British-born visual artist James Marshall, now based in the UK after spending 15 years in New York City, seamlessly weaves the cultural influences of his dual homelands into his thought-provoking creations. His artistic vision serves as a bold exploration of human nature and societal influence, revealing the inherent struggle between the desire for personal authenticity and the external pressures to conform. Through his distinctive use of shape, color, texture, phrases, and symbolic elements, Marshall crafts visual narratives that challenge viewers to embrace their true selves—a theme he passionately believes is the most rebellious act in today’s world.
In his own words, Marshall describes his paintings as “the most honest and pure way I’ve ever expressed myself.” His striking acrylic and collage compositions are not only visually captivating but also deeply personal, offering an invitation for viewers to reflect on their own identities and connections to the broader human experience. Marshall’s intent is to inspire a deeper engagement with the self and the world, encouraging authenticity as a powerful act of defiance in an era defined by conformity.
With a growing international presence, his work has been commissioned and collected across Manhattan, The Hamptons, Washington DC, as well as Oxford, Windsor, and London and in January this year, he had his debut auction at Christies London —cementing his reputation as an artist of growing acclaim.
For the Henley Festival, James will also be showcasing award winning artist Kara Bieber.
Suspended between the boundaries of realism and fantasy, Kara’s hand-cut collages are an act of imagination and re-creation produced through the upcycling of magazines. Launched in 2013 at a London exhibition alongside works by Hirst, Emin and Quinn, Kara named her first collection “i don’t wanna be famous!” and has since produced over forty images, excluding commissions, which have sold, as limited edition prints, in the UK and overseas to private collectors, hotels and commercial spaces. The success of her collages is possibly due to her previous career as a photographer which began at the age of eleven with a solo exhibition of photographs taken in India. Since then she exhibited at large and was named winner of the “Woman Photographer of the Year” award at the Venice International Photographic Competition, at the age of nineteen. Solo collage shows have included exhibitions at Clerkenwell London, Paul Smith
and Augustus Brandt, with artworks sold in auction at Phillips and Sotheby’s and most recently showcased at Frieze Los Angeles 2024.