Artist Spotlight: Adam Augustyn
Pop-surrealist polymath Adam Augustyn conjures candy-colored dreamscapes inspired by animation, mythology, music, horror movies and the obsessions of his three daughters.
The Chicago-based painter — one of 13 artists exhibiting with Vertical Gallery at Aqua Art Miami 2025 — first appeared on our walls as part of 2021’s ‘Water the Plants!’ A second Vertical group show, ‘Atomic Number 13,’ preceded Adam’s debut solo showcase, 2022’s ‘The Sky Is Falling,’ a collection grappling with the proliferation and normalization of fringe conspiracy theories. He returned to Vertical two years later for ‘Hero’s Journey,’ a deeply personal celebration of adventure and discovery. Discover what’s next for Adam in the latest installment of our Artist Spotlight series.
Vertical Gallery: What do you have in store for Aqua Art Miami?
Adam Augustyn: This collection is about heartbreak, isolation, adaptation and reconnection — how I resist change, and my desire to freeze time and stand still. As my kids get older, I look for ways to stay connected to them but also hold on to each moment. I have been married to my wife for 25 years, and as our relationship evolves, there is resistance and fear to that, but also, I look forward to it. I tried to capture this push and pull throughout the collection.
I drew inspiration from other artists who explore similar themes, and included nods to their work. There’s a painting reminiscent of the Frida Kahlo piece “The Wounded Deer,” and another is inspired by Winslow Homer’s “Fox Hunt.” These influenced pieces visually and thematically, and, in some cases, rebelled against my interpretation of what was intended. Each painting includes an animal or insect based on how their symbolism reinforces the story.
I associate your work with human figures. Where does the animal motif come from?
There was a piece in my previous show with Vertical that [gallery owner Patrick Hull] and others responded to — a heron with a mask and graffiti painted on it. I was excited about that as a jumping-off point. As I sketched, nothing was working. I started reverting to my comfort zone and worked on portraits, but they were not capturing what was in my head. After trying a variety of subjects, I circled back and thought “You know what the answer is? Animals.” Which is exactly where we started.
A lot of research went into this collection. I love to hide meaning in little details. I include symbols from religions, mythology, fables, old stories, old paintings, references to Chicago. What I put in paintings ebbs and flows through the whole series. Elements of the first painting sneak into the second, and so on. It helps me feel like the collection is more cohesive.
Sometimes, I worry that the concept can get a little muddy. I’m not sure if what I am trying to say is clear or if I strayed too far away from the original intention. I feel like I’ve gone off too far — like “Oh, I put too much stuff in.” But when I share the work, I usually end up where I wanted to go. I think the distance from the painting helps me appreciate it more: I finish a piece, hate it, and then, three paintings later, it’s my favorite one.
Is this love-hate relationship with the work unique to you, or have you found your peers feel the same way?
I think it’s common, but I find that, especially for me, it’s about being too close to a painting. Once it’s done, I don’t want to look at it for a bit, because I will nitpick details and second guess. When I get some distance from it, those things tend to stand out as the parts that make it feel unique, or a little bit more fun.
Your work typically features bright, pastel colors — a palette that’s very much aligned with Miami Beach’s Tropical Deco aesthetic. What colors can we expect from this newest collection?
I don’t know if it’s as pastel, but they are saturated with color.
When I started, I wanted a unified background, so I painted all the backgrounds in kind of a cool blue-green. It was the first thing I threw out the window. It just didn’t work for me. I felt a little constrained by it. Each individual piece needed its own lighting and its own color to really set the mood and tell its story.
What do you hope the Miami audience takes away from this work?
I hope they can see the struggle in each piece and relate to that. Trying to adapt while also resisting change. Finding hope while struggling.
I love talking to people and finding out what a piece means to them. I believe my art is for the viewer as much as for me. I know what I am trying to say, but what attracts the audience to the piece is just as important. If it’s different from what I intended, I think that is great.
Vertical Gallery will feature eight 9-by-12-inch acrylic paintings on aluminum panels from Adam Augustyn (@adammaugustyn) at Aqua Art Miami, which runs December 3-7. Email sales@verticalgallery.com for the collector preview.
