Photography: Jasper Karolewski

THERE IS NOTHING conventional about Justin Williams. Growing up in rural Victoria, he didn’t get into any Australian universities, so he moved to New York, trained under working artists and, with a little help from YouTube, taught himself ancient painting techniques such as egg tempera. He’s not a project-based painter, so rather than “going somewhere and making work about that place”, the scenes and subjects in his work are based on amalgamations of people he’s met in quotidian places, as well as mythical figures drawn from stories passed down from  his Egyptian grandmother. 

But mostly, Williams dreads that thing all successful artists must do: attending the openings of their own gallery shows. 

“I just get really nervous,” Williams laughs as we meet him at COMA’s new flagship gallery space in Marrickville, where his solo show is being held. “And I’m not being fake nervous . . . I’m just not that kind of person.” 

If only Williams knew what Friday night inside COMA had in store for him. After living overseas for a number of years, showing at major commercial galleries in Paris and Los Angeles, the opening of ‘Waiting for Lavender’ marked a homecoming of sorts for Williams. Hundreds of people turned up to see the works, queuing for wine and a chance to meet the Lavender, the show’s tiny muse (the works in the show were painted while Williams and his wife Jade waited for the birth of their daughter, who arrived in September 2024). 

The show also falls at a time whereby demand in Williams’ work is soaring. “A lot of people really resonate with Justin’s work because they see something different in it that relates to themselves. There are so many different references, it feels so universal,” explains COMA Founder and Director Sotiris Sotiriou, adding that despite Williams’ excellent understanding of the art world and his place in it, he’s still “an everyman”. 

Ahead of the opening night of ‘Waiting for Lavender’, we sat down with Williams to chat about his pathway to becoming a sought-after painter, his love of cults and mysticism and why, the moment you begin to think you’re an amazing artist, you become “your own worst enemy”.

Watch his full episode of Esquire Studio Sessions below. 

‘Waiting for Lavender’ is on at COMA, Marrickville until February 22.


See more of Esquire’s Studio Sessions:

Inside artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran’s eclectic practice

Dylan Mooney takes us inside ‘The Story Of My People’

Behind the scenes of Shaun Daniel Allen’s new solo show

Pro surfer Dion Agius takes us behind the scenes of his first art collection