JAMES JARVIS
© Courtesy of James Jarvis and Galerie Julien Cadet
Born in 1970, London, UK
Lives and works in London, UK
James Jarvis is an artist and visual philosopher from London whose work encompasses cartoons, objects, comics, graphic design, printmaking and moving image. His practice concerns drawing, philosophy, alternate realities, minimalism and skateboarding.
Jarvis was born in London in 1970, and studied at the University of Brighton and the Royal College of Art, graduating in 1995.
Jarvis' first commissioned work was for the influential London skate shop Slam City Skates. He has worked as a commercial artist for clients worldwide, including Coca-Cola, Ikea, Nike and UNIQLO.
In 1998, Jarvis designed the iconic character toy, Martin, for the cult fashion brand Silas. He enjoyed a long collaboration with Silas which helped introduce him to a worldwide audience, notably in Japan. In 2000, Jarvis visited Japan for a solo exhibition, World of Pain, at the PARCO galleries in Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagoya. In Japan Jarvis has designed the mascot for Toto sports lottery.
From 2003 to 2013, Jarvis worked on his own brand, Amos, in partnership with Silas' co-director Russell Waterman. For Amos, Jarvis created over 100 character toys, as well as graphics, comic strips, books, exhibitions, a music festival and a crazy-golf hole.
Jarvis has worked on two notable moving image projects in collaboration with Richard Kenworthy. In 2008 they made the short film, Onwards, and in 2012 they made an ident, Brodown, for MTV.
More recently, Jarvis has concentrated on a simpler, reductive, drawing-based approach to his work, with solo exhibitions in London, Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
Jarvis lives with his partner and two children in south London.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022
— hello bauhaus, Parco Museum Tokyo, Tokyo, JP
2021
— Découpages, Galerie Julien Cadet, Paris, FR
2020
— Transcendental Idealism, Nanzuka, Tokyo, JP
2019
— Throw-Ups, Nanzuka, Tokyo, JP
— Ceci n'est pas un dessin, c'est une situation, Galerie Julien Cadet, Paris, FR
2018
— The Waste Man, AishoNanzuka, Hong Kong, HK
2015
— No More Negative Space, HHH Gallery, Tokyo, JP
2014
— Spheric Dialogues, Colette, Paris, FR
— Classical Allusions, Pictoplasma, Berlin, DE
2013
— Objects In Space, Beach London Gallery, London, UK
2012
— Amos Generic Character Brand Store, Gallery Common, Tokyo, JP
— Fifty-Two Spheres, Beach London Gallery, London, UK
2011
— Installation, The Standard, New York, US
2006
— Drawings, Meltdown Comics, Los Angeles, US
2001
— World of Pain, PARCO Gallery, Nagoya, JP
2000
— World of Pain, PARCO Gallery, Tokyo, JP
1999
— In My Room, Colette, Paris, FR
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020
— Global Pop Underground, curated by Nanzuka, Parco Museum, Tokyo, JP
2019
— Group Show, Galerie Julien Cadet, Montpellier, FR
2015
— Mapping the City, Somerset House, London, GB
2007
— Festival International de la Bande Dessinee, Angoulême, FR
2004
— Beautiful Losers, CAC, Cincinnati, US
2003
— Where Is Silas?, PARCO Museum, Tokyo, JP
2002
— This is me, showcased in London, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Paris, with Mike Milles, Ed Templeton, Imai Toonz, Akira Somekawa, Sugiyama Hiro and others
2001
— Pot o’Gold 2, with Chris Johanson and Todd James, PAM Gallery Australia, Perks, AU
— JAM: London-Tokyo, Barbican Gallery, London, GB
1999
— Slipstream, CCA, Glasgow, GB
COLLECTIONS
— Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, FR
— Design Museum, London, GB
— MIMA (Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art), Brussels, BE
BIBLIOGRAPHY
— No More Negative Space, 2015, HHH, Tokyo
— Spheric Dialogues, 2014, Nieves, Zurich
— De Architectura, 2013, EPFL, Lausanne
— Coloring Book, 2011, Nieves, Zurich
— De Profundis, 2011, PictureBox, New York
— Car Parks, 2010, Nieves, Zurich
— The Wisdom of Caleb, 2010, Amos, London
— Selected Drawings, 2007, Amos, London
— Yodzine, 2007, Amos, London
— Vortigern's Machine and the Great Sage of Wisdom, 2006, Amos, London
— James Jarvis Drawings, 2002, Relax Book, Tokyo
— Lars!, 2001, Silas, London
— World of Pain, 2000, Silas, London
EDUCATION
1993-1995
— Royal College of Art
1990-1993
— University of Brighton
1989-1990
— Chelsea College of Art