Derrick Adams Holding Court (The Queen of Spades) 2015 Pigment Print Rare Edition of 8

Artist: Derrick Adams
Title: Holding Court (The Queen of Spades)
Medium: Archival Pigment Print on Hotpress Paper
Size: 44" x 33.5"
Year: 2015
Inscription: Signed and numbered verso
Edition: 7/8
Publisher: Eminence Grise Editions, New York
Printer: Andre Ribuoli, New York
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity

Derrick Adams', "Holding Court (The Queen of Spades)" is a striking black and white archival pigment print that masterfully blends figuration, symbolism, and collage to explore themes of identity, power, and cultural representation. In this work, Adams reimagines a regal female figure seated in authority, composed of layered visual elements that challenge traditional depictions of royalty and femininity.

At the center of the composition is a stylized cutout face adorned with a crown bearing both a horn and a locket—objects suggestive of both adornment and communication. A triangular flag emblazoned with a spade motif signals her symbolic role as the “Queen of Spades", adding layers of reference to card games, Black identity, and historical archetypes. Behind her, a castle-like architectural backdrop evokes a sense of grandeur and sovereignty, while a brassiere—rendered with the same graphic precision—adds a jarring, thought-provoking commentary on gender, presentation, and objectification.

Rendered in crisp, high-contrast tones, "Holding Court (The Queen of Spades)" is at once playful and confrontational. The absence of color draws attention to the work's formal structure and collage elements, emphasizing the constructed nature of identity itself. Adams' composition is rhythmic, highly stylized, and filled with carefully chosen symbols, each resonating with cultural significance and personal narrative.

As part of his ongoing practice, Derrick Adams uses imagery culled from pop culture, art history, and African American iconography to challenge stereotypes and reframe Black figures in positions of power and complexity. "Holding Court (The Queen of Spades)" exemplifies this vision, offering a powerful visual meditation on self-definition, representation, and the performative nature of identity.

About Derrick Adams

Derrick Adams is a multidisciplinary American artist whose vibrant, thought-provoking work explores the complexity of Black identity, culture, and experience in contemporary life. Born in 1970 in Baltimore, Maryland, Adams is best known for his bold mixed-media collage, painting, sculpture, installation, and performance art that fuse elements of pop culture, personal history, and art historical references.

Adams received his BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and later earned an MFA from Columbia University. His formal education, coupled with a deep engagement with African American iconography and everyday life, informs the layered, dynamic compositions that have become his signature. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

At the heart of Adams's practice is a commitment to representing Black joy, leisure, and empowerment—countering narratives that often focus solely on trauma or struggle. His acclaimed series “Floaters" and “We Came to Party and Plan" depict Black figures at rest and celebration—lounging in pools, surrounded by party decorations, or enjoying everyday pleasures. These works celebrate the right to leisure and self-determination, pushing back against reductive or stereotypical portrayals of Black life in media and art.

Adams's visual language often draws from Cubism, collage, and graphic design, incorporating fragments of fabric, paper, paint, and wood to construct multifaceted portraits and scenes. His compositions balance abstraction and figuration, inviting viewers to engage with both the formal qualities of the work and its deeper social commentary.

In addition to his visual artwork, Adams is a curator, educator, and advocate for arts access and equity. He has taught at institutions including Maryland Institute College of Art and has been involved with numerous artist-run initiatives. In 2019, he founded The Last Resort Artist Retreat in Baltimore—an artist residency that prioritizes Black creatives and emphasizes rest as a vital part of the creative process.

Adams's work has been widely exhibited at major institutions including the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Hudson River Museum. His work is included in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and the Birmingham Museum of Art, among others.

A deeply original and socially engaged artist, Derrick Adams continues to challenge and expand the boundaries of contemporary portraiture and narrative. Through his joyful, celebratory, and richly textured works, he invites viewers to see Black life in its full spectrum—dynamic, creative, empowered, and free.