Biography & Statement
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Biography
Adrianna Speer is a visual artist and educator based in Ruston, Louisiana. She holds a BFA from Louisiana State University and an MFA from Louisiana Tech University, where she currently serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Studio Art. Speer’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, with shows at Site: Brooklyn (NY), Verum Ultimum Gallery (OR), Baker University (KS), Red Springs Artspace (NC), Jag Gallery (FL), Las Lagunas Gallery (CA), the University of North Alabama (AL), and Diderot Gallery (France). Her practice has also been featured in publications such as QUARTERLY, Divide Magazine, and Mystic Minds Magazine.
Speer has completed artist residencies at Taleamor Park (IN), Burren College of Art (Ireland), and Padula Art Center (Italy), among others. Her recent achievements include a Merit Award from the Tubac Center of the Arts and a solo exhibition at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She received both the Denis Diderot and Emerging Artist grants, supporting her participation in the Château d'Orquevaux Artists & Writers Residency in France.
Additional accomplishments include a solo exhibition at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts and residencies at the Rural Residency for Contemporary Art in Italy and the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. In 2026, she will take part in artist residencies at PROArtes México in Mexico City and the Förderverein Oberpfälzer Künstlerhaus in Germany.
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Statement
My approach to painting is an ongoing exploration of how personal experience intersects with universal themes. Much of my work begins with en plein air oil sketches; painting directly from the environment as a dialogue with place and time. Light, color, movement, and sound inform each decision, while weather, passers-by, and shifting conditions challenge me to respond instinctively. Through these experiences, I aim to translate atmosphere into color, form, and light that evoke an emotional essence.
In the studio, I merge traditional observational techniques with digitally manipulated sketches to create pseudo-autobiographical mixed-media works. These narrative pieces explore identity, selfhood, social commentary, and existential reflection. Ultimately, my goal is to capture the complexity of the human experience and invite viewers to consider the space where the personal and the ordinary converge.