Art Hotel. Hobart, Tasmania. Image based exhibition exploring representation through a range of techniques including biometric measurements.
2024
Party Mix Good Grief Studios. Hobart, Tasmania. Party Mix brings together some of Harry’s explorations in portraiture, our engagement with technology, and the macabre through a range of media.
2023
SELF Town Hall Underground (Independent Presentation). Hobart, Tasmania. Experiential Installation. An audiovisual rite of self-reflection, and a journey of technologically assisted meditation. Solo travelers only.
2022
SELF LOOP Sawtooth ARI. Launceston, Tasmania. Six images made using the tradition of camera feedback to create an impression of portraits.
2021
SELF MONA FOMA Festival. Launceston, Tasmania. Experiential Installation. An audiovisual rite of self-reflection, and a journey of technologically assisted meditation. Solo travelers only.
2019
Fall With Me Junction Arts Festival. Launceston, Tasmania. Experiential Installation. A curated interaction between viewer, space and environment with social and individual experiences. The work encourages explorations into unknown landscapes within the mind.
2019
Fall With Me Sawtooth ARI. Launceston, Tasmania.
2018
Masters Games Photographic Residency Exhibition Burnie Makers Space. Burnie, Tasmania.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
Brunswick Street Gallery Small Works Prize – Dead Flat Bird. Melbourne, Victoria.
2024
Henry Jones Art Prize – 14 Faces of SELF Seeing With The Same Eyes. Hobart, Tasmania.
2023
Vibrance Group Show – Yellow Field. Hobart, Tasmania.
2022
Henry Jones Art Prize – SELF Blue. Hobart, Tasmania. Awarded Highly Commended.
2019
RACT Portrait Prize – My Dad. Hobart, Tasmania.
2018
RACT Portrait Prize – George. Hobart, Tasmania.
2018
Party In the Paddock Launceston Tasmania. Live visual generation for a DJ set.
2018
MIND/MATTER Design Tasmania. Launceston, Tasmania/. Furniture Design Graduates Exhibition.
SPECIAL EVENTS
2023
SELF Decompression. Town Hall Underground. Hobart, Tasmania. Post SELF experience.
2023
ZZZZ Sequence 001 Simple Complex. Hobart, Tasmania. Experimental Club Night. zzzzsequence.com
2021
Party of Sorts Launceston, Tasmania. Presentation of upcoming work with special guests.
GRANTS/FUNDING
2023
Arts Tasmania – Individuals and Groups. PACIFY. Creation of a new experience. (Lead Artist)
2023
Arts Tasmania – Individuals and Groups. ZZZZ Sequence 001(Artistic Director for Sophie Ambler)
2022
Arts Tasmania – New Works For New Markets. Public lighting new work (Lead Artist)
2022
APAX Bursary Recipient. Funding to attend APAX 2022 as a Tasmanian representative.
2021
Arts Tasmania – Creative Support Small Grants Fund. Bio-Feedback equipment (Lead Artist)
2021
Arts Tasmania – New Works For New Markets. Experience for Digital Distribution (Lead Artist)
2020
Arts Tasmania – Individuals and Groups. SELF – MONA FOMA Presentation (Lead Artist)
2020
Arts Tasmania – Screen Production Fund. SELF – MONA FOMA Presentation (Lead Artist)
RESIDENCIES/WORK SHOPS
2023
Residency at KAILABS Design Studio (London, UK) Two week long residency exploring kinetic sculpture and electronic art. Assisting with digital design, manufacture and prototyping.
2017
Australian Masters Games Photographic Residency. Burnie, Tasmania. Two weeks capturing the games from the perspective of the volunteers.
MEDIA
2024
Harper, Andrew. “Visual Arts: SELF by Harry Holcombe-James Review”, The Mercury, TasWeekend, Online, June 29th 2024. PP 14.
2022
Pridham, Bec. “Sawtooth ARI puts the work of four local artists in the spotlight”, The Examiner, online, March 2022.
2021
Woodhead, Cameron. “What virus? Tasmania shows how much fun a 2021 arts festival can be”, Sydney Morning Herald, online, January 2021.
2021
Teague, Marcus. “Mona Foma Didn’t Just Go Ahead, It Proved a Locals-Only Line-Up Could Be Sublime”, Broadsheet, online, January 2021.
2019
Vinall, Frances. “Guide to Junction Arts Festival 2019”, The Examiner, online, August 2019.
2018
Elliot, Imogen. “Masters Games volunteers celebrated with photo exhibition”, The Advocate, online, April 2019.
2017
Lansdown, Sarah. “Harry Holcombe-James named artist in residence for Australian Master Games”, The Advocate, online, October 2017.