Starting in his early teens, James had a different plan. “I wanted to be an art dealer. It was something I always felt I was going to do.” With this in the back of his mind, James studied Fine Art at Monash University in Melbourne and closely followed the careers of contemporary art dealers Bernard Jacobson and Larry Gagosian.

Following a series of jobs at Leonard Joel Auctioneers and Port Jackson Press, James achieved his original goal in 2003 when he opened his first gallery on High Street in Armadale, Victoria. Now working alongside co-director Jessica Velasquez and curators Amy Turrini and Laura Kirkham, James has just opened the third version of his gallery – a newly designed space on Islington Street in Collingwood.

Collaborating with Tristan Wong, Director of SJB Architects, James has maintained a design subtly similar to his previous galleries, employing high ceilings, polished floors and ample natural lighting. Possessing a stockroom, two exhibition spaces, reception and a bar custom-made by his brother Hugh Makin, James is particularly fond of the gallery’s new viewing room. Set up like a private lounge with a well-stocked bookshelf and sound-proof walls, James wanted to give visitors a place to experience art in a relaxed setting. “A big part of the whole design was to create a welcoming environment,” James explains. “We’ve all had the experience of going into a gallery and having someone eyeball you up and down from over a high desk. It’s really elitist and judgmental. We want to be totally the opposite.”

Describing those he represents as “rock stars,” James has handpicked artists at all stages of their careers working across painting, photography and sculpture. From well-established senior painters Godwin Bradbeer and Jeff Makin to the character driven contemporary photography of Lisa Tomasetti and street art aesthetics of Patrick Dagg, the continued success of the gallery remains underpinned by a bevy of hard-working artists. Speaking about the impetus for leveling up his gallery space, James says, “Artists live and breathe their work. They don’t do 40-hour weeks, they do 100-hour weeks. You have to respect that. I need to provide the best possible environment to present their work for sale. When artists walk in, I want them to know we have their back and when clients walk in, they can see we take art very seriously.”