"My love of photography developed while I was working as an adventure guide and photojournalist in Latin America in the 1990s. Both there, and later in Cuba, I was captivated by the energy and exuberance of the festivals and dance so inherent in latino life. Many of my images celebrate the rich and vibrant musical heritage of Havana, Buenos Aires and Seville.
When I look at them I hear the rhythmic beat of the drums and almost feel a trickle of sweat running down my back. I remain amazed when they have the same effect on a stranger, but I suppose that is the power of the image"
James has had solo exhibitions in the US, Ireland, Spain, Cuba, France and across the UK. His work is shown at contemporary art fairs across the world including at Pulse Miami, Art Chicago, ArtHamptons, Slick (Paris), Art Market (San Francisco), AAF London, AAF Singapore, AAF New York and many more. His photographs have been used for advertising campaigns and featured in magazines such as Dazed and Confused, Tatler, Red, Wanderlust as well as all of the UK’s major broadsheets. He has also written for the New Statesman.
Reviews
“a dazzling collection of black and white images”
Land of the Incas exhibition at the Royal National Theatre, Sunday Telegraph
"Sparshatt’s portraits continue to offer a positive view of Cuban resilience and beauty... he never falls for clichés... his subjects defy their economic limitations as the musicians and dancers’ spirits fly".
Sue Steward, Photography Critic for the London Evening Standard International Awards
Competitions
2009 Worldwide Photography Gala awards Finalist, Fine Art
2009 Center for Fine Art Photography Finalist, Black and White Fine Art Photography
2009 Sony World Photography awards Shortlisted, Music
2008 Center for Fine Art Photography Winner, International exhibition of Fine Art Photography
Artist's Talks and Photographic Juries
2010 Juror London Art Fringe awards
2009 Artists talk Land of the Incas, Travellers world, Olympia, London
2009 Artist Talk Land of the Incas, Haslemere festival, UK
2008 Juror Digital Camera photographer of the Year 2008
Selected Exhibitions and Art Fairs
2020 AAF Battersea courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2020 Art Karlsruhe courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2020 Grand opening group show at Morton Contemporary, Philadelphia
2020 Silver linings group show at Azaro Art Space, Hamburg
2019 Pulse - Miami courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2019 AAF Hamburg courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2019 Rhythms of Emotion Theatre Royal Norwich, UK
2019 AAF Hampstead courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2019 AAF New York courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2019 Art Fabriken Galleri Final, Sweden
2019 AAF Battersea courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2019 Art Karlsruhe courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2018 AAF Amsterdam courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2018 AAF Stockholm courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2018 AAF Hampstead courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2019 Art Fabriken Galleri Final, Sweden
2018 AAF New York courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2018 AAF Battersea courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2018 Art Karlsruhe courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2017 AAF Hamburg courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2017 AAF Stockholm courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2017 AAF Hampstead courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2017 AAF New York courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2016 AAF Hamburg courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2016 AAF Stockholm courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2016 AAF Hampstead courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2016 AAF New York courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2015 AAF Hamburg courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2015 AAF Amsterdam courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2015 AAF Hampstead courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2015 AAF New York courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2015 Focal Point Eames Fine Art, London UK
2015 AAF Battersea courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2014 AAF Hamburg courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2014 Platinum II The Cloister Gallery, Woodchester UK
2014 Fragments of Asia Exposed gallery - Moscow
2014 AAF Amsterdam courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2014 AAF Hampstead courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2014 AAF New York courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2014 AAF Battersea courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2014 Exposed Exposed gallery - Moscow
2014 AAF Brussels courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2013 Platinum The Cloister Gallery, Woodchester UK
2013 AAF Stockholm courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2013 AAF Hamburg courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2013 ART Houston courtesy of Julie Nester gallery
2013 AAF Hampstead courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2013 AAF New York courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2013 AAF Battersea courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2012 ArtHamptons courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2012 ArtMarket, San Francisco courtesy of Julie Nester gallery
2012 Retrospectiva. Romerias de Mayo Festival, Holguín, Cuba
2012 Affordable Art Fair Battersea courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2012 AAF Los Angeles courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2011 AAF Singapore courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2011 Art for Africa Auction at Sotheby's, New York City
2011 Houston Art Fair courtesy of Julie Nester gallery
2011 Chicago Art Fair courtesy of Blueleaf gallery
2011 “Altered states” Julie Nester gallery, Park City, Utah
2011 “Rhythms of Emotion” Sony World Photography Festival, London
2011 Art Palm Beach courtesy of Blueleaf gallery
2011 AAF New York courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2011 AAF Battersea courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2010 “Majesty of Ireland” Landscapes by James Sparshatt and Rachael Dalzell Capital Culture gallery
2010 Slick Paris courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2010 AAF Battersea courtesy of Capital Culture gallery
2010 AAF Paris courtesy of Capital Culture
2009 “Black and white exhibition” Center for Fine Art Photography, Colorado, USA
2009 “Cubanismo – the work of James Sparshatt and Ernesto Fernandez” Blueleaf gallery, Dublin
2009 AAF Amsterdam courtesy of Capital Culture
2009 Glasgow Art Fair courtesy of Capital Culture
2009 AAF Brussels courtesy of Capital Culture
2008 “Spirit of Cuba” Canning House cultural institute, London
2008 Dublin Art Fair courtesy of Capital Culture
2008 Lineart, Ghent courtesy of Capital Culture
2008 “Spirit of Cuba” Fotoseptiembre photography festival, Rendon Gallery, San Antonio, Texas
2008 “Cubanismo” Capital Culture, London
2008 “International Exhibition of Fine Art Photography” Center for Fine Art Photography, Colorado, USA
2008 Kunstart, Bolzano courtesy of Drissien Gallery
2007 "Spirit of Cuba" House of Lords, Palace of Westminster, London
2007 "Discovery - the photos" Capital Culture London
2006 "Westminster Connections" SW1 Gallery, London
2006 "Cuba – Land of Spirit” SNAP gallery, Birmingham
2006 “Cuba – Land of Spirit” Capital Culture gallery, London
2006 "Latin Visions" Fotobild, Berlin
2006 "Buskaid - Soweto Strings" Soho House, New York City
2006 "Land of the Incas" Peruvian Embassy, London
2006 "Land of the Incas" Royal National Theatre
2005 "Cuba - a good smoke" Royal National theatre
2005 "Una vida de passion" Pergola gallery, Cordoba, Spain
2004 "Athens - an Olympic Transformation" Hellenic Centre, London
2004 "The Great Wall Odyssey" The Ivy, London
2003 "Rhythms of Cuba" James Sparshatt and Rankin Hush, Mayfair, London
2003 "A Cuban Vision" Fama gallery, Havana
2001/2/3 "Romerias de Mayo" Festival of Arts, Holguin, Cuba