IN CONVERSATION WITH ADAM HANDLER...
In this interview, we explore the creative journey of Adam Handler, a NYC-born artist known for his playful yet evocative use of oil sticks and bold, recognizable imagery. With a background in Classical Life Drawing and Art History, Handler’s work blends historical influences with a modern twist. Featured in exhibitions worldwide, he shares insights into his inspirations, artistic process, and advice for emerging artists.
1. Growing up, you spent a lot of time at your grandparents' framing factory in Brooklyn. How did that experience influence your passion for art?
Growing up at a Framing Factory in Brooklyn allowed me to have a very comfortable relationship with art. I was exposed to all types of work, from Masters to Emerging Artists. As a young child being exposed to art in such an urban/industrial environment perhaps set the tone for my own work as an adult.
2. You have an impressive educational background, having studied Classical Life Drawing in Italy and earning a degree in Art History from Purchase College. How have these studies influenced your work genre?
Studying Life Drawing in Italy was a turning point in my life. At 19 I decided to live my life through creativity. I credit the decision to several factors during my study abroad in Italy; a professor that saw something unique in the way I represented my subjects, a country that ignited all of my senses from the food to the language and falling in love with my future wife and mother of my children. Italy will always be a place of great importance for me. Once I decided that I wanted to focus on creating more modern rather than representational painting, I pursued a degree in Art History and not Fine Art. I felt that, if I knew what became before me, I would be able to build something new for the future.
3. Your art has been exhibited globally and featured in major art fairs and auction houses. How do you feel about the international reception of your work?
Is there a region that stands out for you? I feel the international community has been very supportive of my work, perhaps even more than my own hometown of New York. In recent years, collectors in Korea have really reacted strongly and passionately about my painting and sculpture. It’s been a dream to be able to travel and engage with different cultures and learn from one another.
4. Curator Janet Lehr has praised your work for its puristic shapes and textures that she says are reminiscent of "uninhibited adolescence, yet sophisticated". How do you think you are able to achieve this balance in your compositions?
I feel it is as simple as looking, however not at my own work, but rather the work of great artists of the past and present. I spent many days at museums just looking at artworks from Italian Renaissance painting to Minimalism. In doing so, you are able to solve or at least begin to solve the puzzle of what constructs a dynamic, memorable and unique artwork.
5. You have recently had your first major multi-media exhibition in Asia at Artelli in Macau. Can you tell us about that experience?
The experience was absolutely amazing! I got the opportunity to leave my comfort zone and create works that I dreamed of doing like large-scale sculpture, Digital Installations, Live painting and sculpture editions. The public reaction was so positive and warm in Macau and it truly felt that it was one of the highlights of my artistic career.
6. Do you have any advice for aspiring contemporary artists who are just starting their journey?
I think it’s best for artists just starting out to focus on just creating artwork and lots of it. Many young artists get distracted by what they see on social media and want to quickly be in art fairs, gallery exhibitions, etc. However I think everything happens in good time, especially artwork. It took me about 10 years of creating work to start understanding what I was actually doing and why.
7. What inspires your distinctive style, and what themes do you typically explore in your art?
I think a small but important aspect of my work is the recognizable style in the use of Oil sticks. Many artists now use the medium but not to create the entire painting like I do in most of my painting practice. My themes are actually quite simple; a girl, a cat, a ghost but the way of drawing/painting them gives my work that recognizable feature. I attribute much of that to my studying of Art History and having a very obsessive need to know everything that came before me. I remember when I first saw a De Kooning Woman painting when I visited Purchase College and went to the Neuberger Museum there. They had a small De Kooning and when I saw it I became full of inspiration as I realized that a figurative painting did not need to look like a traditional figure but rather I just needed a minor reference point, an eye, mouth etc…and the rest would fall into place.
8. What messages or emotions do you aim to convey through your artwork, and how do you want viewers to feel when they engage with your pieces?
I want people to feel…whether it is good, bad, sad, in love…I just want the spur of an emotional response; I think that’s all I can ask for. For people to see a new way of seeing the world around them that they never expected.
9. How do you perceive the role of art in contemporary society, and what impact do you hope your work has on current cultural conversations?
Art is culture and I think that we have to continually remind ourselves that it is a documentation of history and a moment in time. Too many times do I see in articles, social media and the art community a focus on auctions, sales and money which is fleeting and holds little importance for the meaning of work. If we eliminate these conversations and switch them to discussing Art History I believe it will help bring passion, excitement and importance for the entire art world.