Derrick Adams

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, artist Derrick Adams is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. He received his MFA from Columbia University and BFA from Pratt Institute.

Adams’ versatile practice explores how individual ideals, aspirations, and personas get attached to certain colors, patterns, ideologies, and styles. He often focuses on perception in relation to objects and text, and creates fragmentation of structure and surface. Adams’ works in multiple media including collage, sculpture, drawing, video, and performance. His work reflects how popular culture can change and affect self-image, and often addresses the history of racial injustice within his work. Adams’ work engages with the question of how African American experiences intersect with art history, American iconography, and consumerism.

Derrick Adams has received multiple awards and been featured in collections and shows internationally including the Museum of Art and Design in New York, Gallerie Anne de Villpoix in Paris, France, and Vigo Gallery in London, UK.