James Mishio

BIO

James Mishio, (b.1997) is a mixed media artist of the Ghanaian contemporary art scene who lives and works in Accra. His experimentation with various forms of media and materials and sensitive exploration of the humanity of his subjects fuels his work. He uses Impasto with a palette knife, applying Oil, Acrylic, Pastel, and Fabric on canvas to create his works. His use of oil for the skin of his subject emphasizes the richness and wealth of the African individual and the history their skin holds. His employment of used or second-hand clothes connotes the idea of ‘life after death’, meaning extending the lifespan of the material beyond its functionality. His works have reachedprivate collections, a notable exhibition titled ‘Bird of A Feather’ by Phillips Auction House and Artemartis, and galleries such as the Coningsby Gallery, in London. With over 6 years of painting and growing as an artist, he aims to focus on communication and transformation among people. He is involved in portraiture and figurative work, and his current work focuses on the topic of perception and its fluctuations, together with the vacillations and mysteries surrounding it.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My work explores the weight of perception and the material presence of what society often overlooks. In my context, men with certain hairstyles face unfair stereotypes, a bias that inspired my IDENTITY series and continues to shape my practice.

That question of perception, of what is seen, what is ignored, and what is erased extends into the materiality of my work.

I work primarily with pastels, oil paint, acrylic paint, and found fabrics, always with a palette knife in hand. The knife allows me to sculpt rather than simply paint, pressing and carving memory into surface. In this act, discarded materials become more than fragments; they become testimonies.

Fabrics that might be dismissed as waste are, to me, evidence of lives lived. They hold the weight of memory, intimacy, and history. I use them not to conceal but to reveal: to honor what society overlooks, to insist on the presence of what has been discarded. Each work hums with something beneath the surface. A scar, a survival, a voice.

ARTWORKS