Artist Details
| Artist Name | Cey Adams |
|---|---|
| Born | 1962 in New York, New York |
Artist Biography
Born in New York in 1962, Cey Adams is an accomplished artist, graphic designer, and author. Rising from the downtown graffiti movement in the 1980s, Adams embarked on his artistic journey as a teenager, originally tagging subway cars with “Cey City” and creating graffiti murals to showcase his evolving talent. At nineteen, he gained representation at the Graffiti Above Ground gallery in lower Manhattan, marking the beginning of his involvement in the downtown art and music scene. He made connections with the Beastie Boys, becoming their graphic designer, and further solidifying his role as an artist and designer. Later, Adams assumed the role of the founding Creative Director at Def Jam Recordings, co-founding the label’s in-house design firm and leaving his enduring mark on the industry through iconic album designs for artists like Run-DMC, LL Cool J, The Notorious B.I.G., and more.
Adams’ studio work delves into the interplay between transformation and discovery. He employs a practice of dismantling figurative and paper elements, collected at vintage and estate sales, to construct layers of color, texture, shadow, and light. Drawing inspiration from 1960s pop art, sign painting, comic books, iconic logos, brands, as well as the Civil Rights Movement and black pride. Adams likens his creative collage process to “improvisational jazz.”
Commissioned by the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture and major companies and brands such as Pabst Brewing Company, Levi’s, Mattel, Apple, YouTube, and more, Adams continues to operate from his base in Brooklyn, New York. He actively engages in exhibitions, lectures, and art workshops at esteemed institutions such as the Smithsonian, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In 2014, Adams was an Artist-in-Residence at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art in Omaha, Nebraska. With an extensive portfolio of collaborations and exhibitions, Adams uses his creative voice to shed light on significant social issues and contributing to the ongoing development of movements that have shaped our modern world.
