Whatisadam
Canada
“I think most artists starting out believe it is necessary to have a message. But the funny thing is, as you create more... the message becomes more subliminal. It becomes less obvious, which in turn makes it more interesting.”
Biography
Montreal based artist, Whatisadam, or WIA, is one of the city’s best known urban artists. Whatisadam has also collaborated with En Masse and Osheaga.
In addition to his wheat-paste and stencil artworks, Whatisadam has a diverse studio practice including working with silkscreen printing, large-scale murals, installation work, as well as a proclivity towards using found objects as his canvas. Infused with Canadian imagery, Whatisadam’s style is reminiscent of vintage comics and pop art.
Depictions of North American wildlife and landscapes are common themes within his work, but are always reimagined to feature elements of urban culture, as seen in his maple ‘sizzurp’ cans, tattooed ducks and hockey hoodlums.
