Bio
A relatively recent transplant to New England, Adam Borges originally hails from much warmer lands, born at the tail end of 1993 in the small town of Andradina in southeastern Brazil. His family immigrated not long after, settling down in the southeast of the United States instead, where he would spend the next two decades in various cities across the lower half of Florida. Adam holds a BFA with Honors in Illustration from Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, FL; however, his focus shifted away from the typically commercial modes of expression emphasized by that program soon after graduation, leading him to a practice that is far more personal and experimental in nature. His work has been shown in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island, most recently at Small Format in Providence, RI.
Adam completed the Low Residency MFA program at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 2022. He currently resides with his partner and their small forest of cats, reptiles, and houseplants in the sleepy suburbs of Warwick, Rhode Island.
For sketches and process images, follow him on Instagram.
About the work
Thought and emotion are generated in the brain through physical means, but because they cannot be seen in their pure chemical form, they are typically thought of as immaterial rather than products of the body. In my work, I take these intangible concepts and interpret them visually through the human figure adorned with natural or symbolic elements. Most recently, my research focus has been spirituality and devotion, particularly the human perception of religious experiences. Ultimately, my aim is the corporeal manifestation of the incorporeal, whether the sensations are human in origin or divine.
My specific imagery is often botanical, drawn from my upbringing in lush and muggy South Florida or from my current struggle to acclimatize to the very alien land of Rhode Island. Media experimentation and the art making process itself also play a crucial role in my work. Part painting and part textile, each piece is built up through layers of paint, crochet, embroidery and beading, even hand-dyed fabrics. Combined, these elements produce dimensional color and textures that give traditionally flat surfaces a real, physical presence and consequently spark a visceral reaction in the viewer.
CV
BORN
Andradina, São Paulo, Brazil, 1993
LOCATION
Warwick, Rhode Island, USA, 2020-present
Sarasota, Florida, USA, 2012-2020
EDUCATION
Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art, 2022
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honors in Illustration, 2016
Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota, FL
SOLO/TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2022
“Flesh Home”, Small Format, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022
“Chrysalis: Low Residency Masters of Fine Art Thesis Exhibition”, Ann Bryan Gallery, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
2021
Gallery Shop, Queer Art Collective, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
2019
Harvey Milk Festival Exhibition, Art Center of Sarasota, Sarasota, Florida, USA
2018
“Le Salon Tout Inclus”, M. Chapel Projects, Sarasota, Florida, USA
“Tide of Despair”, Oddity Tattoo Studio and Gallery, Sarasota, Florida, USA
“Magnitude Seven Small Works Exhibit”, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
2017
“Everything Under the Florida Sun”, Oddity Tattoo Studio and Gallery, Sarasota, Florida, USA
“Aquachrome”, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati,Ohio, USA
2016
Illustration Thesis Exhibition, Willis Smith Gallery, Ringling College of Art & Design, Sarasota, Florida, USA
“Best of Ringling”, Christ-Janer Gallery, Ringling College of Art & Design, Sarasota, Florida, USA
2015
“Illest of Illustration”, Exhibition Hall, Ringling College of Art & Design, Sarasota, Florida, USA
AWARDS/HONORS
2016
Countess Maria Zichey Scholarship, Ringling College of Art & Design, Sarasota, Florida, USA
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Instructor, Art & Frame of Sarasota, Sarasota, Florida, USA, January 2019-June 2020
CONTACT
adamborgesart@gmail.com
WITH INQUIRIES REGARDING...
Commissions
Future freelance/employment opportunities
Featuring my work in a gallery, publication or website