James was first drawn to clay back in 1995 on an Art Foundation course under the guidance of Raku Potter David Roberts. He was immediately struck by the way it could be turned into almost anything. After this exciting introduction to the material he gained a place at Loughborough University and began developing a range of making processes. The physicality of the making and the challenge to work on such a large scale has always been at the forefront of his work. After graduating with a first James then went on to study an MA at the Royal College of Art.