James Lemon (b. 1993, Te Awamutu, Aotearoa New Zealand) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Naarm (Melbourne) whose practice centres on clay. His tactile and expressive sculptures explore the historical and ecological narratives of the material, reflecting on its role in civilisation, nature, and the body. Blending humour, physicality, and philosophical inquiry, Lemon’s works fuse religious motifs, pop culture, and an affinity for insects into vividly textured forms. Lemon’s ongoing project SPHEXISNESS responds to ecological decline, particularly the disappearance of insect populations. Through intuitive making, his objects act as memorials for fading life forms—“death objects” that mourn and commemorate the fragile interconnection between human and natural worlds. His work has been commissioned by institutions including the National Gallery of Victoria, the Powerhouse Museum, and Heide MOMA, and featured in publications such as Architectural Digest, Vogue Living, Vault, and Elle Decor France. Lemon’s sculptures are held in the NGV’s permanent collection, and he has presented solo exhibitions with Sullivan + Strumpf (2023), Oigall Projects (2021), and James Makin Gallery (2020).