Adam de Boer

Adam de Boer (b. 1984, California) combines traditional Javanese practices, such as wood carving and batik, with Western oil painting, drawing on these traditions to connect his practice with his Dutch-Indonesian heritage. His coastal scenes and cityscapes explore the visual textures, cultural minglings, and socioeconomic realities of California and Indonesia. Over the past decade, de Boer has developed a personal adaptation of batik, incorporating the Javanese textile tradition directly into his painting process. His recent work depicts the cultural hodgepodge of Los Angeles while maintaining a strong connection to his cultural heritage.

Adam de Boer graduated with an MA in Fine Art from the Chelsea College of Arts, London (2012) and a BFA in Painting from the College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara (2006). His work has been exhibited at Taymour Grahne Projects, London (2024, 2022); The Pit, Los Angeles (2023); Gazelli Art House, London (2026); Gajah Gallery, Jakarta and Singapore (2023, 2022); Ben Brown Fine Arts, London and Hong Kong (2022); The Hole, New York and Los Angeles (2023, 2022); World Trade Centre, Jakarta (2018); and Art Jog, Yogyakarta (2018, 2015).

De Boer is a Joan Mitchell Foundation Fellow and in 2017 was awarded a Fulbright Research Fellowship to Java, Indonesia. He was also awarded The International Art Prize presented by Winsor & Newton and Paul Smith’s Foundation, as well as Arts for India from the University of the Arts, London, and grants from The Cultural Development Corporation, The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and The Santa Barbara Arts Fund.