James Spikes

James Spikes is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans ink illustration, watercolor, acrylics, and digital media. Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana in 1995, Spikes draws upon adiverse cultural and educational background to inform his work, holding a BA in Kinesiology from Morehouse College (2018), where he developed a deep understanding of human anatomy, figure, and form. He later refined his design sensibility at Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design, earning a Certificate of Design in 2022.

Spikes’ work explores the intersections of Afrofuturism and life science, often blending the organic with the speculative to challenge and reimagine narratives of identity, resilience, and evolution. Based in Kansas City, Kansas, he has been featured in publications including Voyage ATL Magazine, KCTV5, and Startland News.

In addition to his fine art practice, Spikes is a skilled graphic designer. His design collaborations include projects with Sperry, the National Science Foundation, and the Art in the Loop Foundation, among others—demonstrating a wide-ranging creative versatility and commitment to visual storytelling across disciplines.