James Leader is an English artist living and working in Bondi Beach, Australia. His practice focuses on the human figure and the atmosphere it inhabits.

His work is informed by a deep sense of sentimentality and a longstanding fascination with the past. Rather than relying on overt narratives, his paintings embrace ambiguity, allowing images to remain open-ended and continually evolving. He is interested in breaking images apart so that new forms can emerge, often revealing unexpected relationships within the painting itself.

Leader is equally drawn to the act of removal as he is to addition. Areas of canvas may be left exposed, or the original marks and decisions preserved within the finished work, allowing the painting's process to remain visible. Ultimately, his work reflects a belief that paintings should retain the qualities of paintings—objects that openly acknowledge their own making.