Esquire Studio Sessions: Justin Williams on the unconventional characters that inspire his art
Following stints in Paris and California, the Australian artist returns home for a solo show at Sydney's COMA. Here, he chats to Esquire about finding his way as a painter, and learning to trust the work

THERE IS NOTHING conventional about Justin Williams. Growing up in rural Victoria, he didnât 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. Heâs not a project-based painter, so rather than âgoing somewhere and making work about that placeâ, the scenes and subjects in his work are based on amalgamations of people heâs 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.
âI just get really nervous,â Williams laughs as we meet him at COMAâs new flagship gallery space in Marrickville, where his solo show is being held. âAnd Iâm not being fake nervous . . . Iâm just not that kind of person.â
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 âWaiting for Lavenderâ 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 showâs 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).Â
The show also falls at a time whereby demand in Williamsâ work is soaring. âA lot of people really resonate with Justinâs work because they see something different in it that relates to themselves. There are so many different references, it feels so universal,â explains COMA Founder and Director Sotiris Sotiriou, adding that despite Williamsâ excellent understanding of the art world and his place in it, heâs still âan everymanâ.
Ahead of the opening night of âWaiting for Lavenderâ, 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 youâre an amazing artist, you become âyour own worst enemyâ.
Watch his full episode of Esquire Studio Sessions below.Â
‘Waiting for Lavender’ is on at COMA, Marrickville until February 22.
See more of Esquire’s Studio Sessions:
Inside artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendranâs eclectic practice
Dylan Mooney takes us inside âThe Story Of My Peopleâ
Behind the scenes of Shaun Daniel Allenâs new solo show
Pro surfer Dion Agius takes us behind the scenes of his first art collection