John M. Adams creates work that is a reaction to immersion in both the natural and manmade environments. He physically deconstructs and reconstructs major elements of his artworks, altering the interpretation of the initial structure, developing new relationships between intention, gesture, and memory.

Adams was born in Hampton, VA and grew up in rural Gloucester, VA surrounded by the open water and tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. An avid outdoorsman, his work continues to be influenced by his passion for exploring the natural world as much as it is influenced by the structure of urban and suburban environments. Fly fishing is an integral part of his life; hunting redfish in the salty marshes of the Chesapeake Bay, backpacking for brookies, fishing the spring run Downtown, or sight fishing for gar in Virginia swamps and rivers. You can can find him paddling or wading near the fall line in central Virginia; most often within the Richmond city limits on the James, a few minutes from his home and studio in Bon Air. He is passionate about sharing his love for the outdoors with his wife, son, daughter, and friends.

Adams earned a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and an MFA from James Madison University. His work can be found in private, corporate, and public collections such as the Capital One Art Collection, Wilson Building (DC City Hall), DC Art Bank Collections. He has received numerous awards including a Graduate Fellowship from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts as well as a Strauss Grant and has exhibited his work in numerous galleries and several contemporary art fairs.