Artist Feature: Yellena James

Yellena James’ ethereal images take the viewer through an imaginary subaquatic world. Preferring pens, inks, markers and acrylics, she combines complex abstract forms into dazzling images which take on lives of their own. Her colorful arrangements of organic shapes and tangled lines are at once floral and alien, organic and sci-fi. Each intimate world she creates possess its own ethos and its own special ability to radiate emotion.

“My latest works further explore the intricate and delicate forms of an imaginary ecosystem, twisting and floating together in an alluring environment.  I attempt to create an ethereal place which is hauntingly familiar and yet hypnotically exotic, adding tiny little details in a sort of compulsive meditation, until a perfect balance is created.  The intricacy and high detail, along with hints of existing organic shapes lend to the intimacy and believability of each new world.” -Yellena James

James is often inspired by microscopic worlds, plants, fungi, underseas and aliens. “They spark my imagination and often inspire me to invent my own flora and fauna. I try to create new shapes based on what I imagine to exist within the unseen world around us, and attempt to suggest movements in my designs that we’re not accustom to seeing in our everyday lives, to sort-of pass that spark of inspiration on to others as they complete the movements within their own minds. Also, moss. I’m inspired by moss.

Yellena James’ work will be featured in Gallery Hijinks exhibition titled “Biosynthesis” opening this November with installation by Pete Belkin. Together they hope to transform the space with synthetic over-saturated color mixed with organic forms and light.

Yellena James grew up and attended art school in Sarajevo, Bosnia. At the age of 18 she moved to the U.S. After gaining her BA in painting and graphic design at UCF, she eventually made her way to Portland, OR. James has participated in shows around the U.S., as well as overseas, including: solo exhibitions at Giant Robot (San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA), the Here Gallery (Bristol, UK), the Grassy Knoll (Portland, OR) to name a few. Her illustration work has been sought after by companies like Anthropologie, Nike, K2 Snowboards and many others.