Picture hundreds of gummy bears arranged in concentric circles by color, or Q-tips spiraling into an intricate windmill, or a checkerboard pattern of strawberries and Nutella covered toast squares, and you begin to get a sense of the art of former Mercer student Adam Hillman.
Since graduating Mercer in 2016 with an associate’s degree in Art History, Hillman’s work has taken off through his Instagram site @witenry.
“It all started with Facebook,” Hillman said in a recent interview.
After joining a Facebook group entitled “Unedited Smartphone Aesthetic Pics” Hillman began to pursue photography. He had no background in it, only a natural instinct that told him to “Do something to the objects themselves than take a photo of that arrangement” Hillman added.
“I got sort of a notoriety in the group as the person who posts the stuff that gets the most likes” says Hillman. Soon he landed an interview with Paper magazine which increased interest in his work.
As his number followers increased, Hillman wondered, “Could this [type of art] do well outside of this closed environment?”
The answer? Definitely.
Now with 252, 000 Instagram followers and counting, Hillman has inspired multiple other artists.
Emily Kathleen, one of Hillman’s followers from Ontario, Canada told the VOICE, “I love that he takes mundane things and turns it into something so remarkable…I really end up trying to put myself inside his brain.”
Margherita Crippa, a @witenry follower and User Interface (UI) designer from Milan, said in an interview that Hillman’s artwork, “makes me feel quiet and peaceful.” She continues, “The attention he gives to every single detail is reflected in the whole work, giving it a real coherent connection within all the elements.”
Asked to describe exactly what he does, Hillman says, “For me, arranging is taking usually some kind of everyday object, and moving things around until it gets to a certain composition I am looking for.”
Inspired by early abstract art from the 20th century, Hillman says he is creating art arrangements based on simple geometry.
“I draw inspiration a lot from minimalism and a lot of art historical movements” Hillman explains, continuing, “I like the idea that one line changes everything.”
Companies have started seeking Hillman’s work, including PureWow, a women’s lifestyle media network, Story, a gallery and boutique in New York and Super Deluxe, the television and media network based in Los Angeles.
Before the start of this career in the arts, Hillman debated whether college was the right path for him. He stated, “I figured, [Mercer] would be a good place to meet people.”
One Mercer instructor who particularly inspired Hillman was Professor Yevgeniy Fiks, teacher of drawing, digital media art and design.
“I think especially what he taught me in 2D design really clicked. I’m sure that that had a huge impact on me.” Hillman says.
Adam’s mother Erika Hillman says, “We have a creative family and raised both our children in and around arts.”
Kylan Hillman, Adam’s younger brother and a current music student at Mercer is also a Youtube singer, guitarist and composer. Mrs. Hillman says, “His dad and I are both musical, artistic and dramatic.”
“As a toddler…” Mrs. Hillman explains, “… he used to line up his Matchbox cars end-to-end for hours. He was very precise about it.” By the age of 14, Mrs. Hillman continues, “He began most of his free time drawing very intricate designs. Each piece took months to complete.” At that point, Hillman’s mom says she knew he was destined to be an artist.
“He’s a perfectionist” Mrs. Hillman states. “I sometimes feel the need to remind him to find balance in his life.”
Adam says that sometimes “There is a lot of pressure,” having thousands of fans across the globe.
Asked what causes him to stick with it, Hillman says: “It’s never been about money for me…It’s these patterns that I have and I have to get them out somehow.”
