Mikaila James is an artist and illustrator rooted in the coastal town of Newquay, Cornwall - where the wild landscape of the South West seeps into everything she creates.
Her work is a conversation between nature and sound; organic, playful forms that emerge from deep listens to jazz and funk, translated onto the page with a sense of rhythm and spontaneity.
Mikaila creates from a bright, colour-drenched studio apartment steps from the sea — a space she shares with her cat, Willow - where the light and energy of the Cornish coast set the tone for her practice.
A firm believer in the power of creative community, Mikaila co-founded Tidal Collective Newquay alongside fellow artist Sophia Warren in June 2025 - a space dedicated to bringing creatives together on the Cornish coast.