Adam du Shole: Bold Contemporary Art with Mythic Roots

Some works of art blend quietly into a home. Placed to fill space, chosen to let the couch shine, intentionally melting into the wall.

That is not the art of Adam du Shole.

“Some collectors like my work because it’s bold and stands off the wall,” shares du Shole. “And perhaps less expected, there are some with more traditional tastes—for instance, a classic library den with beautiful molding, well accented—who have chosen a piece that is hot pink and spins, to break up that feeling in that room.”

Painter, storyteller, and globetrotter, du Shole blends the 2D and 3D to create contemporary mixed-media wall sculptures that defy category. The fantastical themes of his work reflect his childhood living on the water as well as a background in literature and animation, evoking mythology, ancient artifacts, and a persistent feeling of nostalgia.

The Adam du Shole Blend

“There are two parts to [my] work. On one hand it’s very geometric, playful, a bit naive. Look a little closer, and you can see that I’m trying to communicate something with the subject matter—that is the tension I think people are attracted to,” adds du Shole, referring to the sense of duality in each piece. “This current body of work is recreating symbols for certain points or eras in my life, different places that I’ve lived, or specific memories.”

Tchotchkes, the collectibles one acquires when traveling or preserving moments in time, fascinate du Shole. As the son of a Navy father, a constant in his life was change, and du Shole has lived abroad on and off for years without always having a tangible item to represent those experiences. His work is a personal way to fill that gap, while inviting collectors to pull their own narrative out of the vibrant artworks.

“I thought about how my grandparents would decorate their home, and how all these little things had value, depending on who was looking at them,” reflects du Shole. “My grandmother probably had a statue from Poland above her stove in the kitchen, which meant something different to her than it did to me. I like the idea of something being superficially decorative, while also transmitting cultural and personal knowledge to the person who decided to decorate their space with it.”