What the Gallery Says: “The exhibition presents striking new large-scale examples from the ‘Beauty World’ series that Adams began in 2019. ‘Beauty World’ includes works titled Style Variation, which depict a single figure, and Style Variation Grid, which depict 16 figures. To create these ambitious works, Adams reproduces a digital photograph of a wig mannequin on canvas, then paints various hairstyles and makeup in acrylic atop. The resulting paintings investigate the physical and cultural construction of the human form and its role in shaping identity. In particular, these works explore Black feminine empowerment achieved through versatile acts of styling, camouflaging, and costuming.”
Why It’s Worth a Look: This is Adams’s first major UK show, and his first outing with the gallery in London since it began representing him in partnership with New York’s Salon 94. Adams’s star is rising fast on the market, and his work is gaining institutional attention. His work will also be on view in an exhibition opening at the Hudson River Museum in New York on March 7.