The Yorkshire Arboretum is looking forward to hosting an exhibition of works by James Owen Thomas during March and April. Entitled ‘The Art of Recycling’ it will demonstrate how discarded materials can be used to make strikingly inventive art.

James has made his name as a young artist who transforms unwanted and discarded materials such as lottery scratch cards, tickets, single use plastic and packaging into expressive, creative works that highlight the issues faced by our environment and the problems we need to address. Many of the works on display will reference the arboretum’s trees, landscape and Red Squirrels.

James is a Force for Nature ambassador for the Tree Council, enabling him to promote environmental awareness around the country, and he was also present at the COP 26 meeting in Glasgow.  A book about James’s life, his autism and his art has been commissioned by Bloomsbury and will be published in early 2025.

John Grimshaw, the Arboretum’s Director said: ‘We’re delighted that James is going to be showing his remarkable art with us later this month. I’ve had a preview of some of the pieces and am looking forward to seeing the whole show. Each picture is a labour of love, composed of thousands of cut-up pieces of otherwise wasted things.’

A preview evening will be held on Thursday 21 March; on Saturday 23 March  there’ll be an afternoon drop-in workshop for children, and on 16 April James will be present at the arboretum demonstrating his craft. Booking information is available at www.yorkshirearboretum.org/events

For more information about James or interview requests, visit www.jamesowenthomas.com or contact him at art@jamesowenthomas.com