James Freeman (Galerist) Interview

In this episode of Transmute Tapes, Maison Douce is joined by James Freeman, founder of the James Freeman Gallery in Islington, London. Known for championing contemporary approaches to historicism, James curates exhibitions that weave myth, ritual, and history into urgent conversations for today. We first connected with him in London at Slipping the Veil, an exhibition co-curated with Elena Unger at St Bartholomew the Great. Set inside a 900-year-old church, the show transformed the sacred architecture into an active collaborator, opening up new ways of experiencing art. Our conversation explores the artworks that first sparked James’s passion, the curatorial journey from idea to exhibition, and the enduring pull of mysticism, relics, and lineage in contemporary art. A dialogue on passion, history, and the power of spaces to transmute art into ritual. Listen to this and all other episodes of Transmute Tapes wherever you get your podcasts and on our website.