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Derrick Adams' art presents a colorful take on the 21st century Black experience creating new perspectives and shifting perceptions. Blending pop, urban and social commentary his powerful vignettes invite us to question our World offering hope, joy and fun. Discover our selection of Derrick Adams art for sale at Guy Hepner.
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Works
Derrick Adams
Self Portrait on Float, 2019Woodblock, gold leaf and collage
Hand signed and numbered40 x 40 in
101.6 x 101.6 cmEdition: of 50Series: PrintsCopyright The ArtistDerrick Adams’ Self-Portrait on Float (2019) is a striking celebration of leisure, identity, and self-possession—an image that encapsulates the artist’s commitment to reframing how Black life is represented within contemporary...Derrick Adams’ Self-Portrait on Float (2019) is a striking celebration of leisure, identity, and self-possession—an image that encapsulates the artist’s commitment to reframing how Black life is represented within contemporary art. Against a calm, unbroken teal backdrop, Adams depicts himself resting in a black unicorn pool float, its rainbow mane and playful expression contrasting the composed dignity of his own pose. The scene radiates ease and confidence, transforming an everyday act of relaxation into a declaration of visibility and freedom.
Rendered in Adams’ signature geometric style, the figure’s form is composed of interlocking planes of brown, sienna, and umber, which create both structure and warmth. His face, composed with sharp precision, gazes directly at the viewer—assertive but serene. Around his neck rests a golden chain, stylized and exaggerated, symbolizing both adornment and cultural pride. The unicorn float, rendered in matte tones of black and gray, exudes a sense of fantasy and humor. Together, these elements merge the real and the symbolic: Adams situates himself within a world of leisure and play while simultaneously invoking deeper commentary on self-definition and Black joy.
Self-Portrait on Float is part of Adams’ celebrated body of work exploring themes of rest, recreation, and self-care within African American life—subjects often underrepresented in art history. By portraying himself floating—literally buoyed by an emblem of whimsy—Adams asserts that pleasure and peace are radical acts. His subjects, including himself, inhabit spaces free from external tension or trauma, offering an alternate visual narrative to the one often imposed upon Black bodies in the cultural imagination.
This emphasis on leisure as liberation reflects a recurring idea in Adams’ practice: that everyday moments of ease, style, and community are as culturally significant as scenes of struggle or protest. His work resists the reductive framing of Black identity through conflict, instead focusing on fullness, humanity, and joy. The pool becomes symbolic space—one of reflection, safety, and rebirth—echoing historical struggles for access to recreational spaces and the affirmation of presence in places once restricted.
Formally, Adams’ aesthetic draws from Cubism and Pop Art, infusing them with African American visual language and sensibility. His faceted compositions recall Romare Bearden’s collages and Jacob Lawrence’s dynamic color fields, while his use of bold hues and simplified geometry nods to the commercial polish of mid-century design. Yet Adams infuses these influences with personal narrative, transforming abstraction into autobiography.
In Self-Portrait on Float, humor and dignity coexist harmoniously. The unicorn—often a symbol of imagination and rarity—becomes a metaphor for individuality and pride. Adams’ calm expression, set against a minimal background, underscores his autonomy: he defines his own image, unmediated and unbothered.
Ultimately, Self-Portrait on Float is both playful and profound—a modern icon of Black leisure and artistic sovereignty. In reclaiming the visual language of rest, Derrick Adams positions joy not as escapism, but as empowerment. The work captures his ongoing mission to celebrate the beauty and complexity of everyday Black life, turning moments of ease into timeless affirmations of strength, identity, and humanity.
For more information on Derrick Adam's Self-Portrait on Float contact our galleries using the enquiry form below.
Series
Derrick Adams
Self Portrait on Float, 2019Woodblock, gold leaf and collage
Hand signed and numbered40 x 40 in
101.6 x 101.6 cmEdition: of 50Series: PrintsCopyright The ArtistDerrick Adams’ Self-Portrait on Float (2019) is a striking celebration of leisure, identity, and self-possession—an image that encapsulates the artist’s commitment to reframing how Black life is represented within contemporary...Derrick Adams’ Self-Portrait on Float (2019) is a striking celebration of leisure, identity, and self-possession—an image that encapsulates the artist’s commitment to reframing how Black life is represented within contemporary art. Against a calm, unbroken teal backdrop, Adams depicts himself resting in a black unicorn pool float, its rainbow mane and playful expression contrasting the composed dignity of his own pose. The scene radiates ease and confidence, transforming an everyday act of relaxation into a declaration of visibility and freedom.
