James Warman - Artist CV
Profile
James Warman is a British photographic artist and documentary photographer based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
Working across conceptual photography, documentary practice, photographic impressionism and music photography, his work explores themes of memory, identity, place and the passage of time. His projects combine documentary observation with personal narrative, using photography to examine our relationship with landscape, community, culture and memory.
Alongside a sustained exhibiting practice spanning more than a decade, James has documented the cultural life of Shropshire through extensive work with musicians, festivals, artists and community organisations. His photography ranges from intimate conceptual projects and fine art exhibitions to editorial commissions and live performance.
His work has been exhibited in solo, two-person and juried exhibitions across England and Scotland and has appeared in published books.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2023
Backstage Pass - Shrewsbury Coffeehouse, Shrewsbury
A solo exhibition documenting the energy, emotion and atmosphere of live music through intimate backstage and performance photography.
2014
Origins - Shropshire Wildlife Centre, Shrewsbury
First solo exhibition featuring photographic collages inspired by the landscapes walked by Charles Darwin during his childhood in Shrewsbury.
Two-Person Exhibition
2023
A Meeting Place - Glou Glou Wine Bar, Shrewsbury
A two-person exhibition with celebrated Shropshire artist Jane Beesley.
A Meeting Place brought together two artists working in different media but sharing a common visual language through abstract expressionist landscapes. While Jane Beesley exhibited paintings, James Warman presented photographic works, demonstrating how painting and photography can each express atmosphere, emotion and a profound sense of place through abstraction.
The exhibition explored the shared creative ground between the two disciplines while celebrating the distinctive qualities of each medium.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2026 & 2024
Glasgow Gallery of Photography Open Exhibition - Glasgow
Selected for the Gallery’s annual Open Exhibition on two occasions.
2026, 2024 & 2023
Shrewsbury Arts Trail Open Exhibition - Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery
Selected through the Shrewsbury Arts Trail’s annual juried open exhibition process for inclusion in the festival’s principal exhibition at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery.
The Shrewsbury Arts Trail is a town-wide summer celebration of contemporary art, bringing together selected artists and photographers alongside nationally and internationally recognised artists across exhibitions, installations and events throughout Shrewsbury.
2025 & 2024
Secret Art Sale - The Soden Collection, Shrewsbury
Selected charity exhibition.
2024
Representations of Time - The Hive, Shrewsbury
Exhibited She Thinks You’re My Son, a nine-image photographic montage exploring memory, recognition and dementia.
Based upon a childhood photograph kept beside the artist’s mother’s bed in her care home, the work reflects the gradual erosion of recognition caused by dementia. The title comes from the poignant words spoken by his mother during one visit:
“She thinks you’re my son.”
2023
Leave the Road, Take the Trail - Mrs Jones Gallery, Shrewsbury
Selected for the inaugural exhibition at Mrs Jones Gallery. The exhibition explored landscape, journey and a sense of place, bringing together artists whose work reflected those shared themes while marking the opening of one of Shrewsbury’s newest contemporary galleries.
2023
Shropshire Supports Refugees
Permanent exhibition of James Warman’s Photographic Impressionism landscapes, displayed alongside artwork by local artist Jane Pickworth in the reception area of the charity’s offices.
The exhibition was created to provide a welcoming and uplifting environment for clients, visitors and staff through contemporary interpretations of the Shropshire landscape.
2023
Shrewsbury Film Photography Club Exhibition - Shrewsbury Abbey
Group exhibition celebrating analogue photography using traditional film processes.
2022
Church Stretton Arts Festival
Selected exhibition. Exhibited and sold photographic work.
2022
Shrewsbury Film Photography Club Exhibition - In Good Hands Café, Shrewsbury
Group exhibition celebrating analogue photography using traditional film processes.
2021
The Sky Has No Surface
Online exhibition.
