Derrick Adams

Gagosian is pleased to announce Derrick Adams: The Strip, the artist’s debut exhibition in Korea. New work by Adams will be presented in the headquarters of Amorepacific, the world-renowned Korean beauty company, in the center of Seoul, opening on September 3, 2024, alongside the third edition of the Frieze Seoul art fair, which is open to the public September 4–7. The exhibition will be held in the APMA Cabinet, a project space on the ground floor of the David Chipperfield–designed building.

In this latest body of work, Adams paints a series of display windows at beauty supply stores that he photographs both near his Brooklyn studio and throughout the world. Transforming the compositions through his distinctive use of abstraction, he explores themes of style and beauty. Presenting groups of mannequin heads adorned with colorful wigs, the views of store windows are framed by molded reliefs of bricks—collaged, dimensional elements that contrast with the flatness of the paintings. Spray-painted hearts pay tribute to American fashion designer Patrick Kelly, whose exuberant and inclusive styles have long inspired the artist. The paintings are titled after classic tracks from the 1990s by women-fronted R&B groups including Brownstone, Destiny’s Child, Groove Theory, SWV, Total, and Xscape, whose femme styling and costuming remain influential.