Painter of Historic American Indian Cultures

James Ayers paintings are more than a slice of Native American history. They are the result of years of research combined with personal exploration and observation. James Ayers has studied details of the cultures he portrays with an anthropologist’s eye, and marries his understanding of the struggles of modern Native cultures with his knowledge of their artifacts and rituals in creating his canvases.
Shortly after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1991, James Ayers began a pattern of traveling, living and working with indigenous peoples worldwide that continues to the present day. James has sought first-hand experiences with dozens of tribal cultures, and with each relationship, he has learned insights that help him understand the historical material he incorporates into his art.
Although the subjects are fictionalized accounts rather than literal representations of specific events, every facet of his paintings is historically correct – from the style of a man’s plaited hair to the weapons used and even the motifs which decorate tipis, clothing and shields.