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Adair Carroll

@actuallyadair

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💫artist who draw faces & his imaginations
📍durham, nc & minneapolis, mn
questions about commissions? DM me if interested

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Hell hello everyone, I’ve updated my commission sheets with different styles to choose from to draw you or your imagination to life! If you have any questions, feel free to let me know. DM me if you’re interested. Thank you very much 🧡 #commissionsopen #blackartist by @actuallyadair

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9 months ago

Hello hello, I decided to make an advertisement about my quick portraits so folks can see examples of my artwork and know where to find me and what days on when I’m doing portraits around places. If you’re interested in wanting me to draw portraits at your event or place, reach out and let me know! 💪🏽

I love drawing people’s faces a lot because I love to express how I see people in my world and my art style. As humans and/or their fursonas haha! Hope to draw you one day!

On weekends, you can find me at:
Fridays at @remysloungenc
Saturdays (9AM-12PM) at @cecysartmarketdurham
Sundays at @rubiesonfivepoints

Sometimes on weekends and mainly weekdays, I’m randomly somewhere else but will always let y’all know! (Expect if it’s a private event)
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#quickportraits by @actuallyadair

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3 months ago

Today, on the first day of Native American Heritage Month, I am so proud to share something I have poured my heart and purpose into, my debut children’s picture book, My Afro Indigenous Superpower. 🦹🏾‍♂️🦸🏽‍♀️

This story is an ode to my identity as a Hidatsa🌻 and Black woman✊🏾, and to every child learning to love every part of who they are. It celebrates belonging, pride, and the beauty of being both African-American and Native American.

Did you know you can count the children’s books that speak directly to Afro Indigeneity on ONE hand? Very few center descendants of enslaved Africans and members of federally recognized tribes here in the United States. Representation matters, and this book was created to help change that.

Illustrated by Adair Carroll @actuallyadair ,a talented BIPOC artist from Minneapolis and Durham, this book honors community, culture, and the joy of seeing ourselves reflected on the page.

Releasing February 1, 2026, the first day of Black History Month, it includes a resource guide for families and classrooms to spark conversations about identity and representation.

From my childlike spirit to yours, this book is my way of pouring love back into the world.❤️🌻

Pre-order now through @barnesandnoble Barnes and Noble:
🔗 https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-afro-indigenous-superpower-marique-moss/1148646956

Marique B. Moss (Miriguá Miásh, Woman in the Water) taken in Minneapolis, Minnesota by @actuallyadair

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a year ago

“I love your style and I love your energy, kid.
You’re going to do great in the future. Now go have a fun night!” - from my 8th grade Math Teacher

pov: pov: it’s 2016, you’re at your eighth grade prom. You’re the student that the school calls you weird, while the other black girls call you “white” because you don’t act and dress like how they do and the others students called you weird for the way that you are. Too happy. Too nappy. Too childish. Too weird. So sensitive. But you didn’t care what the students say about you 24/7 tonight. You were too busy admiring your shoes you decorated, the hairstyle your mom styled for you, and the outfit you put together that made you happy that night! Even your math teacher and friends complimented you 🪩

Here’s the full illustration of that doodle I did in July. I changed it up a bit to make it look like me. Originally, I was going to draw a goth girl at prom but I thought about myself from middle school prom haha! I added some things like my bag of pins, my old hoodie I used to wear back then from my uncle, and my favorite socks. There’s a photo reference of me at the end of the slides from prom 🧡

#digitalart #illustration #queerart #transartist by @actuallyadair

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11 days ago

Hello hello y’all! This Friday (10/2) from 7pm-10pm, come meet Gem to align with your star design with her astrology readings and come meet Adair to get your portrait done in his art style at @remysloungenc! Hope to see y’all there 💫

Friday, October 2 from 7PM-10PM at Remy’s Lounge on W Main St

Of course the flyer design was made by me 🧡! I wanted to make like kind-of like tarot card design of us hehehe
#illustration #digitalart #flyer #durhamnc by @actuallyadair

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15 days ago

Happy birthday to me!!! 🥳 Gotta keep the tradition to draw a self portrait of me holding a cake every year. (but also I should draw myself more, even though there’s tiny bits of me in my art pieces hehe)

