Marisa Adesman’s surreal and thought-provoking paintings often depict ordinary objects in bizarre contexts and striking states of mystical transformation. Recent works prominently feature tangled and twisted forks slithering in the garden or peering from a kitchen drawer. Her precise draftsmanship and delicate brushwork draws viewers into the fantasy and challenges our perceptions of reality.
Adesman (b. 1991) received her MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI in 2018 and her BFA from Washington University, St. Louis, MO in 2013. She has exhibited work widely including at the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM), St. Louis, MO; Black Mountain College Museum, Ashville, NC; and Mead Art Museum, Amherst College; Amherst, MA. The artist has completed a number of residences including the Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT; Brooklyn Art Space, NY; Wassaic Project Residency, Wassaic, NY; ChaShaMa Residency, Pine Planes, NY; Jentel Foundation Artist Residency, Banner, WY; and Tongue River Artist Residency, Dayton, WY. Adesman lives and works in St. Louis, MO.
EXHIBITIONS
Forklore, July 24 – September 11, 2021
Marisa Adesman
- 1991
- Born in Roslyn, NY
- Lives and works in St. Louis, MO
Education
- 2018
- MFA, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
- 2013
- BFA, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Solo Exhibitions
- 2023
- KMAC Museum, Louisville, KY (forthcoming)
- 2021
- Forklore, Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA
- 2020
- Desiderio Pacens, Eve Leibe Gallery, London, UK
Group Exhibitions
- 2021
- Good Company: The Remix, Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA
- 2020
- Gest, Nino Mier Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- Anat Ebgi at Art Athina, Art Athina, Athens, Greece
- In Excess, Spring Break Art Fair, New York, NY — curated by Abigail Ogilvy Gallery
- No Time Like the Present, Public Gallery, London, UK
- Art in Place: Projection Series, Standard Space, Sharon, CT
- Congruence, I Like Your Work Podcast Juried Exhibition — juried by Bridgette Mayer
- Hope, Pfizer Building, Brooklyn, NY — curated by Ambrus Gero
- 2019
- Feels LIke a New Beginning, ChaShaMa, Brooklyn, NY — curated by Peter Fulop and Brigitta Varadi
- Welcome Home, Elephant West, London, UK — curated by Rebecca Pelly-Fry
- The Salon, The Wing, Boston, MA — curated by Lolita Cros
- PLOP Residency Show, The Koppel Project, London, UK — curated by Oli Epp
- Tales of Diverted Reality, Light Year 47 x ChaShaMa ChaNorth, Brooklyn, NY
- Unveiled, The Beehive, Boston, MA
- Red Eye Black Tie, Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, Amherst, MA
- Rosalind Sallenger Richardson Center for the Arts, Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC
- 2018
- Counter Narratives: Geographies of the Unfamiliar, Asya Geisberg Gallery, New York, NY — curated by Sara Reisman
- RISD Grad Show 2018, Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, RI
- Domestic Memory, Abigail Ogilvy Gallery, Boston, MA
- Girlhood, RISD Museum Gelman Gallery, Providence, RI
- {RE}HAPPENING, Black Mountain College Museum + Art Center, Ashville, NC
- 2017
- Pure as a Seagull's Belly, RISD Museum Gelman Gallery, Providence, RI
- RISD MFA Summer Show, Morgan Lehman Gallery, New York, NY — curated by Hrag Vartanian
- Painting Graduate Biennial, Sol Koffler Gallery, Providence, RI
- A Show About Care, Memorial Hall Gallery, Providence, RI
- 2015
- Face It: The Face in Contemporary Art, OnSite: Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY
- Resident Artist, Freehold, Brooklyn, NY
- 2013
- Umbra, LeRoy Neiman Gallery, New York, NY
- A Show of Heads, Limner Gallery, Hudson, NY
- Dark and Scary, Greenpoint Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
- Selected Local Artist, Practice Body Mind Soul, Roslyn, NY
- This Must Be the Place, 2276 Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO
- Community Visuals, University City Public Library, St. Louis, MO
- Senior Painting BFA Exhibition: 9x considered, Des Lee Gallery, St. Louis, MO
- 2012
- Ghost Particle, 2712 Cherokee Street, St. Louis, MO
- Recontexualized, Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis, MO
- Yale Norfolk School of Art Student Exhibition, Art Barn, Norfolk, CT
- According To:, Los Caminos Gallery, St. Louis, MO
- Face Your (___), Danforth University Center, St. Louis, MO
Press and Publications
- 2021
- Raez, Constanza Falco. "Marisa Adesman | no, that’s not a fork in the path; it’s an owl." Flaunt. April 09, 2021. (Link)
- 2019
- Art Maze Magazine, Issue 14. Autum 2019
- The Salon Exhibition Catalgoue, Boston — curated by Lolia Cros
- Steer, Emily. "Are Our Homes Still Safe Spaces in the Digital Age?" Elephant Magazine. August.