Rendered in Adams’ signature geometric style, the figure’s form is composed of interlocking planes of brown, sienna, and umber, which create both structure and warmth. His face, composed with sharp precision, gazes directly at the viewer—assertive but serene. Around his neck rests a golden chain, stylized and exaggerated, symbolizing both adornment and cultural pride. The unicorn float, rendered in matte tones of black and gray, exudes a sense of fantasy and humor. Together, these elements merge the real and the symbolic: Adams situates himself within a world of leisure and play while simultaneously invoking deeper commentary on self-definition and Black joy.
Self-Portrait on Float is part of Adams’ celebrated body of work exploring themes of rest, recreation, and self-care within African American life—subjects often underrepresented in art history. By portraying himself floating—literally buoyed by an emblem of whimsy—Adams asserts that pleasure and peace are radical acts. His subjects, including himself, inhabit spaces free from external tension or trauma, offering an alternate visual narrative to the one often imposed upon Black bodies in the cultural imagination.
This emphasis on leisure as liberation reflects a recurring idea in Adams’ practice: that everyday moments of ease, style, and community are as culturally significant as scenes of struggle or protest. His work resists the reductive framing of Black identity through conflict, instead focusing on fullness, humanity, and joy. The pool becomes symbolic space—one of reflection, safety, and rebirth—echoing historical struggles for access to recreational spaces and the affirmation of presence in places once restricted.
Formally, Adams’ aesthetic draws from Cubism and Pop Art, infusing them with African American visual language and sensibility. His faceted compositions recall Romare Bearden’s collages and Jacob Lawrence’s dynamic color fields, while his use of bold hues and simplified geometry nods to the commercial polish of mid-century design. Yet Adams infuses these influences with personal narrative, transforming abstraction into autobiography.
In Self-Portrait on Float, humor and dignity coexist harmoniously. The unicorn—often a symbol of imagination and rarity—becomes a metaphor for individuality and pride. Adams’ calm expression, set against a minimal background, underscores his autonomy: he defines his own image, unmediated and unbothered.
Ultimately, Self-Portrait on Float is both playful and profound—a modern icon of Black leisure and artistic sovereignty. In reclaiming the visual language of rest, Derrick Adams positions joy not as escapism, but as empowerment. The work captures his ongoing mission to celebrate the beauty and complexity of everyday Black life, turning moments of ease into timeless affirmations of strength, identity, and humanity.
For more information on Derrick Adam's Self-Portrait on Float contact our galleries using the enquiry form below.
NewsOverview
“Art was all mine, and it was all me".
Across Derrick Adams’ art there is a profound sense of joyful celebration as the multi-disciplinary artist tells vibrant stories that explore Black identity, culture and history. Working across paintings, sculpture, collage and performance, his colorful snapshots and vignettes are very much of our contemporary world yet rooted in a deep sense of tradition. Deconstruction, by default, leads to reconstruction and Adams' work reconstructs and alternate experience through the deconstruction of prevailing social codes and narratives.
Derrick Adams’ prints and paintings are an amalgamation of style reflecting his nuanced and post-modern approach to the themes that he explores. Combining pop culture, personal narratives and social commentaries Adam creates compelling scenes that are ornate in their use of color and visually arresting in the composition.
Throughout his works Adams’ narratives are told through his vibrant use of color, geometric shapes, and mixed-media elements which blend together as the artist explores the way mass media affects identity, particularly in the context of African Americans in contemporary culture.
Derrick Adams’ art tells of hope and he often uses empowering motives including uplifting portraits of Black men, women and children where he re-imagines and address the status quo of society offering an inclusive new reality. Influenced by the everyday, Adams also draws from the symbols of our 21st life in all their recognizable pop glory including rubber ducks, swimming pool inflatables and beaming bright, saturated television sets - a critical approach to media representation is a recurring theme in his work.
For more information on our selection of Derrick Adams prints for sale or to buy Derrick Adams original art, contact info@guyhepner.com