Anywho, I am grateful to still be around, the friends and community I’ve made, trying new things with my art, and learning about myself too! I love y’all very much and can’t wait to see the next chapters that will happen with me in life 🧡 by @actuallyadair

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2 months ago

Last month during Juneteenth, I attended Open Stu: Juneteenth by @brobeas + @uncle_kette and it was so amazing meeting the photographers, reconnecting with folks, meeting new folks, reading some awesome books from @daughterofthelibrary like “The NamePlate: Jewelry, Culture, and Identity“, “In Past Pupils and Smiles - Solange Knowles”, “The Time Is Always Now” and “Devan Shimoyama: All The Rage” (I need to buy these books whenever I get a chance soon).

Please check out the artists I tagged, watch their recap about Open Stu, learn more about it, and when they host it again and if you’re in town, attend next time! This was a beautiful and fun experience. Also please check out the entire gallery of portraits they took 🧡

I love these portraits of me so sooo much. Thank y’all so much! 🥹🧡 by @actuallyadair

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3 months ago

“Will I still be your little angel, even if I’ve changed into something different than you imagined me to be?” They asked. Their mother held their child close into her arms, kissed their little forehead and said, “you will always be my little angel…no matter what.”

In the background of the art piece, it’s a mom holding their baby, kissing their forehead wearing their church dresses. While in the front of the art piece, it’s the child now grown up but looks different but is still the same person while wearing their church dress that looks like a mixed of both their old and their mother’s. Their body covered in flower tattoos to match the frame design and wearing their mother’s hoops. Their mother’s eyes appearing through their wings as their mother still sees them as their angel, their child. This piece represents identity, change, reassurance, and love.

I wanted to make a piece to represent me growing up into something that feels like me with my identity. Being trans, queer and spiritual. Growing up with my religious family and with what their beliefs are, while I question on what and how I see and feel about myself and hope I will be accepted while growing up. Some of family took a moment to learn and understand about my identity and wants to support in anyway while still feeling afraid for my safety in the world, while others doesn’t accept this change as much but still loves me and hopes I’m happy. I may look different and believe things differently on the out, but on the inside, I am still your baby, I am still me, just different on the outside and hope you still love me for who I am, even if it’s hard. I hope to still be your baby. Your angel. I love my family and friends, even if it’s taking a moment to get to know me and learn about me 🧡
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#myart #blackartist #illustration #transgender #queerart by @actuallyadair

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4 months ago

The Waves 🌊💋

After three days, I finally finished this piece for an upcoming art gallery to present but this is just the alternative version of it (you have to see the first version in-person 🤭)! Also I wanna show off the background without the people in it because I had so much fun with it
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🏷️ #queerart #digitalart #illustration #blackartist by @actuallyadair

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5 months ago

Sailor Moon 🪄🌙💫 (Fanart Commission for @kuguenko ‘s husband)

I had so much fun working on this commission! The idea was based off my tiny doodle of my sailor moon from one of my older art pieces to turn it into an actual piece. Thank you so much for letting me make this 🧡

🏷️ #sailormoon #digitalart #illustration by @actuallyadair

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5 months ago

“I want to go to Wilmington :(“……”Aight bet”
My friends and I went to Wilmington together last weekend and I had so much fun with them and our shenanigans together and getting to know them more too! This was my first road trip with friends and I always dreamed about doing that and I’m so glad Mack planned with me about it. We all took lots of photos (well Mack and Nic did) and I was daydreaming about doodling over some the photos and kept listening to “Rest Of Your Life” by James Blake as it gave me inspiration to do this. I definitely wanna do mixed media kind of stuff with my art style! Anywho enjoy these photos we took and doodles I’ve done over them. Thank you Mack and Nic for making my first road trip with friends memorable, I love y’all very much 🧡

Photos taken by Me, Mack, and Nic
(@m.ackaron @martinez.a.nic ) by @actuallyadair

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6 months ago

I remembered I promised Joose that I wanted to draw Onyx a quick portrait too when I met him. I wanted to draw them both because they are awesome people and I wanted them to be twins with portraits. I still kept my promise so I drew Onyx surrounded by sunflowers as my tribute.

Onyx Is Forever 🌻💛 @jooselord by @actuallyadair

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7 months ago