North Pole Studio is a community space and professional studio program for artists with disabilities in Portland, OR.

North Pole Studio supports careers in the arts, and exists to increase opportunities for artists with autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities to thrive as active members of the arts community. We foster self-determination and facilitate meaningful connections through total engagement in the arts.

North Pole Studio (Portland, OR) and Booklyn (Brooklyn NYC) work in collaboration to present the work of James Enos at the 2023 Outsider Art Fair

James Enos (b.1987)                                                                  
Prolific, mixed-media writer and illustrator, James Enos (b.1987), creates large-scale, mixed-media books that take place in his self-constructed world known as the "Kid Stuff Universe."

James designs and executes each book from scratch. His extraordinary process includes binding, researching, writing, and hand-drawing illustrations— many of which fold-out and can extend upwards of 275 cm. Each story is first composed through completion on a typewriter, and then illustrated chronologically. His stories weave together to form a collection inspired by his life experiences, picture books adapted from major motion pictures, and pop-culture of the late 80s and early 90s, among others. Through storytelling, James expresses his wry sense of humor, intuitive understanding of plot and syntax, and extensive knowledge of literature and pop culture. 

James’ recent books include several volumes that are bound together into a single, enormous book. He shares that his books are all part of one giant story connected within the "Kid Stuff Universe” wherein James is frequently written in as a protagonist. 

James is co-represented by Booklyn (Brooklyn, NYC)

Austin Brague (b.1998)

Austin Brague’s (b.1998) art practice is inspired by cities throughout the United States. Working primarily in pen and ink, Austin captures specific buildings, significant monuments, and innovative transportation systems with a precision that considers details such as the number of windows on a skyscraper, or railroad ties on a track. 

Austin’s subjects span temples, personal homes, cityscapes, and urban infrastructure. His recent work is focused on a large-scale series of New York City, and an ongoing series of the Brightline in South Florida. Across subjects, Austin’s work intentionally balances photorealism with the artists’ hand, bringing familiarity and softness to the sharp silhouette of cityscapes and industrial equipment.

Austin has autism, and credits his disability with his ability to work with such acute focus and attention to detail. He draws inspiration from artists such as Stephen Wiltshire, and others.

Dan Tran (b. 1985)

Dan Tran (b.1985)  is a multimedia artist who works across origami, drawing, painting, and ink. Dan is known by his family and community for his resilience of spirit, which is reflected in the joyful, color-rich way he captures often heavy and complex subject matter.

Through his paintings, Dan interweaves his passions for cooking, historical events, popular culture, and politics to form a body of work that celebrates global culture and brings awareness to social injustice. References to Vietnam are often woven throughout Dan’s work through an ongoing exploration of personal identity and homage to his culture of origin. Dan’s most recent collection reflects his concerns about the war in Ukraine. This well-researched body of work elevates Ukrainian culture, by uplifting cultural icons, honoring everyday citizens, and capturing objects and places of significance.

James Enos created a mixed media book titled Steven Spielberg, "A Don Bluth Film, Full House the Movie, Treasure of the Lost Lamp" that can be viewed below. The book is for sale in its entirety and the individual pages can not be bought separately. If you are interested in purchasing the book in its entirety please inquire below on any of the individual pages.

North Pole Studio

2516 NW 29th Ave. Ste. 8
Portland, OR 97210
contact@northpolestudio.org
northpolestudio.org

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