- Lavender, Chris. "New art project showcases home life in Spartanburg." Spartanburg Herald-Journal. January.
- "HUB-BUB Launches Project to See 'Home' Through Spartanburg Resident's Eyes." Spartanburg City News Podcast. January.
- 2018
- "Getting to Know the New HUB-BUB Artists-in-Residence." Spartanburg City News Podcast. September.
- "Thought Provokers Series, Interview." Boston Voyager Magazine. December.
- McQuaid, Cate. "When Student Work is Well Worth Studying." The Boston Globe. July
- Baker, Sarah. "Domestic Memory: A Group Exhibition." Art New England Magazine. May.
- 2017
- Butler, Sharon. "MFA Report: Hrag Vartanian Finds 'Home' in RISD Painting Studios," Two Coats of Paint. August.
- Cascone, Sarah. "Editors' Picks: 13 Things to See in New York This Week." Artnet. July 2017
- 2014
- Artist Portfolio Magazine: NY vs. LA, Featured Artist (4 page spread), Issue 15
- 2012
- Archer Art Now, "Tonight Only! According to @ Los Caminos," Laura Barone. April 2012.
- Kuumba.tv, "Artist Profile: Marisa Adesman," Matt Malis, Carly Schulman. September 2012
Oil on canvas 50 x 50 inches / 127 x 127 cm
Detail
Oil on canvas 15 1/4 x 22 inches / 38.7 x 55.9 cm
Oil on canvas 15 1/4 x 22 inches / 38.7 x 55.9 cm
Oil on canvas 18 x 22 inches / 45.7 x 55.9 cm
Detail
Oil on canvas 18 x 25 1/4 inches / 45.7 x 64.1 cm
Oil on canvas 18 x 25 1/4 inches / 45.7 x 64.1 cm
Oil on canvas 18 x 12 inches / 45.7 x 30.5 cm
Oil on canvas 18 1/2 x 24 inches / 47 x 61 cm
Oil on canvas 20 x 14 inches / 50.8 x 35.6 cm
Oil on panel 10 x 8 inches / 25.4 x 20.3 cm
Oil on canvas 84 x 46 inches / 213.4 x 116.8 cm
Oil on canvas 16 x 12 inches / 40.6 x 30.5 cm
Oil on panel 10 x 8 inches / 25.4 x 20.3 cm
Oil on panel 10 x 8 inches / 25.4 x 20.3 cm
Detail
Oil on panel 9 x 12 inches / 22.9 x 30.5 cm
Gouache and colored pencil on paper 11 x 14 inches / 27.9 x 35.6 cm
Oil on panel 10 x 8 inches / 25.4 x 20.3 cm
Oil on panel 10 x 8 inches / 25.4 x 20.3 cm
Detail
Detail
Oil on panel 10 x 8 inches / 25.4 x 20.3 cm
BIOGRAPHY
Marisa Adesman’s surreal and thought-provoking paintings often depict ordinary objects in bizarre contexts and striking states of mystical transformation. Recent works prominently feature tangled and twisted forks slithering in the garden or peering from a kitchen drawer. Her precise draftsmanship and delicate brushwork draws viewers into the fantasy and challenges our perceptions of reality.
Adesman (b. 1991) received her MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI in 2018 and her BFA from Washington University, St. Louis, MO in 2013. She has exhibited work widely including at the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM), St. Louis, MO; Black Mountain College Museum, Ashville, NC; and Mead Art Museum, Amherst College; Amherst, MA. The artist has completed a number of residences including the Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT; Brooklyn Art Space, NY; Wassaic Project Residency, Wassaic, NY; ChaShaMa Residency, Pine Planes, NY; Jentel Foundation Artist Residency, Banner, WY; and Tongue River Artist Residency, Dayton, WY. Adesman lives and works in St. Louis, MO.
