James Bland was born in Grimsby and now lives in Kent.

His academic qualifications include:
MA Fine Art, Canterbury Christchurch University 2005
BA (Hons.) 1st Class Fine Art, Canterbury Christchurch University 2003

In January 2015 James was elected a member of the New English Art Club, a London-based exhibiting society, based at the Mall Galleries.-

Selected Exhibitions:

2014
Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize, Mall galleries, London
Affordable Art Fair, Hong Kong

2013
Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Galleries, London
New English Art Club, Mall Galleries, London
Affordable Art Fair, Singapore
Affordable Art Fair, New York
Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait Prize Exhibition, London
Affordable Art Fair, Hampstead

2006-12
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea
ABC Art Fair, Barnes, London
"Young Artists", Riverside Gallery, Barnes, London
"From Life", Riverside Gallery, London
1st Annual Cork Street Open Exhibition, London
Solo Exhibition, Wolfson College, Oxford University

Collections:
The Ruth Borchard Collection, London
Rutherford College, University of Kent, Canterbury
Private Collections in Europe, North America and Asia

Awards:
2015 The Doreen McIntosh Prize, NEAC 2015
2014 runner-up, Visitors' Choice Award, Threadneedle Prize
2013 1st Prize, The Winsor & Newton Oil Painters Award
2007 The Janet Konstam Travel Award
2007 Artist in Residence, The Centro Verrocchio Art Centre ​

Publications/Press:

2015 - Pill, Steve - "Notebook", Artists & Illustrators January 2015, p. 45
2014 - Bland, James - introduction to Villaggi, exhibition at Galleria Elle Arte, Sicily by Ilaria Rosselli del Turco
2014 - Eaton, Terri and Pill, Steve - "Ones to Watch", Artists & Illustrators, April 2014, p. 30 - 31
2014 - Wanstall, Deborah - "Open Competitions & Exhibitions 2014", The Artist, January 2014, p. 36
2013 - Bullen, Jamie - "Prize for Oil Painting", Kent Messenger, 28 November 2013
2013 - Tyrrell, Katherine, "Review of the 2013 ROI Exhibition", Making a Mark, 19 December 2013
2013 - Freeman, Hannah, Featured Artwork, "Share Your Art", The Guardian Online, 17 May 2013

"I like the idea of painting as a way of telling stories and find inspiration in literature as well as visual art. Some influences include Piero della Francesca, Rembrandt, Keith Vaughan, Georges Braque, Dorothea Tanning, Euan Uglow, Balthus, Mary Potter, Jan Svankmayer, Ana Maria Pacheco,Marcel Proust and Joseph Beuys".