James Butterwick began collecting and selling Russian and Ukrainian Art in 1985 and has established himself as one of the world’s leading experts. He moved to Moscow in 1994, becoming the only foreign member of the Russian Society of Private Collectors and began forming collections, taking part in museum exhibitions and lecturing on Russian Art, including at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow in 2013 and the Museum of Russian Impressionism the following year. In 2008 James became the only foreign member of International Confederation of Antique and Art Dealers of Russia and the CIS and in 2013 joined the Society of London Art Dealers. 

In 2013, James began to travel to Ukraine, making over 50 trips there, both the Kyiv, Kharkiv and Lviv. His focus changed in 2014 to Ukrainian Modernism and, since this date James has put on three exhibitions of the leading Ukrainian Futurist, Oleksandr Bohomazov (1880-1930) as well as other exhibitions devoted to the subject. James acts as a source of museum quality paintings with flawless provenance of both the Russian, Ukrainian and European School and has access to all the leading experts, private collections and museums in any area of the arts. He travels regularly to Ukraine and Kazakhstan where, in October 2013, he opened an exhibition of leading Impressionist paintings. 

In 2015 James became the first gallery dealing in early 20th century Ukrainian and Russian Art to be invited to exhibit at TEFAF, Maastricht – selling four works to the Kröller-Müller Museum. The following year saw a much-heralded personal exhibition of the Ukrainian avant-garde artist, Alexander Bogomazov (1880-1930) with further sales to both Kröller-Müller and subsequently to the Arkansas Art Centre. James also exhibited at the first TEFAF New York fair in 2017.

His private gallery is in London. He speaks fluent Russian.