Sydney G. James

Sydney G. James is a fine arts painter and muralist proudly raised in Detroit, Michigan. A BFA graduate of Detroit’s College for Creative Studies, she returned to her hometown in 2011 and quickly became synonymous with colors and brushwork as strikingly defiant and ever-changing as Detroit itself. Her murals have transformed Detroit’s skyline, and she earned the coveted 2017 Kresge Arts in Detroit Fellowship. Sydney’s work — on walls, canvas, fabric, and Vans shoes — is on a pointed mission: Black women are first, never forgotten. Her work has been exhibited at MOCAD Detroit, Charles H. Wright Museum, Red Bull House of Art, and Arts Beats and Lyrics. Her murals have appeared across six continents, including New Orleans, Brooklyn, Atlanta, Pow Wow Hawaii, and Pow Wow Long Beach. She is co-founder of the biannual BLKOUT Walls street mural festival (debuted Detroit 2021). Brand partners include Vans, PepsiCo, Ford Motor Company, Detroit Pistons, Detroit Lions, and the Lip Bar.