Adam Cooley

I am Adam Cooley, an American artist born in rural western New York. My early life was shaped by poverty, isolation, and a relentless curiosity. My first crib was a wooden Coca-Cola crate—later upgraded to a dresser drawer. That kind of beginning doesn’t leave you; it shapes how you see the world. For me, imagination wasn’t a luxury—it was a survival tool. I didn’t grow up around art. I grew up in it. Scraps of metal, bits of fabric, broken appliances, and rusted objects weren’t trash—they were my materials. I made things because I had to, not because anyone told me I should.

I’m entirely self-taught. What I lacked in formal training, I made up for in obsession and experimentation. When I was nine, a green horse-like creature I painted in ink and acrylic won a blue ribbon at a local fair. That moment was a spark—proof that what lived inside my head could exist in the world. From then on, I understood that creation wasn’t just something I enjoyed—it was how I processed life.

My work is difficult to define by style, because I’ve never felt the need to follow rules or fit into categories. Whether it’s sculpture, painting, installation, or performance, I follow instinct and symbolism over convention. I’m fascinated by transformation—...

I am a self-taught artist—everything I’ve learned has come from a deep, personal drive to create and explore. Without formal training or academic instruction, my work has evolved outside the boundaries of the conventional art world, guided instead by instinct, personal symbolism, and lived experience. Rather than following academic rules or trends, I experiment freely with materials, forms, and narratives that reflect my imagination and inner life. For me, the act of creation is a direct, unfiltered extension of that interior world. This freedom has allowed me to cultivate a voice that is uniquely my own—raw, layered, and emotionally resonant. I believe art should surprise, challenge, and connect us, and I create with the hope that each piece offers something unexpected, honest, and enduring.

2025
You think I’m Psycho Don’cha Mama? - (April 26 - May 31, 2025) MAD KAT Gallery, Palm Springs, CA (Group Show*)
 Thoroughly Modern Mid -Century - (January 11 - February 22, 2025) MAD KAT Gallery, Palm Springs, CA (Group Show*) 
2024
Monsters Re-Visited: The Fantastic Creatures of Japan - Adam Cooley Exhibition/ Symposium - (October 30th -) Romanian American University, Bucharest, Romania
 Pan O Rama - (October 19 - December 14, 2024) MAD KAT Gallery, Palm Springs, CA (Group Show*) 
And into the Forest… - Adam Cooley Solo Exhibition, (September 6 - September 27, 2024) 311 Gallery,  Raleigh, NC 
Buffalo Dreaming - (August 17 - , 2024) The Center for the Arts, Buffalo, NY 
Whiskered Wonderland - ( August 3 - , 2024) Catcon, Pasadena, CA (Group Show*) 
Dreamland - Adam Cooley  Exhibition - (August 2 -30, 2024), 311 Gallery,  Raleigh, NC 
Think Outside the Box - commissioned outdoor sculpture, Chapel Hill, NC (May 22 - July 12, 2024)
 ART & POP REMIX - (May 29 - June 11, 2024) Hankyu Umeda, Osaka, Japan (Group Show*) 
Nine Lives - Adam Cooley Exhibition - (April 24 - April 30, 2024), Artglorieux, Gallery of Osaka, Daimaru Shinsaibashi, Osaka, Japan 
Monsters Re-Visited: The Fantastic Creatures of Japan - Adam Cooley Exhibition/ ...