The Dreamers profiles women who have imagined their careers into being, usually in opposition to the cultural zeitgeist. In this three-part series, intrepid creatives explain how, by either taking the road less travelled or carving out entirely new paths for themselves, their outward success has transpired from inward imagining.

Brooklyn-born artist Sage Adams rose to fame at the age of 19 after they designed artwork and promotional videos for Grammy-nominated musician SZA. Adams is also a founding member of Art Hoe Collective—an online curatorial group that showcases the multidisciplinary work of queer and gender nonconforming artists of color. Using Instagram like a virtual public gallery, the collective gives marginalised communities an opportunity to display their art in safe spaces that celebrate all backgrounds and identities. 

In this film Adams demonstrates a commitment to sharing their platform by inviting skater and model Briana King and textile artist Uzumaki Cepeda to be profiled beside them. The park surrounding LA’s Griffith Observatory, where the three artists were filmed, inspires Adams to cover a canvas with images derived from the natural environment. 

Adams cites Quentin Blake, the internationally acclaimed British illustrator, as the inspiration behind some of her early sketch-like drawings and penchant for bright colors. Blake’s popularity came from his unique ability to bring Roald Dahl’s fantastical children’s stories to life. And with this same spirit of imagination, Adams’ vision of a representative creative industry has helped sow the seed for grassroots communities that challenge the art world.