Thomas James defines himself as a sculptor—though not in the conventional sense of one bound to a studio. His practice is deeply conceptual, engaging intuitively with themes such as neo-sacredness and cultural frameworks.

James’s work reflects a personal duality: one deeply tied to his druidic and Celtic heritage, witnessing the fading of Christian traditions in his generation; the other immersed in modernity, thriving on technology and contemporary modes of existence. This tension informs his artistic process, shaping methodologies and narratives that channel ancient wisdom into present-day contexts.

He often integrates ancient tools and practices—dowsing, skinning, and ritual—bridging archaic ancestral knowledge with contemporary issues.

At the heart of his work is a dialogue with the land, exploring its prominent history in culture, its present reality, and the narratives that connect them. Through his creative methodology, he reintroduces the present, uncovering layers of meaning that might otherwise go unnoticed.

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As a designer, James, through the Royal College of Fungi (RCF) responds to social and educational structures by researching non-hierarchical organisms and ecosystems. He theorizes that integrating these organic systems into current frameworks can offer models of mediation rather than control, reimagining structures as dynamic and responsive rather than rigid and hierarchical.

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