ADAM JAMES BLAIR
When we first met Adam James Blair on our Christmas 24 shoot in Edinburgh, we knew we wanted to get to know him better, so we had the great pleasure of spending a day with him on the eve of his first solo exhibition “Welcome Home”
Adam is a visual artist. Originally from Northern Ireland, he has spent a long time in Scotland. His work is predominantly abstract expressionism, he presents the world from a subjective perspective to evoke moods or ideas.
“I don’t plan what I’m going to do, I might have an idea on colour and shapes, but it’s totally in the moment, the music I listen to, the environment I’m in, how I’m feeling are all catalysts to the story I’m telling in my work.”
Adam spends his time between Scotland, Canada and the US. Each country he works in affects his work and palette. His first exhibition is titled Welcome Home, it feels particularly appropriate when you listen to Adam talking about his community and his surroundings.
“Edinburgh has a special place in my heart, I’ve spent a third of my life here, met my wife here, got married here, I have a deep connection to this city and a big community that support me. I feel very excited and privileged about my first show, excited to see my work in a gallery space. All the work I’m exhibiting is inspired by Edinburgh, my community and how I feel here.”
There is a creative thread that runs throughout everything that Adam has done in his journey to become a full-time artist. He has worked in and out of the hospitality arena, designing spaces and opening restaurants around the world, figuring out how these environments will work and affect people. His use of antique frames plays into his love of interiors. He sources them from different time periods and mixes them back with modern art, it’s the contrast between these ornate frames and big bold modern art pieces that he finds interesting and then how the work fits into different styles of interiors.
Edinburgh is a melting point for talent and fresh thinking, the people you meet on this crazy journey we are all on inspire and mould us into doing what we love. Adam is following his dreams and we for one want to see where this distinctive voyage leads.
