James de Knoop is known for his paintings of tunnels and abandoned urban spaces that each conjure a sense of danger and isolation, yet stillness and curiosity simultaneously. The paintings of tunnels capture the known adage that “there is always light at the end of the tunnel”. The abandoned spaces comment on increasing urbanisation, that is tethered to the co-occurrence of gentrification and movement alongside spaces forgotten and forsaken, serving as a reminder that spaces hold people in the same way that people hold space through time. De Knoop is additionally known for his portraits of gangmembers, whereby he uses portraiture not merely as artistic practice, but as an act of healing, recognition, and with the intention to restore dignity. De Knoops’ approach is intimate and relational as he paints each subject with care, to reposition art as a quiet, generous exchange — an offering of psychological restoration and human acknowledgement. De Knoops' colour palette is muted and grounded with subtle bright colours making an appearance on his canvas. What remains ever-present in De Knoops’ work is his incorporation of the interplay between light and shadow, that speaks on the world shaped through an inherent duality - everything is composed of an opposite.