Derrick Adams’ How I Spent My Summer is a vibrant and joyful suite of prints celebrating leisure, identity, and the Black experience through the lens of summertime relaxation. Composed of nine panels arranged in a grid, the series captures swimmers, pool floats, and playful objects floating against bright blue water. Each image radiates warmth and nostalgia, transforming ordinary moments of recreation into affirmations of presence, freedom, and self-expression.

Adams, known for his exploration of Black joy and everyday life, uses bold color, flattened form, and rhythmic composition to evoke a sense of calm and contentment. The subjects—figures wearing patterned swim caps, inflatable toys shaped like unicorns and ducks, and a colorful ice pop—become symbols of individuality and delight. The repetition of blue creates unity, while each vignette feels distinct, reflecting different moods and personalities within a shared cultural space.

Through How I Spent My Summer, Adams reclaims scenes of leisure that have historically excluded Black representation, turning them into affirmations of belonging and celebration. The series invites viewers to pause, smile, and reflect on the beauty of simple pleasures—floating, laughing, cooling off on a hot day—and to recognize them as moments of empowerment and cultural significance. For more information on Derrick Adam's How I spent my Summer, contact our galleries using the enquiry form below.