Showcasing the Career of Contemporary Artist and DEF JAM Recordings’ Founding Creative Director
Miami, FL, October 2024 – Art of Hip Hop is honored to host Cey Adams, Departure: 40 Years of Art and Design, a career-defining retrospective exhibition celebrating the artistic contributions of visionary artist Cey Adams. The exhibition will be on display from December 4, 2024, through February 2, 2025, open to the public for the first time on December 4, 2024 at 12PM with a media preview on December 2, 2024. During Art Week, guests of the exhibit can expect to kick back on the Art of Hip Hop’s shared patio space with Museum of Graffiti, where there will be live music, limited edition drops, complimentary F&B, interactive art demonstrations, and more.
The show features more than 60 works across multiple mediums, including photography archives, mixed media collages, paintings, textiles, fashion, street art, and contemporary fine art. These pieces present a visual timeline of Adams’ artistic journey, spanning themes such as pop culture, race, gender relations, and community.
The exhibition also includes a wall installation of more than 50 iconic album covers that Adams created for major Hip Hop artists such as Run DMC, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, The Notorious B.I.G., DMX, and Jay-Z. The entire retrospective however doesn’t just highlight the work from Adams’ role as founding Creative Director of Def Jam Recordings but rather takes you on a journey from when the artist started as a young tagger on the streets of New York City in the 1970s to his current studio practice of masterfully created mixed media collages.
“Graffiti and Hip Hop have the power to unite people from diverse backgrounds,” said Adams. “This retrospective is a celebration of how these art forms have shaped global culture.”
Adams’ ability to blend street art with commercial design is evident in his long-standing collaborations with global brands. The exhibition highlights projects with Levi’s, Mattel Creations, Apple, Google, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and now Spotify. Notable pieces include a custom chain-stitch embroidered denim trucker jacket created with Levi’s® Eureka Innovation Lab, paying homage to Adams' graffiti days of painting on vintage Levi’s® apparel. Another standout is a 5-foot sculpture of the Hot Wheels logo, created in partnership with Mattel Creations, which draws on brand archives from the 1960s and 1970s.
“We are thrilled to bring Cey Adams’ extraordinary career to life in this retrospective at Art of Hip Hop,” said Alan Ket, cofounder and curator of Art of Hip Hop. “His contribution to Hip Hop’s visual language and his cross-disciplinary work in art and design make this exhibition essential viewing for anyone interested in the evolution of contemporary art and culture.”