Max Adrian: Swell

October 30 – December 21, 2024

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Adrian is a pioneering textile artist whose work explores queerness, desire, and consumerism. He finds inspiration in a variety of sewing-related crafts like quilting, bag making, inflatables, costume design, puppetry, drag, and fetish wear.

Inspired by experimental work that crosses disciplines and considers the body in compelling ways, Adrian’s hand-sewn construction and piecework sculptures pop in bold colors and a tactile materiality that references the body and form in unexpected ways, evoking moods and conversations about desire, consumer culture and queerness.

Mutability, transformation, and playfulness are consistent themes throughout his work. These concepts serve as an important reminder that something, or someone, is more complex than the initial impression we develop. Adrian's postmodern playscapes interrogate the ways in which the things we desire impact a sense of personal identity and community building in a culture of hyper stimulation.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Max Adrian is a textile artist whose work explores queerness, desire, and consumerism. He finds inspiration in a variety of sewing-related crafts like quilting, bag making, inflatables, costume design, puppetry, drag, and fetish wear. His postmodern playscapes interrogate the ways in which the things we desire impact a sense of personal identity and community building in a culture of hyper stimulation. Adrian holds an M.F.A. in Fiber and Material Studies from the Tyler School of Art and Architecture in Philadelphia. He received a B.F.A. in Fiber and Creative Writing from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2015.