James MacLaren is a self-taught figurative painter working in large-scale oil on canvas, blending hyperrealism and surrealism to explore isolation, cosmic exploration, and human fragility in an AI-augmented world. His command of light, form, and depth creates immersive, narrative-driven work that confronts viewers with questions of scale, solitude, and belonging.

James's path began with graphite sketches during a Chemistry Master's at Warwick, evolving into the hyperrealist precision that defines his practice today. Working from traditional references and AI-generated imagery, he has spent three years developing his six-painting Astronaut Collection, confronting isolation, exploration, and fragility amid the vastness of cosmic voids.