James Thigpen Jr. is a Detroit-based artist, designer, and creative director whose work fuses Black visual culture, contemporary art, and brand storytelling. Rooted in Flint and refined through formal training at Mott Community College and the University of Michigan–Flint, Thigpen has built a career that bridges fine art, fashion, and marketing.

He is the founder of Eight One Zero, a streetwear brand paying tribute to his hometown, and has held key creative leadership roles across Detroit’s cultural and commercial landscape. He served as Creative Director for JARS Cannabis, where he shaped the brand’s bold visual identity, and previously led design for iconic labels like Detroit Vs Everybody and

Detroit is the New Black, helping position them as cultural staples in the city’s fashion scene.

Thigpen also worked as a designer for Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City and is currently an Associate Creative Director at UniWorld Group, developing national campaigns for major brands like Ford. His artwork, often combining black-and-white photography with layered graphic elements, has been exhibited in galleries, digital showcases, and public spaces—reflecting themes of identity, faith, and community empowerment.