James Earley uses his work to raise awareness of issues such as homelessness, mental health and war. James aims to make the invisible visible, wanting his art to scream and demand attention. James first came to prominence in 2013 when he was chosen to be a part of The Art Investors’ acclaimed 2013 “Seven Artists Exhibition”, this exhibition was held at London’s Strand Gallery and focused on 7 of the very best young Artists in the world.
His work took another route in 2015 with his powerful and emotional studies of homeless people, victims of war and religious martyrs. This work took him to another level in the art world as he was nominated by The BP award, The Royal Institute of Oil Painters and The Royal Institute Of Portrait Painters; culminating in his work being displayed at the iconic and famous Mall Gallery in the heart of London. James was selected in 2019 to show his work at the prestigious London Biennale.
James has been described by the German Kunst Heute publication as well as The International Contemporary Art Curators as one of the most significant artists in the world today. James Earley has thus emerged as one of the foremost pioneers of figurative and hyperrealism painting in Britain today, a fact all the more remarkable since James is a self taught artist.
In 2019 James was awarded first prize at The prestigious London Biennale, the Giotto International Prize and the Leonardo da Vinci International Prize. James was awarded the Venice International Art Prize in 2020 and has been chosen by The European Cultural Centre to exhibit his work at the Venice Biennale 2022.
"I have often been asked why I paint homeless people or people on an emotional knife edge. From a very early age I had always wanted to paint a homeless person, I do not know why, why would a young boy want to sketch a homeless person rather than a still life, a landscape or a portrait of someone that they know? I firmly believe there are some questions that you can not answer, sometimes your heart tells you something and you just have to follow it no matter where it takes you. This is how I feel." -James Earley