Max Adrian is a textile artist interested in ideas about queerness, desire, and consumerism. His soft-sculptural practice finds inspiration in a variety of sewing-related crafts like quilting, bag making, inflatables, costume design, puppetry, drag, and fetish wear. Adrian employs an evocative aesthetic of bold colors and tactile materials that tease expectations of “fun” or pleasure. His work envisions a postmodern playscape where bodies and objects are blurred, asking how the things we desire impact a sense of personal identity and community building in the midst of a culture of hyper stimulation. 

Adrian holds an MFA in Fiber and Material Studies from the Tyler School of Art and Architecture in Philadelphia. He received a BFA in Fiber and Creative Writing from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2015. Adrian was awarded a 2023 Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council. His recent exhibition history includes shows at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, (Houston, TX), the Columbus Museum of Art (Columbus, OH), and the Charlotte Street Foundation (Kansas City, MO). Adrian’s practice has been supported by residencies and fellowships including the Vermont Studio Center, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Lighthouse Works, and Millay Arts, among others. He is based in Columbus, Ohio where he also works as the Costume Manager at the Short North Stage.

contact: maxadrianart@gmail.com

Education
2021 | MFA, Fiber and Material Studies, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa.
2015 | BFA, Fiber and Creative Writing, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Mo.

Solo Exhibitions
2024 | Swell, Herron School of Art and Design, Indianapolis, In.
2024 | Max Adrian: RIPSTOP, Center for Craft, Asheville, Nc.
2024 | Pattern, Play, Priscilla R. Tyson Cultural Arts Center, Columbus, Oh.
2023 - 2024 | Max Adrian: RIPSTOP, curated by Sarah Darro, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, Tx.
2022 | Cyber/space/dream-state, 934 Gallery, Columbus, Oh.
2022 | Playscape, Skylab Gallery, Columbus, Oh.
2021 | Soft Bondage, Iridian Gallery, Richmond, Va.
2020 | The Sensational Inflatable Furry Divines, Curfman Gallery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Co.
2019 | The Sensational Inflatable Furry Divines, Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, Ky.
2017 | The Sensational Inflatable Furry Divines, ROY G BIV Gallery, Columbus, Oh.

Select Exhibitions (Group)
2024 | Stitching the Revolution: Quilts as Agents of Change, Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury, Ct.
2024 | Shift Change, Pacific Northwest Quilt and Fiber Arts Museum, La Conner, Wa.
2023 - 2024 | Quilting a Future: Contemporary Quilts and American Tradition, Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, Oh.
2022 | Quilt Bloc, Ditch Projects, Springfield, Or.
2021 | Everything Must Go, Atelier Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa.
2021 | Who We Were, Who We Are, Who We Will Be, Charlotte Street Foundation, Kansas City, Mo.
2019 | Mixed Bag: An Assortment of Contemporary Craft, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Ga.
2019 | Queer Craft, curated by Andrew Leo Stansbury, University of Minnesota Morris, Morris, Mn.
2018 | HICKEY, curated by Eric Anthony Berdis and Fred Blauth, Little Berlin, Philadelphia, Pa.
2018 | Alternative Bodies, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tn.
2017 | Soft Touch, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tn. 
2017 | Grit, Bob Owens Gallery, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, Ga.
2016 | Ultra Softer, curated by Marisa Espe, EASE Gallery, Columbus, Oh.
2016 | Fresh: KCAI Alumni, curated by Heather Lustfeldt, Epsten Gallery, Leawood, Ks.
2016 | The One Thing That Can Save America, curated by Jessica Baran, Paragraph Gallery, Kansas City, Mo.

Select Exhibitions (Juried)
2021 | 2021 Pride Online Exhibition, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Vt.
2019 | ROY Family Reunion Exhibition, ROY G BIV Gallery, Columbus, Oh.
2019 | Fiberart International 2019, juried by Sonya Clark and Jane Sauer, Contemporary Craft and Brew House Association Gallery, Pittsburgh, Pa.
2018 | Omnipresent Elsewhere, juried by Didier William, Vox Populi, Philadelphia, Pa.
2018 | 60th Annual Delta Exhibition, Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, Ar.
2018 | Interrupted, juried by Jiha Moon, MINT at 92 Peachtree, Atlanta, Ga.
2018 | Sanctuary, juried by Maria Molteni, Gallery 263, Cambridge, Ma.
2016 | VisionMakers 2016, juried by Namita Gupta Wiggers, 108 Contemporary, Tulsa, Ok.

Residencies
2023 | Priscilla R. Tyson Cultural Arts Center, Columbus, Oh.
2019 | Millay Arts, Austerlitz, Ny.
2018 | Lighthouse Works Fellowship, Fishers Island, Ny.
2017 - 2018 | Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tn.
2017 | Vermont Studio Center Fellowship, Johnson, Vt.
2016 - 2017 | Second Sight Project, Columbus, Oh. 
2015 - 2016 | Charlotte Street Studio Residency, Kansas City, Mo.
2014 | New York Studio Residency Program, Brooklyn, Ny.

