James John

Objet social de James John

Honour Thy Lovers is a practice which focuses on Branding and Design Direction for individuals, groups and businesses, educational workshops and events through Ceremonial wellness and lineage-based art practices and the creation of tools, artworks and protocols that support both personal research work and clients in this mandate. John James, as represented by the platform Honour Thy Lovers, is an artist and multi-disciplinary Art/Design Director, currently based in Paris, France. Through a deeply sensual approach, James's exploration of the understanding of concept of the Other" has been the driving force behind a diverse career and cultural research spanning more than 15 years. Within these channels of Representation, Education and Support - the focus of the platform is long and short term collaboration with mindfully-run, independent businesses and brands, Persons of Colour and marginalized communities alongside individuals of shared values. This ongoing investigation extends across ritual practice, artistic practice, brand design, and advertising. It is grounded in a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication, with a specialization in Business and Marketing from the University of Alberta. Drawing parallels and exploring the tensions between the dichotomies of "expression for meaning" and "expression for commerce," James' work subversively engages broad audiences with questions surrounding power dynamics, consensual boundaries, sexual fluidity, gender, and identity. James' revitalizing talismans live and site specific works draw upon the energies manifested during each experience. They embody the collision of opposing forces that emerge through the cyclical process of birth and rebirth, resulting from the deconstruction and reconstruction of past trauma, home, and identity. For the artist, these talismans represent the relationship between ancestral imprint, lived experience, and temporal identity. By moving through these interconnected realms and translating the meanings of both past and present, the work offers healing through the creation of talismans within shared spaces. These investigations into traditional structures and explorations - particularly in relation to identity, ritual, memory, and the concept of home - have been previously presented throughout Canada and internationally, including in the United States, Colombia, Peru, and Japan. James' work has also been recognized by publications such as Juxtapoz, Étapes, Elle, Fast Company, Flare, and Victionary, among others.