Tschabalala Self
Tschabalala Self builds figurative paintings from paint, printed imagery, and sewn fabric, using material collage to depict Black life and identity.
Painter
Derrick Adams
Derrick Adams is an American painter who combines geometric portraits, acrylic color, and paper, fabric, and painted wood into layered compositions.
Derrick Adams quick facts
Adams builds sharply divided figures with acrylic color fields and collaged fabrics, using paper and wood panels as supports for painted narratives.
| Born | 1970 · Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Died | — |
| Nationality | American |
| Movements | — |
| Paint types | Acrylic paint · Spray paint |
| Painting surfaces | Paper · Wood painting panels |
| Painting methods | Building geometric portraits with acrylic and sprayed color, layered geometric shapes, cut paper, and applied patterned fabric collage |
| Common subjects | Black leisure and rest, portraiture, popular culture, urban identity, recreation, and everyday life |
| Other materials | Printed and patterned fabrics, pencil, graphite, paper collage; occasionally found objects |
| Notable works | Floater 59 · Getting the Bag · All Eyes on Me |
Sources: Artist's works: acrylic and fabric collage on wood panels, Artist's Floater series: acrylic and fabric on paper, Hudson River Museum: materials and Floater 59, Parrish Art Museum: Getting the Bag, acrylic and fabric on wood, National Academy of Design: biography and Black leisure motifs, Museum of Arts and Design: collage and assemblage techniques, and Longlati Foundation: birth details and painted-collage practice.
Paint types used by Derrick Adams
Adams’s Floater 59 records acrylic on paper with pencil and fabric collage, separating the painted ground from attached textile and drawn marks.
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Acrylic paint
In Floater 59, the Hudson River Museum identifies acrylic on paper with pencil and fabric collage. Other Floater works similarly combine acrylic with cut fabric. These records show acrylic as the painted ground for assembled scenes, while fabric and pencil add separate elements to the image.
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Spray paint
Adams’s works from 2021 onward include acrylic and spray paint on wood panel. The sprayed material creates a different application effect from the brush-applied acrylic in his Floater series. Museum and artist records document both paints in his practice, with the spray paint associated with later panel works.
Sources: Hudson River Museum: Derrick Adams, Floater 59, Derrick Adams: Floater series; Parrish Art Museum: Getting the Bag; National Academy of Design: Derrick Adams; Derrick Adams: recent work, acrylic and spray paint on wood panel
Painting surfaces used by Derrick Adams
The documented supports include paper and painting board, and the rows below connect each surface to works by Derrick Adams through collection records.
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Paper
Adams’s Floater series uses paper with acrylic and fabric collage, making the sheet part of the assembled image. The Hudson River Museum records this combination in Floater 59. Paper works differ from the wood panels used for later paintings with spray paint.
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Painting Board
Adams paints on wood panels, including works made with acrylic and spray paint. These rigid supports differ from the paper sheets used in the Floater series, where fabric collage is also present. The panel records document wood as a separate support in his later paintings.
Sources: Artist's works: acrylic and fabric collage on wood panels, Artist's Floater series: acrylic and fabric on paper, Hudson River Museum: materials and Floater 59, Parrish Art Museum: Getting the Bag, acrylic and fabric on wood, National Academy of Design: biography and Black leisure motifs.
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