2020
The Postcard Project - Stoke Newington, London
Exhibited The Redundant Suit, a conceptual self-portrait reflecting on life during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Created while working from home, the work explores isolation, adaptation and coming to terms with a rapidly changing world. The redundant suit becomes a metaphor for the disappearance of familiar routines and identities as home and workplace merged, questioning how our sense of self is shaped by the rituals of everyday life.
The work was reproduced in the accompanying exhibition publication.
2018
Church Stretton Arts Festival
Selected exhibition. Exhibited and sold photographic work.
2014
Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings Exhibition - Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings
Selected to exhibit at the historic Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings immediately prior to its major restoration. Both exhibited works were sold during the exhibition.
Artist Projects
2021
Hands, Head & Heart – Part II
A continuation of the Hands, Head & Heart project, revisiting artists in their creative spaces and exploring how artistic practice had evolved following the COVID-19 pandemic through environmental portraiture and recorded conversations.
2018
Hands, Head & Heart
A long-term documentary portrait project exploring the lives and working environments of artists in Shropshire.
Inspired by the quotation:
“A labourer works with their hands. A craftsman works with their hands and head. An artist works with their hands, head and heart.”
James photographed artists in their own creative spaces and asked each participant the same series of questions, creating a consistent exploration of artistic practice, inspiration and identity.
The project resulted in a self-published photobook combining environmental portraits with the artists’ reflections, documenting the richness and diversity of Shropshire’s creative community.
Publications
2024
A series of coffee shop haiku were published in a book by Charlie Adlard to accompany his exhibition at the Soden Collection, Shrewsbury.
Inspired by observations written spontaneously in local coffee shops, the haiku were paired with Charlie Adlard’s coffee shop sketches, echoing the traditional relationship between haiku and illustration.
2020
The Postcard Project exhibition publication featuring The Redundant Suit.
2018
Hands, Head & Heart self-published photobook.
Selected Commissions & Professional Appointments
2025
Photograph licensed by Ben Ottewell, lead singer and songwriter of Gomez, for promotional use on his solo tour of the United States.
2024
Official photographer during the visit of Queen Camilla to Shrewsbury while working as Communications Officer for Shropshire Council.
Worked alongside regional press photographers, television media and royal photographer Chris Jackson documenting the royal visit.
2019–2024
House photographer at Albert’s Shed Live Music Venue, Shrewsbury.
Photographed live performances by local, national and international artists, documenting the venue’s live music programme.
2017–2024
Volunteer photographer, Shrewsbury Folk Festival.
Documented artists, audiences and the atmosphere of one of the UK’s leading folk festivals.
Editorial
Contributor of photography and written articles for a local arts and culture magazine, documenting exhibitions, artists, live music and Shropshire’s creative community.
Photography Practice
James’ work encompasses:
* Conceptual Photography
* Documentary Photography
* Photographic Impressionism
* Live Music Photography
* Editorial Photography
* Environmental Portraiture
* Community Documentary Projects
His practice combines observation with interpretation, frequently exploring memory, identity, place, time and the emotional connections people have with the world around them.
Selected Career Highlights
* Three solo exhibitions.
* One two-person exhibition with celebrated artist Jane Beesley.
* Two selections for the Glasgow Gallery of Photography Open Exhibition.
* Three selections for the Shrewsbury Arts Trail Open Exhibition at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery.
* Selected for the inaugural exhibition at Mrs Jones Gallery.
* Work exhibited and sold at Church Stretton Arts Festival (2018 and 2022).
* Selected to exhibit at Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings prior to its restoration, with both exhibited works sold.
* Permanent exhibition of Photographic Impressionism landscapes at Shropshire Supports Refugees.
* Work exhibited in London, Glasgow and across Shropshire.
* Work published in exhibition books and collaborative publications.
* Creator of the Hands, Head & Heart documentary portrait project and accompanying self-published photobook.
* Photograph commercially licensed by Ben Ottewell (Gomez).
* Official photographer for Queen Camilla’s visit to Shrewsbury.
* Eight years documenting the Shrewsbury Folk Festival.
* Six years as house photographer at Albert’s Shed Live Music Venue.