James Jarvis (illustrator)

James Jarvis (born London, 1970) is a British illustrator and toy designer, a pioneer of the soft vinyl designer toy revolution.

Beginning as a designer for the fashion company Silas, Jarvis now creates characters at his own company, Amos Toys, each character with its own personality and background world.

Education

Jarvis was educated at Dulwich College, London. After a foundation course at Chelsea College of Arts he went on to study illustration at the University of Brighton (1990–1993) and took a master's degree in illustration at the Royal College of Art (1993–1995).

Career

• 1994: freelance illustrator
• 1998: begins collaboration with London fashion company Silas, designing a moulded plastic toy, Martin
• 1999: more Silas toys, Evil Martin and Bubba Silas
• 2000: exhibition at PARCO Gallery, Tokyo, later at Nagoya, of 'World of Pain', an imaginary environment invented for Silas
• 2000: World of Pain comic launched
• 2000: new toy Tattoo-Me Keith, for Silas
• 2001: Lars World of Pain, for Silas
• 2002: Juvenile Delinquents characters for Sony Capsule Toy
• 2002: book James Jarvis Drawings published
• 2002: With Sofia Prantera and Russell Waterman (directors of Silas), sets up Amos Toys
• 2003: three sets of In-Crowd toys for Amos: Forever Sensible Motorcycle Club, Ages of Metal and Zombies
• 2003-2007: King Ken (ape icon), Vortigern's Machine, the Great Sage of Wisdom, Tales From Green Fuzz, Rusty, Wiggs, Yod's Micro Theatre of Dreams
• August 2006: with Liberty of London, creates Vortigern's Machine and The Great Sage of Wisdom displays in the menswear department of Liberty's Regent Street, London, store
• January 2007: exhibition at Festival International de la Bande Dessinee, Angoulême, France
• March 2007: launches blogspot at jamesjarvis.blogspot.com: "An insight into artistic genius, or the rantings of a madman on the road to oblivion? You decide!"
• April 2007: runs in Zürich Marathon
• April 2011: Collaborated with Coca-Cola for their 125th Anniversary
• February 2012: 'Fifty-Two Spheres' - solo Exhibition at Beach London Gallery, Shoreditch
• June 2013: 'Objects in Space' - solo Exhibition at Beach London Gallery, Shoreditch
• James Jarvis Drawings (Relax Book, Tokyo, 2002)
• Vortigern's Machine and the Great Sage of Wisdom (Amos Novelties Ltd, 2006)
• Yodzine (Amos Novelties Ltd, 2007)
• Selected Drawings (Amos Novelties Ltd, 2008)

References

• [1]