Winner of the British Art Prize, 2025, Christopher James is an artist who combines a highly-detailed style of painting with an interest in often-overlooked elements of nature. After studying Fine Art in Hull, Christopher trained and worked as a ceramic restorer, where he developed his meticulous painting style, using delicate brushstrokes and layering of paint to produce an ‘invisible repair’. While restoring ancient Chinese pieces, he was drawn to the tradition of ‘Bird and Flower’ painting, which he has since developed in his paintings on board to depict British wildlife, particularly nests and birds. Each tiny feather, every intertwined branch, is rendered in precise detail, with a single painting on wooden board taking several weeks to complete. He sees the beauty in humble everyday flora and fauna such as pigeons, abandoned nests, and clumps of grass.

Christopher’s work has been exhibited at the OXO Tower Gallery, London, as the overall winner of the British Art Prize 2025, in collaboration with Panter and Hall. He was also shortlisted for the British Art Prize in 2022. His work has been exhibited several times at The Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions (2019, 2023, 2024). The Royal Academy of Art printed an edition of his macaw painting, which was on display in 2019 alongside his pigeon. Art Press Publishing have included his Royal Academy entry Verge Weeds in their Royal Academy collection of cards. He is a fellow of the Society of Botanical Artists (SBA), and has exhibited several botanical paintings at their annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London. At the SBA exhibition in 2023, he was awarded the Exhibiting Excellence Award for his study of weeds. His paintings have been exhibited at the Royal West of England Academy three times, and he is also a member of the Rye Society of Artists. He is based in Hastings, East Sussex.