Molly Murphy Adams bases her work on concepts of hybridization, pairing the needlework techniques of beadwork and embroidery with printmaking and paper media. Murphy Adams’ work illustrates the blending of cultures, identities, and histories by juxtaposing dissimilar methods, media, and narratives. Murphy Adams freely borrows from multiple disciplines to create fiber and mixed media arts pieces reflecting her background and traditions.
Murphy Adams was born in 1977 in Montana and earned a Bachelor of Fine Art from The University of Montana in 2004, and a Master of Art History from Oklahoma State University in 2023. She has made Tulsa, Oklahoma her home for over a decade working as an exhibiting artist, art appraiser, and beadworker in her indigenous community.
“My work serves as a cultural narrative, an expression of personal experience, and an exploration of form and function. I use specific materials and designs to connect with my tribal art forms from antiquity while material and content choices embrace the reality of my modern mixed heritage. My designs originate from traditional sources and combine with beadwork and embroidery techniques create a specific textural and tactile experience necessary for me to explore relationships between our understanding of data and knowledge. I use the visual language of color and shape to articulate new observations on politics, history, and identity. Art is the means with which I engage with the weight of both my past and my potential, one stitch at a time.”
Website
https://www.mollymurphyadams.com
