Cey Adams (b. 1962)

Cey Adams (American, b. 1962), New York City native and visionary artist, emerged from the downtown graffiti movement in the 80’s alongside fellow artists Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Adams served as the founding Creative Director of Def Jam Recordings where he “defined the visual culture of Hip-Hop” by creating the visual identities, album covers, logos and advertising campaigns for Run DMC, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, and many more. 

He exhibits, lectures, and teaches art workshops at institutions including: The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, MoMA, Brooklyn Museum, Museum of the City of New York, School of Visual Arts, Temple University, MoCA Los Angeles, Stanford University, Howard University, among others. He designed the award-winning Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap (Smithsonian/Folkways), a box set including a 300-page book and 9 CD set; designed Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label (Rizzoli); and co-authored DEFinition: The Art and Design of Hip-Hop (Harper-Collins).

Adams draws inspiration from 60’s pop art, vintage sign painting, and comics. His work focuses on themes including pop culture, brand identity, cultural, and community issues. He has collaborated with many global brands including Levi’s, Mattel, The Recording Academy, Apple, Bacardi, IDEO, Foot Locker, Converse, Pabst Blue Ribbon, YouTube, and Google.

Departure: 40 Years of Art & Design, Adams’ retrospective exhibition, debuted in 2022 at Stone Gallery at Boston University. It is currently on view at the College of Visual Arts & Design Gallery at the University of North Texas, Denton. The exhibition will continue to travel in 2024 and beyond.