About Jeremy James
Jeremy James trained at Exeter College of Art & Design and graduated in 1986 with a 1st class honours degree in Fine Art. Jeremy continued his training in Cardiff, completing a Masters Degree in Ceramics in 1987. After working as a visiting lecturer in numerous colleges he established a workshop in Suffolk where he designed, made and exhibited work until 1995.
In that year he moved to Derbyshire to take up a new teaching post as Senior Lecturer to the B.A (Hons) 3D Design course at the University of Derby as well as developing a new and improved workshop from his home.
Since then Jeremy has divided his time between teaching and continuing to make and show work with many galleries nationally and internationally.
Jeremy James’s main inspiration is in the countryside. He has a natural talent for sculpting the many mannerisms of his subject matter, be they hares, crows, pigs or cockerels and he must rank as one of the foremost ceramic sculptors of his generation.
Jeremy James’s broad fine arts training introduced him to clay, and apart from bronze, no other material has tempted him. Working exclusively in clay has enabled him to explore the possibilities of ceramic form and exploit the richness of glazing that combine to give his subject matter an extra dimension. The element of freedom contained in his work gives an extra edge, distancing him from those concerned with mere representation. Being able to recognize not only the importance but also knowing when to stop giving more detail takes him over the great divide between crafts and fine art.