Adam Cooley

Kameosa (瓶長) by Adam Cooley acrylic / wax on panel 12” x 12”
Kameosa (瓶長) are a traditional Japanese yokai born from something beautifully simple: an old jug that has lived long enough to develop a soul. In Japanese folklore, tsukumogami are objects that gain sentience after a hundred years of existence — a sake jar so ancient it has grown legs, arms, a face, and an inexhaustible supply of sake that never runs dry. Unlike so many yokai rooted in tragedy or terror, Kameosa is a celebration of age, persistence, and the quiet dignity of things that have outlasted their original purpose.
I have always loved antiques and old objects — the accumulated weight of hands that held them, purposes they served, the slow transformation of the ordinary into the extraordinary. Creating Kameosa let me sit with that feeling and give it a face. In the west we don’t have a strong tradition of objects becoming conscious through age… perhaps Kool-Aid Man is our closest equivalent, however unintentionally profound. 😂
This is a new addition to {Monstrous Dreams - Yōkai of Japan}, depicting Japanese yokai from a western perspective. Having spent more than three decades in Japan, I gained a deep appreciation for its wonderful monsters. The exhibition has traveled from Revolution Gallery through Kobe, Osaka, the University of Hyogo, and most recently Romania. The work keeps growing. The monsters keep traveling.
{Monstrous Dreams - Yōkai of Japan, Adam Cooley solo exhibition}
The Louise B. Jones Brown Gallery in the Bryan Center, Duke University
April 5 – 19, 2026
Opening Reception: April 9, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
Please come say hello if you are in the Durham, NC area. This piece is currently available.

I am happy to announce that I will be having a new solo exhibition, {Monstrous Dreams: Yōkai of Japan} opening April 5, 2026 ~ April 19, 2026 at the Brown Gallery at Duke University, Durham, NC.
This solo exhibition brings together over 100 paintings from my ongoing yokai series — a body of work now exceeding 200 pieces — each depicting a different figure from the rich and fascinating tradition of Japanese folklore and mythology.
The opening reception will be held on Thursday, April 9, 2026 from 6:30 ~ 8:30 pm. I would love to see you there!
This is the first stop in what has become a busy exhibition year, with a number of other solo shows coming up both locally and on the West Coast. More details on those soon.
If you have free time please stop by and also please share the information on social media (Facebook / Instagram /etc.)
Address:
Brown Gallery, Bryan Center, Duke University
125 Science Dr, Durham, NC 27708

この度、2026年4月5日（月）から4月19日（土）にかけて、ノースカロライナ州ダーラムにあるデューク大学のブラウン・ギャラリーにて、新作個展『Monstrous Dreams: Yōkai of Japan』を開催することとなりました。
本展では、現在200点を超える大作シリーズへと発展している私の「妖怪シリーズ」より、100点以上の絵画を一堂に展示いたします。各作品は、日本の民俗伝承や神話が誇る豊かで魅力的な世界から、それぞれ異なる妖怪たちを描き出したものです。
オープニング・レセプションは、2026年4月9日（木）の午後6時30分から8時30分まで開催されます。皆様にお目にかかれることを心より楽しみにしております。
本展は、国内外および米国西海岸での個展開催が相次ぐ、多忙な展覧会イヤーの幕開けを飾る最初の巡回展となります。その他の個展に関する詳細につきましても、追ってご案内させていただきます。
お近くにお越しの際は、ぜひ会場にお立ち寄りください。また、本展に関する情報をSNS（Facebook / Instagram / X）にてシェアしていただけますと幸いです。
住所：
Brown Gallery, Bryan Center, Duke University
125 Science Dr, Durham, NC 27708

I am happy to announce that I will be having a new solo exhibition, {Monstrous Dreams: Yōkai of Japan} opening April 5, 2026 ~ April 19, 2026 at the Brown Gallery at Duke University, Durham, NC.
This solo exhibition brings together over 100 paintings from my ongoing yokai series — a body of work now exceeding 200 pieces — each depicting a different figure from the rich and fascinating tradition of Japanese folklore and mythology.
The opening reception will be held on Thursday, April 9, 2026 from 6:30 ~ 8:30 pm. I would love to see you there!
This is the first stop in what has become a busy exhibition year, with a number of other solo shows coming up both locally and on the West Coast. More details on those soon.
If you have free time please stop by and also please share the information on social media (Facebook / Instagram /etc.)
Address:
Brown Gallery, Bryan Center, Duke University
125 Science Dr, Durham, NC 27708

この度、2026年4月5日（月）から4月19日（土）にかけて、ノースカロライナ州ダーラムにあるデューク大学のブラウン・ギャラリーにて、新作個展『Monstrous Dreams: Yōkai of Japan』を開催することとなりました。
本展では、現在200点を超える大作シリーズへと発展している私の「妖怪シリーズ」より、100点以上の絵画を一堂に展示いたします。各作品は、日本の民俗伝承や神話が誇る豊かで魅力的な世界から、それぞれ異なる妖怪たちを描き出したものです。
オープニング・レセプションは、2026年4月9日（木）の午後6時30分から8時30分まで開催されます。皆様にお目にかかれることを心より楽しみにしております。
本展は、国内外および米国西海岸での個展開催が相次ぐ、多忙な展覧会イヤーの幕開けを飾る最初の巡回展となります。その他の個展に関する詳細につきましても、追ってご案内させていただきます。
お近くにお越しの際は、ぜひ会場にお立ち寄りください。また、本展に関する情報をSNS（Facebook / Instagram / X）にてシェアしていただけますと幸いです。
住所：
Brown Gallery, Bryan Center, Duke University
125 Science Dr, Durham, NC 27708

Coffey & Thompson Closure Leaves Artists Reeling, Unable to Retrieve Work | Queen City Nerve Artists who had working showing and for sale in Coffey & Thompson are searching for answers after the owner was evicted.

After Eastover gallery was abruptly evicted, Charlotte artists remain in limbo The gallery failed to pay rent for over a year and was evicted, court records show.

Thursday marked our 5-year anniversary, and we kicked it off by catching The Outsiders at DPAC last night — incredible vocals, a cool set design, and really clever choreography. Tonight we’re heading to the Carolina Theatre to see Jessica Kirson. I’m a big fan, and it’ll be my first time seeing her live. A very cool weekend all around.

Dropped in at Zeitgeist Gallery last night for the opening of “Knotty and Nice”. Very cool collection of art and artists. You can see my large painting in the background along with four kakejiku (Japanese hanging scrolls) I painted, that I thought fit the theme very well. If you are in the area definitely stop in! kakejiku contemporarysurrealism