S. Christopher James

S.C. James is an award-winning designer, artist, and illustrator based in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, with over 30 years of experience spanning advertising, visual communications, and contemporary art.

He holds a BFA in Advertising Art from the University of North Texas — where his student work earned multiple awards, including selection for the prestigious New York Society of Illustrators student show — and an MFA in Visual Communications from Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Steve built his career in advertising, working as an art director, creative director, and designer across print, web, and interactive media. His client work spans a wide range of industries including healthcare, commercial real estate, food and spirits, oil and gas, transportation, and retail. In 1991, he founded Union Design Company, which began as a freelance studio since grown into visual communications practice supporting both commercial and personal creative work.

His work has been recognized in publications and exhibitions across art, illustration, advertising, and design. In 2025, he received both a Platinum and Silver Award in the Graphis Poster Annual — one of the most respected competitions in the field.

As a contemporary artist, Steve works in printmaking, watercolor, and collage. Rooted in the Social Realism of the twentieth century, his work draws on iconic imagery from that era to engage with contemporary issues, often blending traditional and digital techniques into a dynamic hybrid expression. His artwork has been exhibited in shows across the United States.

In addition to his studio practice, Steve serves as a design lead for a major healthcare company and has taught illustration for designers as a lecturer at East Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Arlington.