The Artist, in his studio, smiling ear-to-ear. Cowland 2021
East Sussex, United Kingdom. Foundation Diploma Central Saint Martins - UA London in 2009, BA Fine Art: Painting at the University of Brighton 2013.
I make Artworks that are, at their core, about mortality. Even before I reached the age of 10 I'd lie awake at night and interrogate the idea of afterlife. I'd try to see from the impossible perspective of watching myself experience nothingness beyond the point of departure, and that attempt at taking an impossible perspective has chased me throughout my artistic career - such as it is.
Art is a method of decyphering one's own Life, but Life is too complex a code to rely on one manner of Art-making exclusively as your strategy. Let's say, "The key to one's existence has a form," and Art seeks to offer a view inwards. One must take multiple viewpoints inward facing to understand that form as anything but a shape.
Exhibitions:
Group show with Laura Ryan, Xinchu Zhang, Gallery 40 Brighton May 2024
Studio 106, Brighton and Hove Open House venue 12, May 2024
Revolting Artists '2', St. Nics Gallery, Weymouth April 2024
Reality does Not Impress Me, Group Show Clerkenwell, London 2023
Studio 106, Brighton and Hove Open House venue 2, May 2023
Portland Coffee Shop, 6 Week Solo Showing, 2023 February-March
'Cab Run 2,' with 'Do Not Obstruct,' Brighton Train Station, 2023 February
‘War in the Stars,’ Group Show, Dynamite Gallery Brighton, 2022 December
‘Luminate,’ Group Show, Dynamite Gallery Brighton, 2022 December
Studio 106, B&H Winter Artist Open House, Hove 2022 November
‘The Cab Run,’ Inaugural group show with ‘Do Not Obstruct’, Brighton Train Station, 2022 October
Studio 106, B&H May Festival Artist Open House, Hove 2022 May
'Dynamite Art Fair,’ Downstairs at the Department Store, Brixton, 2022 April
‘Dynamite Art Fair,’ Downstairs at the Department Store, Brixton, 2022 September
Joint show James Cowland and Hattie Lockhart Smith, Gallery 40 Brighton 2022 March
2020 Online Exhibition, (and semifinalist in 2020 Art Competition), King House Fine Art, Stratford upon-Avon 2021
Studio 106, Artist Open Houses, Hove 2019 & 2021
‘Meine Welt, Deine Welt’ - Solo, Self-initiated - Gallery 40, Brighton 2018
‘Three Colour Grey’ - Solo, Self-initiated - Gallery 40, Brighton 2016
‘Recent Graduates’ Exhibition (on invitation) Affordable Art Fair Battersea, London 2013
‘FBA Futures,’ Exhibition (on invitation) Mall Gallery, London 2013
Degree show, (Education) University of Brighton, 2013
‘interim’ second year show, (Education) Grand Parade gallery, University of Brighton 2012
‘Drawn,’ group show, Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Brighton 2012
‘Surface,’ group show, Middle Street, Brighton 2011