James Brown (Los Angeles, 1951 – Mexico City, 2020) was an American artist whose work is characterized by a nomadic and syncretic approach, combining Western painting traditions with ancestral symbolism and references to non-European cultures.

Trained between California and Paris, he developed an autonomous language from the 1970s onward, in dialogue with artists such as Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg, and with postwar American painting.

His work is defined by an archaic and vibrant mark, dense material surfaces, and compositions based on symbols, stylized figures, and mnemonic structures.

Within the international context of the 1980s, Brown established himself as an independent voice, maintaining a distinct position from dominant movements.

From the 1990s onward, he settled in Mexico, where he deepened his engagement with local traditions, developing a practice that integrates painting, printmaking, and publishing.

Through a coherent and recognizable practice, James Brown defined a central position in contemporary painting, reflecting on image, memory, and symbolic dimension.