Commissioned by the Lord Mayor of Bradford Councillor Mohammed Shafiq to produce an artwork of Bradford City Hall. The artwork was to coincide with the Mayor’s tenure 2025 to 2026 during the Bradford City of Culture Year. The artwork was based on a photograph taken by me in November of 2025 when the City of Culture celebrations were in full swing. The artwork is based on an evening of celebrations when the clock tower was illuminated in purple and the ferris wheel to the side of the Bradford City Hall was operating. The artwork was presented to the Lord Mayor on Monday 16th March 2026 by me for him to present to the last full council meeting of the year on Tuesday 17th March and for it then to be permanently displayed in the Office of the Lord Mayor Bradford City Hall.
STATEMENT BY THE LORD MAYOR OF BRADFORD COUNCILLOR MOHAMMED SHAFIQ :
“ It gives me great pleasure to present to the Office of the Lord Mayor a specially commissioned portrait of City Hall. Our City Hall is more than a building. It is the heart of our civic life.
What makes this portrait even more special is the young artist who created it — James Owen Thomas.
James is an exceptionally talented young autistic artist whose work shows remarkable creativity and depth. When I first saw his artwork, I was truly moved by the way he captures light, architecture and emotion. I have no doubt that one day we may well look back and say that Bradford helped nurture the next great British artist — perhaps even the next David Hockney.
Bradford has always been a city of talent, diversity and opportunity. By showcasing James’s work in the Office of the Lord Mayor, we are not only celebrating our beautiful City Hall, but also celebrating the power of young people, creativity, and inclusion. James reminds us that talent comes in many forms, and that our duty as a city is to recognise it, support it, and give it space to flourish.
I hope that this portrait will remain in the Lord Mayor’s office for many years to come — a reminder of this year, but more importantly a reminder of the extraordinary people who make up our city ”.
END OF STATEMENT
James Owen Thomas said:
“ I would like to thank The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Mohammed Shafiq for commissioning the artwork and the wonderful words he used in his statement to the full council which I am truly humbled by.
To know that my artwork will be displayed in the Office of the Lord Mayor and become part of the history of the amazing city of Bradford is truly special, especially as I was a student at Bradford School of Art – where David Hockney studied ”.
END OF STATEMENT
James Owen Thomas has a gallery at Unit 6, Carlisle Business Centre, Manningham, Bradford and in February last year had a book published by Bloomsbury Publications titled ‘ In My Nature ‘
Sustainable Art and Autism.
In November 2025 James was an award winner at the Yorkshire Young Achievers Awards in the management and enterprise category.
