Derrick Adams's Celebration of Black Culture

Derrick Adams believes “it is essential for artists to make work that celebrates Black culture," and he wants the art world to join in these celebrations. Cue the artist’s Style Variation series, a body of work that takes inspiration from the groovy hairstyles in window displays of wig shops, braiding salons, and hair boutiques in the artist’s beloved Brooklyn neighborhood of Bed-Stuy. We’re thrilled to exhibit Style Variation 3 (High Top), a multi-medium print that melds contemporary Black culture with the traditional visual language of West African masks. The cubist-style glossy portrait reveres the popular hairstyle from the 1980s and early 1990s, donned by young Black men around the world and memorialized in pop culture by celebrities like actor Will Smith, rap duo Kid ‘n Play, and NBA stars Patrick Ewing and Kenny Walker.