EXHIBITIONS
Forklore, July 24 – September 11, 2021
CV
Marisa Adesman
- 1991
- Born in Roslyn, NY
- Lives and works in St. Louis, MO
Education
- 2018
- MFA, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
- 2013
- BFA, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Solo Exhibitions
- 2023
- KMAC Museum, Louisville, KY (forthcoming)
- 2021
- Forklore, Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA
- 2020
- Desiderio Pacens, Eve Leibe Gallery, London, UK
Group Exhibitions
- 2021
- Good Company: The Remix, Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA
- 2020
- Gest, Nino Mier Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- Anat Ebgi at Art Athina, Art Athina, Athens, Greece
- In Excess, Spring Break Art Fair, New York, NY — curated by Abigail Ogilvy Gallery
- No Time Like the Present, Public Gallery, London, UK
- Art in Place: Projection Series, Standard Space, Sharon, CT
- Congruence, I Like Your Work Podcast Juried Exhibition — juried by Bridgette Mayer
- Hope, Pfizer Building, Brooklyn, NY — curated by Ambrus Gero
- 2019
- Feels LIke a New Beginning, ChaShaMa, Brooklyn, NY — curated by Peter Fulop and Brigitta Varadi
- Welcome Home, Elephant West, London, UK — curated by Rebecca Pelly-Fry
- The Salon, The Wing, Boston, MA — curated by Lolita Cros
- PLOP Residency Show, The Koppel Project, London, UK — curated by Oli Epp
- Tales of Diverted Reality, Light Year 47 x ChaShaMa ChaNorth, Brooklyn, NY
- Unveiled, The Beehive, Boston, MA
- Red Eye Black Tie, Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, Amherst, MA
- Rosalind Sallenger Richardson Center for the Arts, Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC
- 2018
- Counter Narratives: Geographies of the Unfamiliar, Asya Geisberg Gallery, New York, NY — curated by Sara Reisman
- RISD Grad Show 2018, Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, RI
- Domestic Memory, Abigail Ogilvy Gallery, Boston, MA
- Girlhood, RISD Museum Gelman Gallery, Providence, RI
- {RE}HAPPENING, Black Mountain College Museum + Art Center, Ashville, NC
- 2017
- Pure as a Seagull's Belly, RISD Museum Gelman Gallery, Providence, RI
- RISD MFA Summer Show, Morgan Lehman Gallery, New York, NY — curated by Hrag Vartanian
- Painting Graduate Biennial, Sol Koffler Gallery, Providence, RI
- A Show About Care, Memorial Hall Gallery, Providence, RI
- 2015
- Face It: The Face in Contemporary Art, OnSite: Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY
- Resident Artist, Freehold, Brooklyn, NY
- 2013
- Umbra, LeRoy Neiman Gallery, New York, NY
- A Show of Heads, Limner Gallery, Hudson, NY
- Dark and Scary, Greenpoint Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
- Selected Local Artist, Practice Body Mind Soul, Roslyn, NY
- This Must Be the Place, 2276 Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO
- Community Visuals, University City Public Library, St. Louis, MO
- Senior Painting BFA Exhibition: 9x considered, Des Lee Gallery, St. Louis, MO
- 2012
- Ghost Particle, 2712 Cherokee Street, St. Louis, MO
- Recontexualized, Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis, MO
- Yale Norfolk School of Art Student Exhibition, Art Barn, Norfolk, CT
- According To:, Los Caminos Gallery, St. Louis, MO
- Face Your (___), Danforth University Center, St. Louis, MO
Press and Publications
- 2021
- Raez, Constanza Falco. "Marisa Adesman | no, that’s not a fork in the path; it’s an owl." Flaunt. April 09, 2021. (Link)
- 2019
- Art Maze Magazine, Issue 14. Autum 2019
- The Salon Exhibition Catalgoue, Boston — curated by Lolia Cros
- Steer, Emily. "Are Our Homes Still Safe Spaces in the Digital Age?" Elephant Magazine. August.
- Lavender, Chris. "New art project showcases home life in Spartanburg." Spartanburg Herald-Journal. January.
- "HUB-BUB Launches Project to See 'Home' Through Spartanburg Resident's Eyes." Spartanburg City News Podcast. January.
- 2018
- "Getting to Know the New HUB-BUB Artists-in-Residence." Spartanburg City News Podcast. September.
- "Thought Provokers Series, Interview." Boston Voyager Magazine. December.
- McQuaid, Cate. "When Student Work is Well Worth Studying." The Boston Globe. July
- Baker, Sarah. "Domestic Memory: A Group Exhibition." Art New England Magazine. May.
- 2017
- Butler, Sharon. "MFA Report: Hrag Vartanian Finds 'Home' in RISD Painting Studios," Two Coats of Paint. August.
- Cascone, Sarah. "Editors' Picks: 13 Things to See in New York This Week." Artnet. July 2017
- 2014
- Artist Portfolio Magazine: NY vs. LA, Featured Artist (4 page spread), Issue 15
- 2012
- Archer Art Now, "Tonight Only! According to @ Los Caminos," Laura Barone. April 2012.
- Kuumba.tv, "Artist Profile: Marisa Adesman," Matt Malis, Carly Schulman. September 2012