James English was born in Naul Co Dublin in 1946. Although he was painting from an early age, James came to art relatively late. On leaving school he first served an apprenticeship in cabinetmaking. Not finding fulfilment in that he then started a career in horse-racing where he was soon granted a jockeys licence riding for the Dreaper stable. It was during that period that his interest in art was rekindled. He enrolled in NCAD in 1974 as a part time student to study painting, exhibiting work for the first time the same year in the Tattan Gallery, Malahide, Co Dublin. This was followed up with four solo exhibitions in the Tattan Gallery, 1976 to 1979. He would go on to have a number solo exhibitions in Gallery 22 Dublin, Kilcock Art Gallery, Lavit Gallery Cork, the Europa in Brussels, the James Gallery, Dublin, the United Arts Club, Dublin the RHA Ashford Gallery and the Seamus Ennis Arts Centre, Naul, Co Dublin. He has also exhibited in many group exhibitions both in Ireland, the UK and the USA.
James, who first exhibited in the RHA Annual Exhibition in 1979 was elected an Associate of the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts in 2003 and subsequently a full member in 2005. He served two terms as Treasurer of the RHA 2005 to 2010 and 2013 to 2017. He also served two terms as a Board Member of the RHA School and the RHA Programme Board.
He also served as a member of the Board of Governors and Guardians of the National Gallery of Ireland from May 2017 to May 2020 where he was Chair of the Acquisitions and Exhibitions committee during the last eighteen months of his tenure.
His work is in many private and public collection both in Ireland and abroad including; AIB, OPW, Irish Management Institute, Tara Mines, Goff’s Bloodstock Sales, Cork Harbour Commissioners, The Four Courts, Haverty Trust, RHA Collection, National Self Portrait Collection and Dun laoghaire-Rathdown Co Council.
James has also curated a number of exhibitions including. James English RHA Selects, for the Lavit Gallery Cork in 2005 and 2008 and James English RHA and Friends for the Greenacres Art Gallery Wexford in 2012 and was one of the four curators that selected work for Estuary. An exhibition drawn from the Fingal Co Council collection to mark its 25th Anniversary
Awards include: Aer Lingus/ Arts Council Travel Award, 1996, James Kennedy Memorial Award and RHA Annual 2001, ESB Keating/ McLaughlin Medal RHA Annual 2003, Friends of the RHA Award for Senior Artist 2012 and English was short listed for the RCSI Award at the RHA Annual 2021.