Honors & Grants
2023 | Emergency Grant, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, New York, Ny. 
2023 | Individual Excellence Award, Ohio Arts Council, Columbus, Oh.
2022 | Individual Artist Grant, Greater Columbus Arts Council, Columbus, Oh.
2022 | Career Advancement Fellowship, Center for Craft, Asheville, Nc.
2021 | Dean’s Support for Student Research, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Philadelphia, Pa.
2020 - 2021 | Teaching Assistantship, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa.
2019 - 2020 | University Fellowship, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa.
2018 | Artist in the Community Resource Grant, Greater Columbus Arts Council, Columbus, Oh.
2017 | Emergency Grant, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, New York, Ny. 
2016 | Juror's Choice Award, VisionMakers 2016, 108 Contemporary, Tulsa, Ok.
2015 | Windgate Fellowship, Center for Craft, Asheville, Nc.

Presentations
2024 | Artist Talk, Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, Oh.
2023 | Artist Talk, Priscilla R. Tyson Cultural Arts Center, Columbus, Oh.
2023 | Artist Talk, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Oh.
2021 | Artist Talk (virtual), Portland State University, Portland, Or.
2021 | Artist Talk (virtual), Kenyon College, Gambier, Oh.
2020 | Artist Talk (virtual), Kansas City Art Institute, Fiber Department, Kansas City, Mo.
2020 | Artist Talk (virtual), hosted by the LSC Arts Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Co.
2020 | Artist Talk (virtual), University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Oh.
2018 | Artist Talk, Lighthouse Works, Fishers Island, Ny.  
2017 | Artist Talk, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, Ga.
2017 | Artist Talk, ROY G BIV Gallery, Columbus, Oh.
2016 | Artist Talk, Kansas City Art Institute, Fiber Department, Kansas City, Mo.

Teaching Experience
2023 | Inflatables Workshop, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va.
2022 | Experimental Sewing and Soft-Sculpture, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tn.
2022 | Inflatables Workshop, Kenyon College, Soft Sculpture class, Gambier, Oh.
2018 | Inflatables Workshop, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tn.
2017 | ArtReach (sewing classes, grades 4-12), Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tn. 
2017 | Inflatables Workshop, Kansas City Art Institute, Fiber Department, Kansas City, Mo. 

Misc. Professional Experience
2024 - present | Costume Manager, Short North Stage, Columbus, Oh.
2022 - 2023 | Inflatables Artist, Otherworld, Columbus, Oh.
2018 - 2019 | Textiles Artist, Otherworld, Columbus, Oh.
2017 - 2018 | Gallery Preparator, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tn. 
2016 - 2017 | Inflatable Costume Stitcher, Costume Specialists, Columbus, Oh. 
2016 | Puppeteer (fabrication and performance), The Stories We Share, Mesner Puppet Theater in collaboration with the Mid America Freedom Band, Kansas City, Mo.
2016 | Assistant Puppeteer, Mesner Puppet Theater at the 2016 Ishara International Puppet Theatre Festival, New Delhi, India
2015 | Emerging Artist, Redmoon Theater, Chicago, Il.
2015 | Fabricator, Mini Vinnie Bini, citywide 56th Venice Biennale reinterpretation, Kansas City, Mo. 
2015 | Curator, Divining the Museum: Visions of Past, Present, and Future, Kansas City Museum, Kansas City, Mo. 
2015 | Managing Editor, Sprung Formal literary magazine, Kansas City, Mo.
2015 | Fabrication Intern, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Mo.
2014 | Publishing and Gallery Intern, Plug Projects, Kansas City, Mo.
2014 | Studio Assistant to artist John Powers, Brooklyn, Ny.
2014 | Assistant Costume Designer, Bum Phillips All-American Opera, La MaMa Experimental Theatre, New York, Ny.
2014 | Installation Assistant, Joseph Kosuth's Guests and Foreigners: Corporal Histories, New York, Ny.
2013 | Counselor and Art Teacher, Camp Lonehollow, Vanderpool, Tx.
2013 | Studio Assistant to artist Brett Reif, Kansas City, Mo.
2013 | Studio Assistant to artist Rachel Hayes, Kansas City, Mo. 

Bibliography / Publications
2021 | Riley-Lopez, Erin. “Max Adrian,” Intersections, Tyler School of Art and Architecture. Print.
2018 | Blauth, Fred. "Him: You, Me: Me!!!" Web. 
2018 | "Artist Interview: Max Adrian," Float. Web. 
2018 | “Max Adrian,” HISS Mag, Issue 2. Print.
2018 | "Max Adrian," Not Yet Titled, Issue 1, Peripheral Vision Press. Web. 

*forthcoming