Adia Millett Little is a contemporary American multi-media artist whose work can be found in various forums throughout the United States and abroad. Through multiple mediums, including

diorama A diorama is a replica of a scene, typically a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum. Dioramas are often built by hobbyists as part of related hobbies such as military vehicle mode ...

s, quilting, painting, stitching,

woodworking Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinet making (cabinetry and furniture), wood carving, woodworking joints, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning. History Along with Rock (geology), stone, clay and animal parts, ...

, and multi-media works, Millett creates her art to discover transitions and tell stories.

Biography

Millett was born in 1975 in Pasadena, California. She was raised by her mother in South Central Los Angeles. Her mother first studied art, but later studied chemistry and earned a doctoral degree in psychology. Her father was a famous stage actor and a painter, Cleavon Little. Millett's step-father, who married her mother when Adia was seven, was an architect and very supportive of her artistic endeavors.

Career

After completing an undergraduate program and receiving a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the

University of California at Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant univ ...

in 1997, Millett continued her education at the California Institute of the Arts, graduating in 2000 with a Masters of Fine Arts. In 2001, Millett was chosen to participate in the Whitney Museum's Independent Studies Program. In 2002, Millett participated in the

Studio Museum in Harlem The Studio Museum in Harlem is an American art museum devoted to the work of artists of African descent. The museum's galleries are currently closed in preparation for a building project that will replace the current building, located at 144 W ...

residency program, and in 2003 became the resident visiting artist at Columbia College in Chicago, Il. Millett has taught at Columbia College in Chicago, UC Santa Cruz, and Cooper Union in NY as an artist in residence. She currently teaches at California College of the Arts.

Major projects

''Inventing Truth'' (2001–2002)

A set of embroidery based artworks, this project addresses loss, memory, and the significance of everyday objects. The seven, small, framed, cross-stitched fabrics depict every day objects including a porkpie hat, a bottle of

Popov Popov (; masculine), or Popova (; feminine), is a common Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian and Serbian surname. Derived from a Slavonic word ''pop'' (, "priest"). The fourth most common Russian surname, it may refer to: * Alek Popov (born 1966), ...

vodka, a rifle, a rose, a package of Newport menthol cigarettes, a pair of underwear, and a twenty dollar bill.Millett, Adia. ''Inventing Truth.'' Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. 2019 By presenting objects that are stereotypically associated with black men, Millett creates a juxtaposition within her work between the feminine "craft" of stitching and the masculine subject matter of the individual pieces.

''Pre-fabricated Innocence'' (2004–2010)

''Pre-Fabricated Innocence'' is an eight part series of miniature houses that caters to our penchant for voyeurism. Each miniature illustrates melancholy interiors that display class and religious beliefs.''Pre-fabricated Innocence: Anticipation (light bulbs)'' from 2004, for instance, is only 11 x 14 inches, but the small prism contains a table with a single chair, a bouquet of flowers, a staircase leading to a closed door, and nine functional lightbulbs. In fact, working lights, furniture, and tiny details are featured in many of Millett's miniatures. The unique decorations within the houses are an attempt to promote a space where dialog is created for characters to develop.

''The Fire Next Time'' (2016)

''The Fire Next Time'' (2016) is a mixed-medium piece on wood panel that takes its title from James Baldwin's seminal 1963 book. The miniature is a tiny house surrounded by billowing smoke that stands against a golden backdrop. The small dwelling is made of faded blue vertical planks with a roof of dark wooden shingles that float into the golden sky as the abode burns. This piece presents a visualization of breaking apart.

''Infinite Edges'' exhibition (2019)

One of Adia Millett's largest exhibitions to date is entitled "Infinite Edges," and was held from 14 September—9 November 2019 at Traywick Contemporary . This solo exhibition displays Millett's many practices which includes quilt-making, painting, drawing, photography, collage and sculpture. Millet uses these multi-media pieces to highlight the African American experiences while simultaneously speaking to how all living things are connected. Millett's geometric patters draw the viewer's eye from point to point, mimicking the multi-faceted, complex, and fragmented nature of life itself.

Quilts

Millett's quilts highlight interconnectivity, as the domestic or "craft" based activity connects pieces of cloth or textile to one another through stitches and string. These artistic quilts simultaneously combine multiple materials and specific cultural references, as the subject matter of each specifically relates to different cultural moments. ''Chosen Family'', for example, is one of Millett's pieces from 2018 that combines fabric, textiles, feather, and hand quilting. The pattern of the fabric and textile contained within the piece allude to traditional African textiles, and thick rim of feathers around the circumference of the quilt create a soft border that highlights the multi-media nature of the piece.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Millett, Adia 1975 births 21st-century American women artists American contemporary artists Artists from Los Angeles California Institute of the Arts alumni Living people University of California, Berkeley alumni