Derrick Adams

Derrick Adams, born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1970, is a multidisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn, New York. He earned his BFA from Pratt Institute in 1996 and an MFA from Columbia University in 2003. Adams's artistic practice encompasses painting, collage, sculpture, performance, video, and sound installations, exploring themes of Black identity, culture, and experience in contemporary life. His work often examines the influence of popular culture on self-image and the intersection of African American experiences with art history, American iconography, and consumerism. Adams is recognized for his "Floater" series, which depicts Black individuals at leisure, presenting respite as a political act. His formal approach is rooted in Deconstructivist philosophies, utilizing fragmentation, manipulation of structure, and the layering of images and materials, connecting him to artists such as Hannah Höch, Henri Matisse, William H. Johnson, and Romare Bearden. Adams has held numerous teaching positions and is currently a tenured associate professor at CUNY Brooklyn College. His work is included in the permanent collections of institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Studio Museum in Harlem, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.