Emily L. R. Adams

Bio

Emily L. R. Adams is a fine-art multimedia installation artist. Her work explores the enduring impact of historic gender binaries and the social constraints placed on women, examining how these forces shape opportunities and identities across generations. Through a practice rooted in material experimentation and conceptual rigor, Adams investigates the tension between freedom and oppression, crafting narratives that challenge traditional gender roles and societal expectations.

Working with lens-based images in screen printing, intaglio, and found-object arrangements, Adams incorporates unconventional materials such as copper patina, powdered graphite, motor oil, and mud—substances that hold rich symbolic and cultural resonance and combines them with antiques objects. She reiterates the image of the object throughout her work and explores a labor-intensive processes that emphasizes the value of handwork and the narrative potential of craft, often resulting in one-of-a-kind prints and installations that invite reflection on gender, labor, and identity.

Adams earned her MFA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (2015) and her BFA from the Columbus College of Art & Design (2005). She teaches printmaking, drawing, and art appreciation at Saint Martin’s University and The Evergreen State College, where her studio practice is enriched by the dialogue and curiosity of her students.

Artist Statement

The portfolio on this website is a selection of my work from the past decade. This body of work explores ongoing themes around how social customs and expectations placed on women create limitations to independent sustainability within societal constructs. Across each series, a common thread asks how an awareness of historic gender binaries influences the opportunities available to women, and how that trajectory might be altered to secure a more equal and respected life for future generations.

My work explores the tension between freedom and oppression, using materials and methods that reflect themes of constraint and resilience. I work across lens-based screen printing, intaglio, and found-object combines, incorporating non-traditional materials such as copper patina, powdered graphite, motor oil, and mud—substances rich with historical and cultural meaning. The integrity of well-crafted work is central to my practice and serves as a vehicle for narrative. I value quality and process over quantity, allowing each piece to evolve with intention. This approach allows the labor-intensive tradition of printmaking to result in monoprints or one-of-a-kind works that question how we value handwork and labor. Through a careful balance of these elements, I explore how materials, images, shapes, and marks can evoke and challenge tropes of femininity and masculinity.

Rich textures and deep hues invite the viewer into an intimate world, setting the tone for reflection and introspection. Mirrors appear in more than one series and serve to literally include the viewer in the experience. I aim to encourage contemplation on the impact of gender relationships from the viewer’s own perspective.

Emily L. R. Adams, MFA