James Moffitt, aka YAMES, is a Buffalo native and co-founder of Pine Apple Company, an artist collective and gallery/gift shop located in Buffalo’s Allentown neighborhood. Art has been a passion of YAMES’ since a young age, leading him to study at the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts and then at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. YAMES has grown into a multidisciplinary graphic artist who specializes in hand-painted signs, gold leaf, typography, illustration, murals, and more.
You can see his work on businesses throughout Buffalo, including Hydraulic Hearth, Sato Ramen, Larkin Square, Detailer’s Barbershop and National Grid’s Terminal Station B. In 2020, YAMES completed two mural projects with the Buffalo AKG Art Museum’s Public Art Initiative, and has assisted on numerous other projects as well. The first mural titled Practice, located in Buffalo’s Cobblestone district, speaks to YAMES’ personal growth as an artist and individual. The second mural, Love Black is a collaboration with Edreys Wajed. Edreys developed the art of Love Black Boys in 2017. After the murder of George Floyd, both Edreys and YAMES shared the desire to speak out with their art. So the collaboration of Edreys’ idea and silhouette imagery with YAMES’ lettering was developed and became the mural that now stands at 712 Main Street in Buffalo. In 2021 YAMES was selected to take part in the Lowe’s 100th anniversary mural campaign at their Webster, N.Y. store. This year Yames is the recipient of two grants that will be used to grow and evolve his practice of gold leaf glass signs. The first grant is from the Andy Warhol Foundation through the Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art. The second is from the New York State Council on the Arts through Arts Services Incorporated. YAMES plans to use these funds to attend workshops in brilliant glass cutting and to build out his personal art practice here in Buffalo, N.Y. with the goal of having a gallery show later in 2024.
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