James Isherwood (b. 1971, Massachusetts, USA) creates

paintings where architectural forms become protagonists

in deceptively complex visual narratives. Working in acrylic

on paper and panel, his paradoxical compositions are

devoid of human presence, inviting viewers to mentally

inhabit these dreamlike spaces. His technical process

involves hundreds of layered washes combined with precise

draftsmanship, resulting in hyper-saturated

dreamscapes that hover between playful and unsettling.

While drawing on Surrealist traditions, Isherwood has

developed a distinctive visual language

where familiar architectural elements unfold into nested

realities, each seemingly offering passage to another world

while remaining tantalizingly out of reach.

James received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from

Parsons School of Design in New York 1993.

Isherwood has been awarded residencies from

The Constance Saltonstall Foundation For The Arts, (2022)

Fellowship, Ithaca, New York;

Willapa Bay AiR (2022), Oysterville, Washington

The Mabel Residency at The Norman Bird Sanctuary

(2019),Middletown, Rhode Island

Virginia Center For Creative Arts, (2018) Robert Johnson

Fellowship, Amherst, Virginia

PORTRAIT BY THOMAS BARRATT