Adam Higgins


Adam Higgins is an American contemporary painter whose work reinterprets the tradition of still life. Based in Los Angeles, Higgins creates paintings that shift between representation and abstraction, drawing upon the history of painting while introducing humor and play into the genre. He earned his MFA from Yale University.

Early life and education

Higgins was born in 1989 in Huntington Beach, California. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Memphis in 2012 and a Master of Fine Arts in Painting and Printmaking from Yale University in 2018.

Career and work

Higgins’ practice is grounded in the still life tradition, which he approaches through both content and process. His subjects—ranging from food to plants and other commonplace objects—are painted in such a way that representation can dissolve into abstraction. This transformation is achieved through the textural qualities of paint and the shifting perspectives from which he works. Humor and historical reference often intersect in his paintings, situating his practice within a dialogue between past and present approaches to the medium.
Critics have observed that Higgins’ work complicates the conventions of still life while engaging broader questions about perception and abstraction. Writing in Artforum, Suzanne Hudson noted how his paintings destabilize expectations of still life through shifts in scale, surface, and focus. Reviews in Artillery and The Brooklyn Rail have highlighted his use of humor and repetition, as well as his positioning within the historical legacy of still life painting.

Selected solo exhibitions

Selected group exhibitions

Selected press

  • Hudson, Suzanne. “Adam Higgins.” Artforum, 2023.
  • Christ, Emma. “Adam Higgins.” Artillery, 2023.
  • “Lonesome: Adam Higgins.” The Brooklyn Rail, 2022.