James Leroy Seward is an American painter whose practice moves fluently between the intimacy of portraiture and the charged atmosphere of staged, cinematic encounter. Trained in illustration at Savannah College of Art and Design (BFA, 1998–2002) and shaped by formative studio experience as an assistant painter at Jeff Koons Studio (2005–2013), Seward brings rigorous craft to images that feel simultaneously contemporary and timeless.

Seward’s work has been recognized by major institutions and foundations, including the People’s Choice Award in the Outwin Boocheever Portrait Competition at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery (2006) and the Peter S. Reed Foundation Grant (2021).

His recent solo exhibition, Embrace: Cinematic Moments by James Seward, was presented at The Hudson River Museum (Yonkers, NY) in 2023.

Across exhibitions and publications, Seward’s presence reflects a sustained engagement with the evolving language of contemporary painting—appearing in venues ranging from university art centers to New York and Los Angeles galleries and featured in outlets such as New American Paintings and Newsweek, among others.

This Is The Day Of My Dream, 2020
Oil on canvas
26 x 30