Artist's Statement

I create to illuminate what I cannot otherwise see. Transformation is at the core of my work; through colors, shapes, and layers, I seek a world outside my physical experience. Moving inward, I create abstract images: moonscapes, skyscapes, and waterscapes. I am fascinated by space, not as an exact location, but as a mysterious place, and infinite place of wonder with shifting atmospheres and moods. As I paint, watching colors and forms shift, I am seeking something I can't always envision. These visceral spaces exist outside the flow of my daily life, for when painting, I enter a meditative state. Following my intuition and trusting when to stop and when to work back into the painting, is contrary to how I often exist in other areas of my life. I am a planner, a list-maker, someone who likes to know what to expect. Therefore, making work in this intuitive way stands in sharp contrast to other parts of myself. It's the letting go that allows this work to come forward. I am enthralled by the not knowing, the seeking, the transformation -- the discovery. It's exciting to work in this tactile way, embracing the tension between my need for control and my desire to uncover the unknown.

Artist's Biography

Artist and educator, Adina Segal, fell in love with photography in high school. After earning an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York, she exhibited her prolonged exposure photographs at galleries nationwide. Since becoming a mother and witnessing her own sons draw, paint, and play so freely, her desire to try a new medium arose. Inspired by how collaborative and creative working with children can be, she began designing and facilitating art programs for children. Since 2014, Adina has worked with the Philadelphia area non-profit ArtWell, supporting young people and their communities through the arts. In 2018, Adina started experimenting with watercolor. By working in a new medium, Adina let go of her prior expectations, giving herself permission to explore further. Although the medium is altogether different, she seeks a sense of wonder, the same kind of curious fascination that drew her to photography. Throughout her art, Adina explores realms outside of daily life, spaces where there is room for the imagination to wander and memories to come to the surface. Adina lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two sons.

Education

2008
University of California, Berkeley, CA
Masters of Arts, Education

2003
School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
Master of Fine Arts, Photography and Related Media

1997
Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Photography
Dean's List, Eliot Scholar

Professional Experience

ArtWell, Philadelphia, PA
Teaching Artist and Site Leader

San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA
Visiting Professor

New York University, New York, NY
Visiting Professor

Selected Exhibitions

Group‍

2021
Abstracted, Art Fluent, Boston, MA

Lumiere, Art Fluent, Boston, MA

Emergence, Media Arts Council, Media, PA

2006
Joint Venture, Richard L. Nelson Gallery, University of California, Davis, CA

2003
Spaces, Worrell Photographs, New York, NY

Fresh Meat, CEPA Gallery, Buffalo, NY

Water, Tulla Booth Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY

Squint, Fish Tank Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

2001
Working Artists, Silicon Gallery, Philadelphia, PA and Brooklyn, NY

1998
Summer Show, Vaknin Schwartz, Atlanta, GA

Expo 17, b.j. spoke gallery, Huntington, NY
Curator: Jane Adlin, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Photography '98, Stage Gallery, Merrick, NY

1997
PhotoSession, Allen's Lane Art Center, Philadelphia, PA

1996
Television Series Installation, Center for Photography, St. Louis, MO

‍