CV
Michael James
Atlanta, GA · michael.james@boutdatlife.studio · licensing@boutdatlife.studio · boutdatlife.studio
Artist Statement
I make work about what it feels like to carry cultures — plural — in your body. I am my parents. I am my grandparents. I am my ancestors. My work is where my ancestors speak.
Education & Professional Background
UX Designer & Front-End Developer | 10+ Years
Multidisciplinary practice spanning user experience design, front-end development, brand identity, and visual storytelling. Applied design work for well-known Fortune 500 companies. Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, InVision, and full-stack development frameworks. Led design within multiple brands across product types and industries.
Cartooning & Visual Storytelling
Foundational background in cartooning and character-driven composition, informing a figurative and narrative approach to fine art practice.
Fine Art Practice
Practice Est.: 2020
Medium: Acrylic, spray paint, and mixed media on canvas with impasto relief, photoluminescent pigment, and trompe-l’œil dimensionality
Scale: Large-format works; 60 × 48 in and 36 × 48 in
Studio: Atlanta, GA | Est. 2026 under Bout Dat Life LLC
Selected Works
Saturday Night Soul, 2026
Acrylic, spray paint, and mixed media on canvas with impasto relief, photoluminescent pigment, and trompe-l’œil dimensionality
60 × 48 in (152.4 × 121.9 cm)
Ancestors Chat Series — Original & Edition of 50 (no reprints)
Rhythm of the Drum — Her Rhythm, 2026
Acrylic, spray paint, and mixed media on canvas with impasto relief, photoluminescent pigment, and trompe-l’œil dimensionality
36 × 48 in (91.4 × 121.9 cm)
Rhythm Series — Original & Edition of 50 (no reprints)
Rhythm of the Drum — His Beat, 2026
Acrylic, spray paint, and mixed media on canvas with impasto relief, photoluminescent pigment, and trompe-l’œil dimensionality
36 × 48 in (91.4 × 121.9 cm)
Rhythm Series — Original & Edition of 50 (no reprints)
Uptown Soul, 2026
Acrylic, spray paint, and mixed media on canvas with impasto relief, photoluminescent pigment, and trompe-l’œil dimensionality
36 × 48 in (91.4 × 121.9 cm)
Cityscape Series — Original & Edition of 50 (no reprints)
Midtown Soul, 2026
Acrylic, spray paint, and mixed media on canvas with impasto relief, photoluminescent pigment, and trompe-l’œil dimensionality
36 × 48 in (91.4 × 121.9 cm)
Cityscape Series — Original & Edition of 50 (no reprints)
Downtown Soul, 2026
Acrylic, spray paint, and mixed media on canvas with impasto relief, photoluminescent pigment, and trompe-l’œil dimensionality
36 × 48 in (91.4 × 121.9 cm)
Cityscape Series — Original & Edition of 50 (no reprints)
Selected Series
Bout Dat Life: Ancestors Chat Series | 2026
Saturday Night Soul — a celebration of Black joy, the sacred ritual of the dance floor, and culture in motion.
Bout Dat Life: Rhythm Series | 2026
Her Rhythm & His Beat — works exploring the ancestral pulse of Afro-Caribbean culture and the drum as language and memory.
Bout Dat Life: Cityscape Series | 2026
Uptown Soul, Midtown Soul, Downtown Soul — large-format explorations of urban Black identity, memory, and place.
Exhibitions
Available for Exhibition — 2026
Selected works from the Cityscape Series, Rhythm Series, and Ancestors Chat Series are available for solo exhibitions, group exhibitions, and curated institutional programming.
Inquiries welcome: licensing@boutdatlife.studio
Collections
Works held in private collections, United States
Press
Press inquiries: michael.james@boutdatlife.studio
Representation & Licensing
Original works available for private acquisition, gallery representation, licensing, and exhibition by inquiry only.
Contact: licensing@boutdatlife.studio