Untitled (1)
Details
Edition
Unique
Medium
Mixed Media on Paper
Signature
Signed
Unframed Dimensions
25.5 x 19.25 in
64.77 x 48.9 cm
Framed Dimensions
30.5 x 24.25 in
77.47 x 61.6 cm
Year
2022
More from this artist
About the artist
Clarence James (b. 1991, Stamford, Connecticut) is a contemporary painter and former street artist whose work merges portraiture, abstraction, and philosophical inquiry. Raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, James earned a full scholarship to Howard University, graduating in 2014. His time at the historic HBCU was transformative, acting as a formative period of cultural pride and self-actualization that profoundly shaped his worldview, artistic ambitions, and belief in the liberating power of creative expression.
After college, James immersed himself in the art world by frequenting museums, galleries, and exhibitions, which led him to begin creating work of his own. Between 2016 and 2018, he became known for spreading viral graffiti across Washington, D.C. and New York City, establishing an early presence as a street artist whose imagery carried messages of resistance and self-empowerment. As his creative mission deepened, James transitioned from public walls to canvas, declaring: “This is my protest — freedom is a protest, self-esteem is a protest.”
James’s paintings explore the interplay between consciousness, identity, and the human condition. Working in an abstract-figurative language, he blends bold color, urgent linework, graphic shapes, and symbolic mark-making. His compositions unite drawing and painting, representation and abstraction, and an eclectic mix of mixed-media materials. While grounded in contemporary aesthetics, his work engages a broad lineage of historical influences, from Neo-Expressionism, Surrealism, Cubism, and classical portraiture to the visual vocabulary of street art. Through this synthesis, James reimagines portraiture as an allegorical narrative rooted in popular culture, psychological depth, and lived social experience.
Since 2014, Clarence James has built a dynamic presence across Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. His growing body of work includes murals throughout D.C. and Wynwood during Art Basel Miami; installations for global brands such as Fendi and Boiler Room TV; and a 2022 exhibition at The National Arts Club in New York City. He currently works from his studio in Washington, D.C., continuing to develop a practice grounded in truth, empowerment, and personal evolution.
Explore Clarence James at DTR Modern Galleries
DTR Modern Galleries was the first gallery to discover and represent Clarence James in 2021. Since then, we have championed his work through solo and group exhibitions, placing his paintings with a wide and enthusiastic collector base. His bold, philosophical approach to contemporary portraiture makes him a standout voice in today’s emerging art landscape. You can find his work in our Boston, NYC, Palm Beach and our Washington D.C. locations.
