Derrick Adams – The Queen of Spades (Edition B)

The Queen of Spades (Edition B), 2015
Complete set of two pigment prints, with text by Aleksandr Pushkin

• Artist: Derrick Adams (American, born 1970)
• Medium: Pigment prints in colors on Hotpress paper, the full sheets, with text by Aleksandr Pushkin
• Dimensions (sheet, both): 38.7 × 29.2 cm (15 1/4 × 11 1/2 in)
• Dimensions (portfolio): 41 × 30.8 × 1.3 cm (16 1/8 × 12 1/8 × 1/2 in)
• Edition: Edition of 18
• Signature: Both signed and dated, numbered in pencil on the reverse
• Publisher: Eminence Grise Editions, New York 

The Queen of Spades (Edition B) is a complete set of two pigment prints in colors on Hotpress paper, executed in 2015 by Derrick Adams — one of the most celebrated and institutionally significant contemporary American artists working at the intersection of painting, collage, and identity-based portraiture — both signed, dated, and numbered in pencil on the reverse, from the edition of 18, published by Eminence Grise Editions in New York, and contained within the original red cloth-covered folio together with accompanying text by the Russian writer Aleksandr Pushkin.

Derrick Adams has built over the past two decades a body of work of exceptional cultural significance and visual richness — a practice centered on the celebration, complexity, and joy of Black identity and everyday life, rendered through a distinctive visual language that draws on collage, geometric abstraction, and vivid color to construct portraits and scenes of striking warmth, dignity, and formal sophistication. His work has been the subject of major institutional exhibitions and is held in the collections of leading American museums, establishing him as one of the most significant voices in contemporary American art.

The Queen of Spades takes its title and conceptual foundation from Aleksandr Pushkin's celebrated 1834 novella of the same name — one of the great works of Russian literature, a tale of obsession, fate, and the supernatural set within the world of card-playing aristocratic society. In pairing his own contemporary visual language with Pushkin's text, Adams enters into a rich and historically layered dialogue, his treatment of the subject bringing the psychological tension and thematic depth of Pushkin's narrative into conversation with his own distinctive aesthetic concerns. This is Edition B of the project — a distinct print set within Adams's broader engagement with the Queen of Spades theme — presented as a complete two-print set within its original red cloth-covered folio, a presentation format that underscores the literary and bibliophilic nature of the project.

Published by Eminence Grise Editions in New York — a publisher recognized for its carefully produced and conceptually ambitious contemporary print projects — and printed on Hotpress paper, a premium support known for its smooth, fine-grained surface ideally suited to pigment printing, the complete set achieves a material and presentational quality entirely consistent with the significance of the undertaking.

The work is in excellent condition.

Shipping & Delivery: 

✔ Worldwide shipping from France

✔ Professional packaging with insurance

✔ Tracking number included for secure delivery

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FAQ

Is this an original work by Derrick Adams?
Yes — an authentic complete set of two pigment prints on Hotpress paper, both signed, dated and numbered in pencil from the edition of 18, published by Eminence Grise Editions, New York.

What is the connection to Aleksandr Pushkin?
The Queen of Spades takes its title and conceptual foundation from Pushkin's celebrated 1834 novella of the same name — a work of Russian literature dealing with obsession, fate, and the supernatural, with which Adams's contemporary visual language enters into rich dialogue.

What does "Edition B" refer to?
Edition B designates this as a distinct print set within Adams's broader Queen of Spades project, comprising its own complete set of two pigment prints presented in the original red cloth-covered folio.

What paper was used?
Hotpress paper — a premium support with a smooth, fine-grained surface ideally suited to pigment printing, ensuring exceptional color fidelity and surface quality.

Who published the work?
Eminence Grise Editions, New York — a publisher recognized for its carefully produced and conceptually ambitious contemporary print projects.

What is the edition size?
Edition of 18 — both prints signed, dated and numbered in pencil on the reverse.

What are the dimensions?
Sheet (each): 38.7 × 29.2 cm (15 1/4 × 11 1/2 in) — Portfolio: 41 × 30.8 × 1.3 cm (16 1/8 × 12 1/8 × 1/2 in)

How is the work presented?
As a complete set of two prints contained within the original red cloth-covered folio.

What is the condition?
Excellent condition. Full condition report available upon request.

Is this artwork a good investment?
Derrick Adams is one of the most institutionally significant and rapidly collected contemporary American artists, with works held in major museum collections. This conceptually rich and carefully produced print set represents a compelling acquisition for serious collectors of contemporary American art.

Is worldwide shipping available?
Yes — secure worldwide shipping from France with professional packaging, tracking, and insurance.