Ian Adams
b. 1990, San Francisco ∙ CE artist since 2012
Photo by Evguenia Shtill
Ian Adams is an intuitive artist who draws his inspiration primarily from architecture, like the bridges he sees in the Bay Area, and animals, both real and mythological. Adams particularly likes working in gouache but is enthusiastic about trying new approaches to making art. Such explorations into materials, as well as images, also give his work surprising qualities that arise through his appreciation of chance.
His ‘monster face’ paintings and drawings are both figurative and abstract, with bold saturated color and expressive geometrical arrangements. Adams will often create these monster faces in many layers; painting the figure over itself in variations of color. The final face on the top-most layer is usually painted with a bright contrasting color, adding dimension to his forms, giving them a sense of moving toward the viewer like a floating specter.
Select Exhibitions & Projects
2025
I Wish I Had a Window, & Beyond Gallery, Oakland, CA
Main Characters, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2024
Going Places, Genseler, San Francisco, CA
2023
Become Like Life Golden, Recology, San Francisco, CA
2021
Mode Brut, Museum of Craft and Design, San Francisco, CA
2020
Of Here From There | De Aquí Desde Allá, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA
2018
Mind Place, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2016
Dance Party!, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
Tabula Rasa, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
Natural History, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2014
Shoerageous, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
Tree of Life, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2013
Outsider Artists, Oakland International Airport, Oakland, CA
Untitled (Yellow, Pink, Olive Monster Face) by Ian Adams, 2025
glazed ceramic sculpture, 9.75 x 11.75 x 1 inches
(1216-67)