Jim Lilly, A Brief Encounter, 2026, Acrylic on Wood, 12 x 16 x 2.25 in

Jim Lilly's work is rooted in a lifelong connection to the lakes and waterways of Puget Sound, shaped by childhood summers along Hood Canal and years of fly-fishing regional rivers. The Salish Sea remains central to his practice, serving as both inspiration and responsibility. As environmental conditions have changed, his response has grown more complex, balancing admiration for place with concern over ecological degradation. His work functions as both reflection and inquiry, responding to lived experience, memory, and current environmental realities.

Lilly creates sculptural "reliquaries" that merge medieval altar-like structures with industrial aesthetics, using traditional sculpting methods alongside laser-cut fabrication. These trompe-l'oeil works suggest distressed materials such as metal, wood, and stone, populated by carved fish, whales, and crabs as objects of reverence. Fragmented text introduces tension and meaning, inviting interpretation between beauty and critique.

Born in Seattle, he studied painting at Pomona College and earned an MFA from Claremont Graduate University, studying with Karl Benjamin, Roland Reiss, Michael Brewster, and Connie Zehr.